How should the names of multiple authors be formatted in APA citations?

In APA style, when citing a source with multiple authors, the correct procedure is to list all authors’ names up to 20 in the reference list. This allows for proper acknowledgment of the contributions of each author involved in the work. Each author's last name is followed by their initials, and the authors are separated by commas, with an ampersand (&) before the last author's name. This practice ensures that all contributors are recognized, which is important for academic integrity and the accurate attribution of ideas and research.

While there are guidelines for longer lists of authors, the specification for citing up to 20 authors before truncating is a key feature of the APA citation style. For sources with more than 20 authors, it is appropriate to list the first 19 authors, followed by an ellipsis, and then the last author's name. This formatting ensures clarity and readability, while still providing a comprehensive list of contributors.