Author

In a citation, the author's name is the first element. It is formatted with the last name first, followed by the first name.

For example:

Hawthorne, Nathaniel.

If you have two authors, include a comma and the word "and" after the first author and format the second author's with first name first, followed by last name.

For example:

Hawthorne, Nathaniel, and Susan Lewis

If you have three or more authors, just include the first author's name (last name first), followed by a comma and the phrase "et al." (which means "and others" in Latin).

For example:

Hawthorne, Nathaniel, et al.

Title

The second element is the title of the source.

If you're citing an article from a journal, a song from an album, a page from a website, or any work that is a smaller part of a bigger whole, put the title in quotation marks.

For example:

Sun, Fengchun, et al. "Effects of Music Therapy on the Negative Emotions of Bed-Ridden Patients."

- - Article in a nursing journal

John, Elton. "Funeral for a Friend."

- - Song from the music album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

"Family Health History and Diabetes."

- - Page on the website Center for Disease Control and Prevention

If the source is self-contained and is not part of a bigger work, put the title in italics. This is most common when citing a book.

For example:

Lewis, Clive S. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.