How should the author's name appear in an in-text citation when a source has one author?

When citing a source in-text that has one author, the correct format requires only the author's surname to be included. This concise representation helps maintain clarity and brevity in academic writing, ensuring that the reader can easily identify the source without unnecessary information. Following the APA style guidelines, when you first mention the author’s work, you should provide the surname followed by the publication year in parentheses.

For example, if the author's name is John Smith and the work was published in 2020, the in-text citation would look like this: (Smith, 2020). This approach emphasizes the author's contribution while adhering to the concise nature of in-text citations as prescribed by APA standards. Using the full name or including first initials would be inappropriate in this context, as it deviates from the established format.