Exploring what does et al. mean in MLA, Chicago and APA referencing style
Question:Explain what does et al. mean and its usage. Is et al. and etc., the same, explain. What is et alibi? Give examples of using et al. in different referencing styles.
Citing sources is essential to academic writing to ensure you preserve your honesty and give credit when it is due. Each time you borrow an idea or information from a published or unpublished source to write your paper, you need to give a citation.The citation of a source includes the author’s last name, year and page number (if required).But what if there are twenty or more authors in the source? Do you cite the last names of all authors? In such cases, you need to include et al., with the first author’s last name.In this blog on what does et al. mean, we will discuss at length what et al. means, its usage and its formatting per different referencing styles.
Investigating et al., in detail
Multiple sources have more than three to four sources; some go up to twenty.In such cases, the majority of the referencing stylesdo not demand the inclusion of the last names of all authors in the in-text citations; instead, as previously said in this blog on what does et al. mean, you can go ahead by citing the last name of the first author followed by et al., year of publication and the page number if required. Et al. is substituting the author names when they are greater in number.
You can find the usage of et al. at two places while reading an academic paper, one in the form of in-text citations and the other in a reference list. Whether you have come across et al. or not, this blog on what does et al. mean will surely broaden your knowledge about it.
Meaning of et al.: In English et al. refers to others. It is an abbreviation of the Latin word, ‘et alia’. The expression can be found as an in-text citation or as a part of the source listed in the reference list of an academic paper.
Usage of et al.: In certain referencing styles et al. is used when a source has three or more authors. Frequently, we come across academic sources containing more than twenty authors. It is quite impracticable to name all the authors in the citation or the reference list as it may lead to formatting or spacing issues.Hence, the alternative to include et al., with the last name of the first author of a source, is a helpful way to substitute the author’s names.For instance, when using et al., in the form of citations, you can write as (Coral et al., 2020).
Where to use et al.:Et al. can be used in an academic paper in different parts, such as in in-text citations, in the reference list, or the summary. It is a great way of signifying that a source also has other authors apart from the one mentioned. If you use abbreviations, you must use t consistently throughout the paper. For instance, if a source has three authors and you have listed the names of all authors while citing it for the first time, it is better not to use et al. while citing the source subsequently.As per the findings from this blog on what does et al. mean, it would be best to use et al. from the beginning in such cases.
How to use et al.: In an academic paper, there are different points to remember when using et al. Et al., as previously said in this blog, what does et al. mean can be used in the in-text citations. For instance, if Carl, Zelensky and Putin wrote an article in conjunction, the in-text citations would be as (Carl et al., 2020), or if the citation is a part of the sentence, it would be written as Carl et al. (2020). Secondly, never use et al. in a source having only two authors. In such instances, you need to name the last name of both authors (Carl &Zelensky, 2020) or as Carl and Zelensky (2020). Thirdly, some universities recommend writing the last names of the three to four authors in the first citation and using et al. for subsequent citations.But if a source has five or more authors, using et al. from the first citation is obligatory.
If you want to know more about what does et al. mean, you can raise a query on our official website. Our subject matter experts will help resolve your queries.
A short observation about ‘et al.’ and ‘etc.’
Like et al., etc., is also used for pointing out substitutions for multiple things or subjects. As stated previously in this blog on what does et al. mean et al. is the abbreviation of the Latin word, ‘et alia’, which means and others, in contrast, etc., is the abbreviation of the Latin word et cetera which means ‘and the rest of the things.’
If you carefully discern the meaning of both expressions, you will understand the difference between them. The usage of et al. denotes having more individuals, whereas etc. denotes having more things or subjects.
For instance, Carl et al. (2020) found proof that preconceived testing challenged students understanding (In this case, et al. is used after the first author’s last name, denoting that more authors have helpedwrite the paper).
Carl loves electronics. He keeps purchasing watches, headphones, Bluetooth speakers etc., despite having a limited budget (In this case etc., used after the items signify its continuity).
‘Et Alibi’: One more expression of et al.
Do you know what is ‘alibi’? Does it remind you about something? You would have likely heard about the term several times while reading a novel, a detective movie or a criminal series.’Alibi’ is a defence to represent that you were at some other place when an act was committed, or it can be provided on behalf of another person.
For instance, if your father doubts you are taking his money from the wallet, your mother can be your alibi if she proves you were with her.Hence, ‘et alibi’ signifies being elsewhere or and elsewhere. Sometimes, instead of using ‘et alia’ to signify that the referenced material is in other sources besides the one pointed out in the in-text citation, people use ‘et alibi.’For more details on what does et al. mean, you can contact our online experts.
