Et al., a Latin abbreviation for “et alia” or “et alii,” is commonly used in academic writing, research papers, and legal documents. Translated as “and others” or “and colleagues,” et al. refers to multiple authors when citing a source with more than two authors. 

This concise and convenient term has become a staple in scholarly writing, saving space and avoiding the repetitive listing of multiple authors. But how should you properly use et al.? What are the rules and conventions surrounding this intriguing Latin expression? 

In this article, we will delve into the meaning and usage of et al., providing you with a comprehensive guide to harnessing this powerful tool in your academic and professional writing. So, grab your quill and parchment, and let’s unlock the mysteries of et al. together!

What Does Et Al? Mean?

The term “et al.” is an acronym for the Latin phrase “et alia,” which in English means “and others.” This phrase implies that the author is paraphrasing a reference list that includes at least two other names that are not included.

In academic literature and journal articles, scholars frequently use “et al.” to condense a large list of numerous authors who cooperated on a single work. The abbreviation “et al.” may be used after a name to denote the presence of additional authors if a work has numerous authors but only lists the name of the first author.

Where Do I Use Et Al.?

Using “et al.” to shorten author lists is recommended for more formal academic writing.  Some scholarly works, for instance, may have twenty or more authors listed. 

It would take another paragraph to mention them all, and chances are your teacher has already imposed strict word limitations on your essay. 

In addition, your readers will need help understanding the material because of all the interruptions caused by the lengthy in-text citations. 

Thus, academics have proposed replacing lengthy signal phrases in in-text citations and footnotes with the shorthand “et al.” The document is meant to assist the reader in locating the work. 

This is the recommended format for in-text citations in most citation styles. Furthermore, some of them, like MLA, demand the inclusion of “et al.” even in the list of references. When should you write “et al.”? 

There is some variation in how this abbreviation is used in citations. It can also show up in:

• the notes at the bottom of the page and the back
• references in parentheses
• In-text references 
• bibliographies and other citations 

The notation “et al.” is used when three or more authors are on a piece of work. The first author’s name should be used, with “et al.” replacing the names of any additional authors. 

However, you cannot use the abbreviation “et al.” to allude to a third author if you have previously cited two of them.

The format for future citations will change. However, each reference guide’s “et al.” usage differs. We’ll talk more about them below. Et Al. Punctuation

The only correct punctuation for “et al.” is the Latin “et alia,” hence it can only be used once. The semicolon following “al” denotes the acronym for “alia.”

 How to Use Et Al

The semicolon in et al. should come after “al,” because “al” is an acronym for “alia,” which means “others.”

Because “et” is not an abbreviation, no period follows it. It’s a complete word in Latin that means “and.”

Remember that the only right way to type this phrase is “et al.”

Remember to include the period after “al” by thinking about another common shorthand, “etc.”

“Etc.” is an abbreviation for et cetera, which means “and the rest,” It always needs a period at the conclusion. Similarly, et al. usually include a period at the conclusion.

Here are a few examples of et al. misspellings:

• et al.
• et al.
• et al.
• et al. l

Other punctuation, such as a comma, comes after the period when using et al. However, if you complete a sentence with et al., no more period is required.

Et Al. in APA Style

The American Psychological Association (APA) style guide is widely used in psychology and social science for scholarly papers, essays, reports, and books.

The American Psychological Association (APA) style is a set of academic writing guidelines. It promotes uniformity and consistency in material organization and citations.

Particular formatting rules for APA in-text citations, reference lists, and title pages must be followed.

For instance, in-text citations in APA format include the author’s last name and the year of publication, separated by an ampersand if there are more than two authors:

(Jane, 2012)

(Jane and Doe 2012)

The Title Page and the word “References” appear at the top of the list of sources at the end of an APA-formatted work, distinguishing it from other styles.

Historically, many fields within the social and behavioral sciences have adopted the APA style, including:

• Psychology
• Linguistics
• Sociology
• Economics
• Humanities
• Healthcare
• Nursing

Et Al. in MLA style

The Modern Language Association is responsible for creating MLA format. Academic writers in language and literature will find these principles quite helpful.

This structure, sometimes called “MLA style,” makes the content easy to understand. It provides a standard format for referencing works of literature.

The rules for using et al. in MLA differ from those of APA and other styles. Formatting, referencing, and abbreviating are all treated differently in MLA.

The referencing of writers also varies slightly. However, et al. is always written the same way: with lowercase letters and no punctuation after “et”; the sole punctuation is after “al.” This is true regardless of the style guide in question.

MLA style is commonly used in the following fields by writers and students:

• Words and writing
• Literacy studies
• Criticism in Literature
• The Study of Cultures

The ninth edition, published in April 2021, is the most recent version of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers and Other Written Assignments.

Et al.: MLA Formatting Guidelines

In MLA format, et al. is used to indicate the presence of three or more writers. Both in-text citations and the reference list (Works Cited page) can include the notation “et al.”

MLA Format Example “et al.”

Let’s look at the et al. format for citing several authors on the MLA Works Cited page.

For how to use et al. in an MLA citation of a collection of poetry or short tales, see the two examples below.

Frank O’Hara et al. Frank O’Hara’s whole poetry collection. In 1995, U.C. Press published it.

The Norton Anthology of American Literature, edited by Robert S. Levine et al. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., Ninth Edition

Business, 2022.

The reference is indented half an inch on the second line.

Et al. for Multiple Authors in an MLA In-Text Citation

Here, we’ll look at how to use et al. in in-text citations in MLA style.

The last name of the first author, followed by et al., and then the page number is the basic components of an MLA citation.

