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Authors With the Same Surname If the first authors of multiple references share the same surname and the same initials, cite the works in the standard author-date format. If multiple authors within a single reference share the same surname, the initials are not needed in the in-text citations.
When the first authors of multiple references have the same surname but different initials, include initials for the first authors in the in-text citations. Never include initials for second or subsequent authors in in-text citations. The reference list entries are written normally.
In the Works Cited (Per the MLA Handbook (8th edition), p. 113: To cite two or more works by the same author, give the name in the first entry only. Thereafter, in place of the name, type three hyphens, followed by a period and the title. The three hyphens stand for exactly the same name as in the preceding entry.
How many times do you have to cite the same source in a paragraph?
Including just one citation at the end of a paragraph is not sufficient unless the last sentence is the only information in the paragraph that came from the cited source. Cite sources often and correctly throughout a paragraph in order to avoid unintentional plagiarism.
What generally goes first in the citation when you are citing a book?
List the first author’s last name followed by et al. (with a period).
Do you need to reference every sentence?
If you are paraphrasing from one source throughout a paragraph, don’t worry about putting a citation after every sentence. Putting a citation at the end of the paragraph is fine (there should be at least one citation at the end of each paragraph if the material is paraphrased).