"Et al." is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase "et alia" which translates to "and others." This phrase indicates that the writer is referring to at least two additional names that have not been listed. You will sometimes see "et al." in italics, but MLA does not require italics.
In-text citations are references in the body of your paper that point readers to the entries in your Works Cited page.
The basic format is (Last name Page #)
"Only four percent of the population voted in the last municipal elections" (Smith 15).
You could also incorporate the author's name into the sentence and put only the page number in the parenthesis.
Smith writes that "Only four percent of the population voted in the last municipal elections" (15).
You must always cite your sources...even if you don't use direct quotes.
Smith notes that very few people participated in the last municipal elections (15).
If your source has two authors, combine the names with and.
Researches from the Harvard School of Business argue, "......" (Jones and Mason 25).
Jones and Mason argue, "....." (25).
If your source has three or more authors, use et al.
Pannell et al. discuss these issues (40).
These issues are discussed in a 2010 study (Pannell et al. 40).
An anthology is a collection of works by multiple authors. Only cite the author of the chapter or essay or section you are using, not the editor of the entire collection. The examples below are from the book Latinos & Latinas in American Sport: Stories Beyond Peloteros edited by Jorge Iber.
"...the times we spent talking about and viewing games are some of my fondest family memories." (Rodriguez 63). OR
Rodriguez recalls that "the times we spent talking about and viewing games are some of my fondest family memories." (63).
If you are citing a source that doesn't have page numbers, a web site for example, just include the authors name in your in-text citation. The examples below are from the online article "8 Ways to Maximize Music's Motivational Power".
"Research shows that runners are most inspired by self-selected songs" (Bergland).
Bergland argues that "Research shows that runners are most inspired by self-selected songs."
But what if my web site doesn't even have an author? No problem, lots of web sites have no authors. In this case, you can use the name of the organization that hosts the cite. Let's say you want to cite something from this web site: https://ippl.org/ippls-gibbon-sanctuary/. Below is an example of paraphrasing information from the site and using the organization name in your in-text citation.
Some gibbons now living at the IPPL sanctuary lived for decades as subjects in research laboratories (International Primate Protection League).