Let’s start with the basics. If your source has two authors, you just list them both. It’s the citation equivalent of a buddy cop movie. In your sentence, you write their last names connected by the word “and.” Like this: (Smith and Jones 42). Easy, right? You don’t need to write “Smith, Jones, et al.” No, no, no. Keep it simple. Just “and.”
If you mention the authors in your sentence itself (that’s called a narrative citation, by the way—fancy!), you write “Smith and Jones argue that…” and then just put the page number in parentheses at the end. Pro tip: Doing this makes your writing flow so much better. It feels less robotic, more like you’re actually having a conversation with your research.
But here’s where people get tripped up. What if the names are really long? Like, “Schwarzenegger and Underwood”? Still the same rule. Breathe, type it out, and move on. You can do this. I believe in you.