Examples of using et al. in different referencing styles
Usage of et al. changes according to the citation style that you select.In this section of the blog on what does et al. mean, we will guide you with the rules of using this abbreviation in different referencing styles, along with examples.
Et al. usage in the MLA style:A source has three or more authors, MLA states to list only the last name of the first author followed by et al. The usage of et al. replaces the additional names of the other source authors.As per the referencing style, et al. can also be used in the reference list by including it after the last name and first name of the first author of a source having three or more authors.
Example of Citation:
Carl et al. (2) said that the economy is growing at a fast pace.
Example of reference:
Carl, Zeiss, et al. “Effect of Subsidies in the Agriculture.” Australian Journal for Agriculture, vol. 49, no. 2, Aug. 2020, pp. 200-210.
Et al. usage in the Chicago style:Referencing in the Chicago style can be done in two ways: author-date and notes-bibliography. For this blog on what does et al. mean, we will discuss the author-date style. A source with four to ten authors will have et al. used in the citations after the first author’s last name. The abbreviation will not be included in the reference list in such cases, but if it exceeds ten, the names of the first seven authors will be included, followed by et al.
Example of citation:
Carl et al. (2020) said that the economy is growing at a fast pace.
Example of reference:
Carl, Zeiss, Vuren Van, JanuszPawneska, and Petrus Jansen. 2020. “Effect of Subsidies in the Agriculture.” Australian Journal for Agriculture11, no. 3: 112-115. https://doi.org/26.678.890yu.
Et al. usage in APA:All referencing styles are updated repeatedly; in APA, the APA 6th edition has been replaced with the APA 7th edition. Though many universities are still following APA 6th edition and for this blog on what does et al. mean, we have considered the rules mentioned in the APA 7th edition guide. As per the changed rules, et al. in the APA 7th edition is to be used for all citations having three or more authors. The abbreviation is not included in the reference list.
Example of citation:
Carl et al. (2020) explained that the economy is growing at a fast pace.
Common errors made when using et al.
In this section of the blog on what does et al. mean, we will discuss student’s struggles while inserting et al. Students commit a few usual errors that make them lose grades on referencing and formatting sections.
Error with punctuation in et al.: Are you still confused after reading this blog on what does et al. meanabout how to punctuate et al.? Are you getting confused about where to place the period in et al.? Which one is correct, et. al., et. al or et al.? Things will become clearer if you know what ‘et’ and ‘al’ mean.Et al. means ‘and others’, so there is no need to punctuate ‘et’ as it means, but ‘al’ is a shortened form of ‘alia’ or ‘others’, so it must end with a period. So the correct application is ‘et al.’
Errors with singular and plural:As stated previously in this blog what does et al. mean that et al. is the substitution expression for other authors, so when using it in the text, you need to use a plural verb. For example,
Incorrect: Carl et al. (2020) has said that the economy is growing at a fast pace.
Correct: Carl et al. (2020) have said that the economy is growing at a fast pace.
If you want to know more about what does et al. mean, you can raise a query on our official website. Our subject matter experts will help resolve your queries.
FAQs
Is it acceptable to use et al. in email?
You can use the abbreviation if you are writing an email to more than one person.For instance, you can write ‘Dear Carl et al.,’ you need to be careful when using the abbreviation in email to include a comma after the period.
Is there anything that can be used in place of et al.?
Well, it is not recommended to use anything apart from et al., but you can use the following expressions to denote multiple authors in a source.
Is it necessary to include a comma after placing et al.?
If you are writing an in-text citation as a part of the text, there is no need to include a comma after using the abbreviation; for instance, Carl et al. (2020) said that the economy is growing fast. But if you insert the citation at the end of a sentence within parenthesis, you must include a comma. For instance, the economy is growing fast (Carl et al., 2020).
Is et al. used in a casual context?
Sometimes et al. can be applied in a sentence when casually referencing people. For instance, ‘Several known authors have shared their thoughts about TED Talks, such as Carl Seiss, Joyce Caroll, Neil Lehman, et al.’ For more details on what does et al. mean, you can contact our experts.
Can you give some tips to use, et al.?
Although we have clarity about the usage of et al. in this blog on what does et al. mean, we will still list them in a few pointers.
• Et al. must always be followed by a period
• A comma must not be used after the period unless et al. is followed by a year instead of a parenthesis
• Do not italicize the et al. unless specified in the style guide
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