Accurate APA citations are more than a formatting requirement as they reflect the integrity of your academic work. But when your source has two authors, things can get surprisingly nuanced. Do you use “and” or “&”? How should the names appear in different sections of your paper? These small details can make a big difference in clarity and correctness.
In this guide, I’ll break down the process of how to cite two authors APA style with practical steps, helpful tools, and tips for formatting everything cleanly in WPS Office. By the end, citing two authors won’t feel like an unsolvable mystery.
Citation Rules for Two Authors in APA Style
APA citation two authors involves a set of detailed rules that go beyond simply listing names, and following them correctly helps ensure your work meets academic standards. Over time, I’ve found that mastering the intricate details makes referencing more consistent and a lot easier. So let’s start with the basics: how to cite two authors APA style.
Citation Type |
Format |
Example |
|---|---|---|
Narrative (in-text) |
Author A and Author B (Year) |
Flannigan and McBride (2001) |
Parenthetical (in-text) |
(Author A & Author B, Year) |
(Flannigan & McBride, 2001) |
Reference List |
Author A., & Author B. (Year). Title. |
Flannigan, A., & McBride, T. (2001). Understanding behavioral change. |
Once you’ve seen the difference between narrative and parenthetical formats, it becomes easier to spot what an accurate APA two authors reference should look like, both in-text and in your reference list.
Use Citation Generators to Cite Two Authors in APA Automatically
While manually formatting citations can help you learn the rules, there’s no need to do everything by hand. Citation generators are a practical way to save time and reduce errors, particularly when citing two authors in APA style. The key is knowing which tools to trust and how to double-check the output. I’ll take you through a few popular options I’ve personally used, and share what works best when you're aiming for both speed and accuracy.
Zotero
Zotero is a powerful, open-source citation manager that’s ideal when you're working with multiple sources. It keeps all your references organized in one place and makes it easy to generate APA-formatted citations with just a few clicks. It integrates with word processors, allowing you to insert accurate in-text citations and build your reference list without constantly switching tabs.
Free access: Zotero offers full access to its features without charging a cent. There are no paywalls or premium versions, just solid functionality.
Browser plugins: With plugins for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, you can grab citation details directly from databases, journals, or websites in seconds.
APA formatting: It supports APA 7th edition (and other styles), letting you generate properly formatted citations and bibliographies automatically.
Zotero makes citing two authors in APA simple. It automatically formats entries like Taylor & Singh (2020) and builds your reference list with the correct punctuation and order. You don’t have to think about where to put the ampersand or how to structure names, it’s all handled for you.
MyBib
MyBib is a free online citation generator that is particularly helpful when you're figuring out how to cite 2 authors APA style and instantly produces a properly formatted APA citation. The tool handles things like the ampersand, author order, and punctuation automatically, which makes it ideal when you want accurate citations without the extra setup.
No login required: MyBib lets you create citations instantly without creating an account or logging in which is perfect for quick tasks or last-minute edits.
Step-by-step citation builder: Instead of overwhelming forms, MyBib walks you through each field such as author names, publication year, title making it easy to get every APA detail right, especially for two-author sources.
Copy-ready output: Once done, MyBib provides a clean, formatted in-text citation like (Taylor & Singh, 2020) along with a full reference entry you can paste directly into your document. It even offers citation suggestions as you type, speeding things up even more.
Citation Machine
Citation Machine is a popular choice for generating APA citations, especially when you're working with common source types like books, journal articles, or websites. It’s web-based, easy to navigate, and allows you to create citations for two authors quickly by filling in a few fields. The tool takes care of formatting so you can get accurate citations without having to memorize APA rules.
Guided input forms: Citation Machine uses a structured form that prompts you for each detail such as author names, title, date making it easy to format two-author citations correctly.
Edit-before-you-generate feature: You can review and adjust the citation details before finalizing, which helps catch small errors and ensures accuracy.
Quick copy and export: Once generated, your in-text citation and reference entry can be copied directly or exported to your paper, saving time on formatting.
How to Format APA Two-Author Citations in WPS Office
Getting the citation text right is just half the job, formatting it properly on the page is where it all comes together. When you're working with two authors, even small mistakes can stand out. Fortunately, WPS Office makes it easy to format everything according to APA guidelines. From setting up hanging indents to adjusting spacing, you’ve got all the tools built in.
Step 1: Launch the WPS Office application and select “Docs” to open WPS Writer. This is where you’ll add and format your APA citation with two authors.
Step 2: Highlight the full citation entry, then right-click and choose “Paragraph” from the menu. This will open a settings window where you can adjust indentation and spacing options.
Step 3: In the Paragraph window, set up the formatting like this:
Under Line spacing, choose “Multiple” from the dropdown, and type 2 in the box next to it.
Under Indentation, set “Special” to Hanging and enter 0.5 inches in the “By” box.
The first time I cited two authors in APA, I got the names right but messed up the indent and spacing. Once I started using WPS Office properly, formatting became quick and accurate as everything lined up just the way APA expects.
FAQs
1. Do I always list both authors in-text?
Yes. Every time. APA doesn’t allow “et al.” for two authors. Stick with both names.
2. Do I use "&" or "and" between author names?
Use “&” in parenthetical citations: (Smith & Jones, 2020).
Use “and” in narrative citations: Smith and Jones (2020) argue that...
3. How do I cite multiple works by the same two authors?
List the works by year, starting with the earliest. If they’re from the same year, label them “2020a,” “2020b,” etc.
4. Can WPS help format APA citations?
Absolutely. WPS makes it simple to create hanging indents, change fonts, and set spacing. It’s also compatible with pasted citations from tools like MyBib.
5. Can these tools help me understand how to APA cite two authors correctly?
Yes. Tools like Zotero, MyBib, and Citation Machine are especially useful for learning how to APA cite two authors step by step, including formatting and punctuation.
