Use the first author’s surname followed by et al. for in-text citations with many authors
List all authors in the reference entry if the style requires it and the number is within the limit
If the number of authors exceeds the style limit, list the first few authors followed by et al. in the reference list
Follow the specific citation style rules for APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, or Vancouver
Keep author names in the exact order they appear in the source
Use commas between authors and the correct conjunction before the last author when required
Abbreviate only when the citation style allows it
Check whether the style changes rules for works with three, four, or more authors
Apply the same format consistently throughout the document