Q. What if two authors with the same surname are cited, and their writings are published in the same year? How can I tell them apart when I am using the author-date citation system?
A. Use a first initial (R. Jones 2000; B. Jones 2000). If the initials are also the same, add a short title to your text citation (Jones, Big Book, 2000; Jones, “Little Article,” 2000). If the works are by the same author, assign letters to the dates in your reference list and refer to them (Jones 2000a, 2000b).