When a work by three or more authors is mentioned in the text of a research paper (rather than in a parenthetical citation), should the names of all the authors be included or only the first one, followed by et al.?

Reserve the use of the abbreviation et al. for the list of works cited and parenthetical citations. In the text, spell out the authors’ names… Read More

Must quotations always be introduced with wording like “So-and-so writes”?

No. There are innumerable ways to weave a quotation gracefully into your prose. As long as the quotation’s purpose and source are clear, you need… Read More

News articles are sometimes credited to agencies like Reuters and the Associated Press. Should the agencies be cited as the authors of these articles?

No. News agencies distribute stories from a vast pool of journalists. The name of an agency is not a meaningful indicator of authorship. Moreover, local… Read More

Is it ever appropriate to use see or see also in a parenthetical citation?

The purpose of every parenthetical citation is to tell the reader to see a work, so the word see would almost always be redundant. See… Read More