Why Do People Use Et Al?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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One of these is the Latin phrase et al., an abbreviation meaning “and others.” It is used to shorten lists of author names in text citations to make repeated referencing shorter and simpler .

Can et al be used informally?

Et al. means “and others ”, and abbreviates people in a list, while etc. ... A period is always used after et al., since the term is used to abbreviate the Latin term “et alii.” There are several rules, however, both formal and informal, that are required for proper usage of et al.

Can et al be used for things?

Et al. is most commonly found in scholarly writing , especially when used to avoid having to list a number of different authors in a bibliography or footnote. You can use it when describing the people who came to a dinner party, but it may sound rather odd.

How do you use et al in a sentence?

Use the word “and” between the authors’ names within the text and use the ampersand in parentheses. In subsequent citations, only use the first author’s last name followed by “et al.” in the signal phrase or in parentheses. In et al., et should not be followed by a period.

Is it OK to use et al in an email?

Et al., the abbreviation of et alii, is about as friendly as a flu shot. They don’t fit well together. The use of et al. is not standard in greetings , so people will stumble over it, wondering whether they missed an important new rule somewhere.

How many authors are needed to use et al?

Only when a work has six or more authors should the first in-text citation consist of the first author followed by et al. With five or fewer authors, all the author surnames should be spelled out at first mention.

What does et al mean example?

One of these is the Latin phrase et al., an abbreviation meaning “and others .” It is used to shorten lists of author names in text citations to make repeated referencing shorter and simpler.

What is et al example?

This phrase means “and others .” Most commonly, et al. indicates other contributors (authors, editors, etc.) in a bibliographic list, such as “Feynman, Hawking, Sagan, et al.” There should always be a period after et al. to show it is an abbreviation.

What does et al mean in legal terms?

Et al. is short for the Latin expression “et alia,” “et alius,” or “et alii.” Et al. means “ and others ” or “and the other people” and usually follows the name of a person or a list of names and represents the remainder of the group. [Last updated in July of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]

Do you put a comma after et al?

Remember that there is no comma between the surname and “et al. ,” and the period goes only after the “al.” The English translation of “et al.” is “and others.” A helpful table of this rule can be found in APA 7, Table 8.1.

How Should et al be written?

In et al., et should not be followed by a period . Only “al” should be followed by a period. Since et al. is plural, it should always be a substitute for more than one name. In the case that et al. would stand in for just one author, write the author’s name instead.

Do you put a comma before et al apa?

When there are two authors, give both names as well as the date in parentheses. ... When there are six or more authors, use only the first author’s name and et al, placing a comma before the date .

How many authors use et al APA 7?

For a work with three or more authors , include the name of only the first author plus “et al.” in every citation, including the first citation, unless doing so would create ambiguity.

What is full form of et al?

One of these is the Latin phrase et al., an abbreviation meaning “and others .” It is used to shorten lists of author names in text citations to make repeated referencing shorter and simpler.

Can you use et al for 3 authors Harvard?

If the work has four or more authors/editors the abbreviation ‘et al. ‘ should be used after the first author’s name. It is also acceptable to use ‘et al. ‘ after the first author if the work has three authors .

How does et al work?

means and others. It is used when citing an item that has multiple authors . ... When a work has three, four, or five authors, cite all the authors the first time the reference occurs, but in subsequent citations, include only the surname of the first author followed by et al.

Juan Martinez
Author
Juan Martinez
Juan Martinez is a journalism professor and experienced writer. With a passion for communication and education, Juan has taught students from all over the world. He is an expert in language and writing, and has written for various blogs and magazines.