Any person, company, or group responsible for the creation of content can be considered the author. This includes pseudonyms, artists, actors, and corporations.
The tabs below provide detailed explanations for different authorship situations.
One Author
When an author's first and last names are available, begin your entry with the author's last name followed by a comma and the rest of the name. End this element with a period.
Lee, Harper. To Kill A Mockingbird. Grand Central Publishing, 1960.
Two Authors
If the source has two authors, include them in the order they are presented in the work. Reverse the name order of the first name (as described above), follow with a comma and an "and", then list the second name in normal order.
Cohn, Rachel, and David Levithan. Dash & Lili's Book of Dares. Knopf Books, 2010.
Three or More Authors
If the source has three or more authors, reverse the first name as described above and follow with a comma and "et. al." ("and others"). Please note that et. al. is not italicized.
Rowling, J.K., et al. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Little Brown UK, 2016.
Pseudonyms, including screen names, are used just like regular authors.
@TIME. "Epic video shows thousands of people in Taipei racing after Pokemon." Twitter, 22 August 2016, 12:36 p.m., https://twitter.com/TIME/status/767655914472140801.
No Author
A work without an author's name is not listed as "Anonymous." Instead, skip the author element and begin with the work's title.
Beowulf. Translated by Alan Sullivan and Timothy Murphy, edited by Sarah Anderson, Pearson, 2004.
Movie or Television Show
When working with a movie or television show, the person cited depends on the discussion in your paper. (1) If the focus is on a specific performer, director, writer, etc., then that person is cited along with their role in the production. (2) If the focus is on the piece as a whole, then begin with the title, and other information can be provided as necessary.
(1) Harrington, Kit, performer. Game of Thrones. Home Box Office (HBO), 2011-2016.
(2) Game of Thrones. Created by David Beinoff, and D. B. Weiss, Home Box Office (HBO), 2011-2016