Citing two authors in MLA with vague rubric?

When you have two authors for a single source in MLA style, you should list both of their last names connected by the word and, regardless of whether you are citing them in your prose or in a parenthetical citation at the end of a sentence. If you are mentioning them directly in your writing, you would simply write something like Smith and Jones argue that digital rhetoric is evolving, followed by the page number in parentheses if necessary. If you are putting the citation at the end of the sentence, you would include both names followed by the page number, like (Smith and Jones 42). It is a common point of confusion, but MLA keeps it straightforward by prioritizing the names as they appear on the title page of your source, even if the source type is a bit unconventional. Imagine you are writing a section on algorithmic bias and you are referencing a collaborative study by two researchers whose names are Miller and Davis. In your draft, you might write that the digital landscape often reinforces existing social hierarchies (Miller and Davis 115). If you are still feeling unsure about how this fits into your specific bibliography, you might want to double-check the alphabetical order of your works cited page to ensure you have listed them exactly as they appear on the source itself. You could also try looking at the very first page of the article or book chapter to see if there is a specific order the authors preferred, as that is the safest way to ensure accuracy. If you are still worried about the formatting, try creating a quick draft of your works cited entry using the standard two-author template and then comparing it to your in-text citations to ensure the names match perfectly. Following these simple steps should help you finalize your paper with confidence before your deadline on Friday.