docs: def __get_author_last_name(author):
          """
          Take a string of author(s), get the first author name, then get the first authors last name only.
  
          :param str author: Author(s)
          :return str _author: First author's last name
          """
          _author = ""
          if isinstance(author, str):
              try:
                  # example:   'Ahmed, Moinuddin and Anchukaitis, Kevin J and ...'
                  # If this is a list of authors, try to split it and just get the first author.
                  if " and " in author:
                      _author = author.split(" and ")[0]
                  # 'Ahmed, Moinuddin; Anchukaitis, Kevin J;  ...'
                  elif ";" in author:
                      _author = author.split(";")[0]
              except Exception:
                  _author = ""
              try:
                  # example :  'Ahmed Moinuddin,  Anchukaitis Kevin J,  ...'
                  _author = author.replace(" ", "")
                  if "," in author:
                      _author = author.split(",")[0]
              except Exception:
                  _author = ""
          elif isinstance(author, list):
              try:
                  # example:  [{'name': 'Ahmed, Moinuddin'}, {'name': 'Anchukaitis, Kevin J.'}, ..]
                  # just get the last name of the first author. this could get too long.
                  _author = author[0]["name"].split(",")[0]
              except Exception as e:
                  _author = ""
  
          return _author