Two (or more) sources by different authors with the same last name, but published in the same year
Answer
To cite two or more sources that were published in the same year, but by authors who have the same surname, put the initials of the author in your in-text citation as well.
Example
Historically, there has been a “lack of consensus” about these issues (Smith, A., 1999), but this has not necessarily prevented research from taking place (Smith, M., 1999).
You do not need to use initials if the years that the documents were published are different, or if one or both of the authors is part of a larger group.
Example
Historically, there has been a “lack of consensus” about these issues (Smith, 1999), and some research has shown a huge divergence in results (Smith and Patel, 1999).
The key thing to remember is that it must be easy for someone reading your research to correctly match every in-text citation to the right source in your reference list.