(Lackey et al. 56)

This is an example of an et al. citation used in a parenthetical in-text citation. Here’s how you might use it in your writing:

Today, “we can see more clearly just how complex and multifaceted Woolf’s set of women writers really is,” (23), say Gilbert et al.

Et Al. in Chicago style

CMS, CMOS, or just Chicago, the Chicago Manual of Style is a reference used by writers, editors, indexers, graphic designers, and publishers to improve the quality of their writings.

The Chicago Manual of Style, also known as the “editor’s bible,” is widely employed with any writing destined for print. It’s the mode most commonly used for fiction, nonfiction, and weblogs.

Chicago style differs from other formats in that it provides two options for referencing sources (notes, bibliography, and author-date).

Scholars and authors in the humanities employ the notes and bibliography method, whereas those in the sciences and the social sciences prefer the author-date approach.

However, below are some of the most frequent areas of use for Chicago style:

• Literature
• History
• Arts
• Science of Society
• Sciences of Nature

The 17th edition, which came out in September 2017, is the most recent. Here we will examine the correct use of et al. in the Chicago format.

Chicago Style: When to Use “et al.”

When there are four or more authors on a source, use et al. in an essay in Chicago format.

Chicago employs two systems for source citation, notes, bibliography, and author-date. Therefore the format and location of et al. can differ depending on which system is being used. Therefore, the positioning is relative to the chosen system.

However, et al. can be used in all three types of citations—in-text, footnotes/endnotes, and the reference list at the end of the paper.

Reference lists follow the author-date format, while bibliographies adhere to the notes and bibliography format.

Chicago Format Exhibit

Use et al. in the Chicago citation style for sources with more than ten authors. You would list the first seven writers, then et al.

The location and structure of et al. remain the same regardless of whether you use the notes and bibliography system or the author-date method to cite your sources in your bibliography.

Organization of Sources and Notes:

Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Ashley W. Woodfolk, D. Clayton, A. Thomas, N. Yoon, and

Blackout, by Natasha Schrader et al. Quill Tree Books is a publishing imprint of

Publication year: 2021 by HarperCollins.

Title/date format:

Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Ashley W. Woodfolk, D. Clayton, A. Thomas, N. Yoon, and

Blackout, by Natasha Schrader and others, 2020. Quill Tree Books is a publishing imprint of

Publishing house, HarperCollins.

Et al. for Multiple Authors in a Chicago Reference

There are various methods to format et al. in an in-text citation of four or more authors, depending on the citation style. Look at the illustrations that I’ve provided.

In-text citations using the author-date system include et al. after the first author’s surname.

Johnson et al. 2021, p.

Et al. can be included in a short or lengthy footnote in the notes and bibliography system. The various categories’ formats are detailed below:

Johnson et al., to cite a few.

Reference to David Johnson et al.

Et Al. in Harvard Style

Harvard-style formatting is widely used in many universities. Several names, including the Harvard Referencing System and Author-Date Referencing, have known it.

There is no official link between Harvard Fashion and Harvard University. This style is another method for students to cite their sources and consistently format their papers.

This style is commonly used in the following disciplines:

• Humanities
• Social and behavioral sciences
• Philosophy

The important thing to realize about the Harvard style is that it is not as rigid as other styles—different institutions have different standards. This means the use of et al. in Harvard style varies depending on the school.

Before utilizing et al. in your works, follow your professor’s guidelines.

For the sake of this essay, we’ll go over how to utilize et al. following Harvard Business School’s Citation Guide.

When Should You Use Et Al. in Harvard Style?

While some features of Harvard style may differ between universities et al. should be used to mention four or more authors.

You should use et al. when citing four or more authors in both your footnotes and your bibliography. You can also use the term as a signal phrase and in parenthetical comments.

Et etc. Harvard Style Example

For scholarly citations of sources with four or more authors, use et al. in the bibliography section of your article.

Unlike in Chicago, you do not need to list a particular number of authors before using et al.; simply use et al. after the first author’s name.

Here are two examples, one for a book and one for a website:

Book:

• Roland Christensen et al., Business Policy: Text and Cases, 5th ed. Homewood, IL: Richard Wiley. 

1982, D. Irwin, Inc.

Web:

Michael J. Enright and colleagues. “Daewoo and the Korean Chaebol.” The University of Hong Kong’s case no. 

HKU143 (August 2001, University of Hong Kong). Harvard Business Publishing is an imprint of Harvard Business School. 

http://hbsp.harvard.edu/ last visited in March 2007.

In-Text Citations in Harvard Style with Multiple Authors

In Harvard-style in-text citations, you can use et al. in your footnotes, parenthetical phrases, and signal phrases.

Examples of each are shown below.

Footnote:

3C. Roland Christensen et al., Business Policy: Text and Cases, 5th ed. (Homewood, IL: Cengage Learning, 2009).

• 101 (Richard D. Irwin, Inc., 1982).

Phrase in parentheses:

Johnson and colleagues (2007)

Signal word:

Johnson and colleagues (2007)

Remember that Harvard style allows your instructor some latitude in their formatting standards, so follow their recommendations.

Bottom Line

You now understand how to give credit to many authors without naming them all and making your writing complicated. You can use “et al.” in your paper’s text, footnotes, and endnotes. 

It is also appropriate for reference lists formatted in MLA and Chicago styles. “Et al.,” like any other Latin abbreviation, has a meaning and a usage. You should study them before using unfamiliar terminology in your writing, as uncomfortable wording can lower your grade. 

If you are not confident in using scholarly abbreviations, you can contact Peachy Essay Writing Services to help write your dissertation.