The author-date system is very similar to APA format, using in-text citations with parenthesis and including a reference page of all sources used at the end of your paper in alphabetical order by author's last name.
Parenthetical In-text Citation: Although tanks had become an important part of the US Army in World War II, weakness in design and tactical mismanagement often hindered their success (Robeson 2017, 238-239).
Narrative In-Text Citation: As Robeson (2017) notes, tanks had become an important part of the US Army in World War II, but weakness in design and tactical mismanagement often hindered their success (238-239).
Reference: Robeson, Westin E. 2017. Buttoned Up: American Armor and the 781st Tank Battalion in World War II. College Station: Texas A&M University Press.
Below you will find often cited formats with examples for the reference entry. Note: The portion in blue is added if the source is digital or online.
| Format | Lastname, Firstname. Publication Date. Title. Place of publication: Publisher. URL if online OR what format if eBook (Kindle, PDF, EPUB, etc.). |
| Example | Winters, Richard D. 2006. Beyond Band of Brothers. New York: Berkley Caliber. |
| Format | Lastname, Firstname. Publication Year. "Title of Article." Title of Journal Volume, no. issue (Publication date): page range of article. DOI or URL. |
| Example | Rosen, Christine Meisner and Joel Arthur Tarr. 1994. "The Importance of an Urban Perspective in Environmental History." Journal of Urban History 20, no. 3 (May): 299-310. https://doi.org/10.1177/009614429402000301. |
| Format | Lastname, Firstname. Publication Year (Use n.d. if none listed). "Page Title." Website Name. Accessed date (if no publication date). URL |
| Example | Bush, Evan. 2024. "How Hot is Too Hot for Humans?" NBCNews.com. July 11. https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/how-hot-too-hot-humans-record-temperatures-rcna160261. |
| What if... | In-Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 authors? | (Tarleton and Wayne 2010) | Tarleton, John and John Wayne. |
| 3 authors? | (Tarleton, Wayne, and P 2010) | Tarleton, John, John Wayne, and Oscar P. |
| 4-10 authors? | (John Tarleton et al. 2010) | Tarleton, John, John Wayne, Oscar P, Jane Doe, and John Smith. |
| 11+ authors? | (John Tarleton et al. 2010) | List the first seven authors followed by "et al." |
| an organization? | (Tarleton State University 2024) | Tarleton State University. |
| no author? | (Title of Work Year) | Title. |