how to use et al.'' in a research paper apa

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When to use et al. in APA citation style

APA citation style has a few quirks, and one of them is the use of the phrase “et al.,” which is short for the Latin term et alia , meaning, “and others.” We use the abbreviated “et al.” when citing a source with multiple authors. However, the 7 th edition of APA citation differs from previous versions in how “et al.” is applied.

Only use et al. in in-text citations

The abbreviation “et al.” is used only for in-text citations in the 7 th edition. This is a big change from the 6 th edition where it was also used in the reference list.

This means that references in APA 7 do NOT use the phrase “et al.”

In-text citation format with et al.

The phrase “et al.” is used with in-text citations (including APA parenthetical citations ) only when referencing a source that has three or more authors. Include the name of only the first author’s last name plus “et al.” in every citation.

In-text citation structure:

Text (1st Author et al., Year Published )

Text that mentions 1st Author et al. (Year Published)

In-text citation example:

The American Heart Association, in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health (Virani et al., 2020), annually report on the most up-to-date statistics related to heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular risk factors, including core health behaviors and health factors that contribute to cardiovascular health.

According to Virani et al. (2020), the American Heart Association, in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health, annually report on the most up-to-date statistics related to heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular risk factors, including core health behaviors and health factors that contribute to cardiovascular health.

The same rules apply for page numbers as with fewer authors, regardless of whether the citation is parenthetical or narrative.

Rare exception: Multiple works with the same authors

There are times when using “et al.” can cause more problems by muddying the waters. If multiple works have the same three or more authors and publication year, simply using “et al.” becomes confusing.

Since this is the case, when there is more than one source with the same three or more author surnames and date, it may be necessary to write out as many names as needed to distinguish the references, then “et al.” can be used for the remaining names for each citation throughout the text. If this doesn’t help to distinguish the sources, but the first initials are different, they can be used as well (T. Hanks et al.). As a last resort, a letter can accompany the year (2018a).

APA reference list entries for multiple authors

Per APA style, every in-text citation has a reference in the the reference list. Each reference contains source information to allow a reader to track down a source for additional reading, if desired.

In the reference list “et al.” is not used even if a work has more than three authors.

Sources with two authors list the last name and initials (First initial, and middle if available) of both authors. The names are divided by a comma and an ampersand (&). List the names in the order they are shown in the original source.

Author structure:

1st Last Name, F. M., & 2nd Last Name, F. M.

Example reference:

Handler, D., & Kalman, M. (2013). Why we broke up . Little, Brown and Company.

3 to 20 authors

Sources with 3 to 20 authors list the last name and initials of all authors. Each name is divided by a comma, and the last name is preceded by an ampersand (&). List each name in the order they are shown in the original source.

Author structure (f0r 3 authors, as an example):

1st Last Name, F. M., 2nd Last Name, F. M., & 3rd Last Name, F. M.

Hand, C., Ashton, B., & Meadows, J. (2016). My lady Jane . HarperCollins Publishers.

21 or more authors

Sources with 21 or more authors list the last name and initials of the first 19 names. After the 19th name, include an ellipsis and then the final name.

1st Last Name, F. M., 2nd Last Name, F. M., 3rd Last Name, F. M., 4th Last Name, F. M., 5th Last Name, F. M., 6th Last Name, F. M., 7th Last Name, F. M., 8th Last Name, F. M., 9th Last Name, F. M., 10th Last Name, F. M., 11th Last Name, F. M., 12th Last Name, F. M., 13th Last Name, F. M., 14th Last Name, F. M., 15th Last Name, F. M., 16th Last Name, F. M., 17th Last Name, F. M., 18th Last Name, F. M., 19th Last Name, F. M., . . . Final Last Name, F. M.

Virani, S. S., Alonso, A., Benjamin, E. J., Bittencourt, M. S., Callaway, C. W., Carson, A. P., Chamberlain, A. M., Chang, A. R., Cheng, S., Delling, F. N., Djousse, L., Elkind, M. S. V., Ferguson, J. F., Fornage, M., Khan, S. S., Kissela, B. M., Knutson, K. L., Kwan, T. W., Lackland, D. T., . . . Heard, D. G. (2020). Heart disease and stroke statistics—2020 update: A report from the American Heart Association. Circulation , E139–E596. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000757

The powers that be at the APA citation style believe this change will be a welcome one for authors, as it gives more of them credit for their contributions.

Published October 28, 2020.

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Do not use “et al.” in APA reference list entries. If the number of authors in the source is 20 or less, list all author names. If the number of authors is more than 20, list the first 19 author names followed by an ellipsis and then add the final author name. An example of the beginning of a reference entry having more than 20 authors is given below:

Author Surname1, F. M., Author Surname2, F. M., Author Surname3, F. M., Author Surname4, F. M., Author Surname5, F. M., Author Surname6, F. M., Author Surname7, F. M., Author Surname8, F. M., Author Surname9, F. M., Author Surname10, F. M., Author Surname11, F. M., Author Surname12, F. M., Author Surname13, F. M., Author Surname14, F. M., Author Surname15, F. M., Author Surname16, F. M., Author Surname17, F. M., Author Surname18, F. M., Author Surname19, F. M., . . . Last Author Surname, F. M. (Publication Year).

Alvarez, L. D., Peach, J. L., Rodriguez, J. F., Donald, L., Thomas, M., Aruck, A., Samy, K., Anthony, K., Ajey, M., Rodriguez, K. L., Katherine, K., Vincent, A., Pater, F., Somu, P., Pander, L., Berd, R., Fox, L., Anders, A., Kamala, W., . . . Jones, K. (2019).

Note that, unlike references with up to 20 author names, the “&” symbol is not used here before the last author name.

You can use “et al.” in in-text citations only when you reference a source with more than two authors as contributors. In such a case, you can add only the first author’s last name followed by “et al.”

First Author Surname et al. (Publication Year)

Thomas et al. (1921)

Parenthetical:

(First Author Surname et al., Publication Year)

(Thomas et al., 1921)

However, if you have many sources with the first two or more authors having the same surname with same publication year, using “et al.” will be confusing. In such cases, use as many author names as required to distinguish the references from one another and then use “et al.”

For example, if you have two sources with the same first author names, such as:

Aghion, R., Felix, J. F., Pitchai, M., & Ankit, N. (2005).

Aghion, R., Comin, L. F., Sivakumar, M., & Gilbert, N. (2005)

and if you would like to cite the second source, you need to follow the style mentioned below.

First Author Surname, Second Author Surname, et al. (Publication Year)

Aghion, Comin, et al. (2005)

(First Author Surname, Second Author Surname, et al., Publication Year)

(Aghion, Comin, et al., 2005)

For multiple publications with the first two or more authors having the same surname but with different initials for the first author, you can use the first author’s name and initials and et al. to distinguish the citations.

For example, the references

Aghion, P., Felix, J. F., Pitchai, M., & Ankit, N. (2005).

Aghion, R., Felix, L. F., Pitchai, M., & Ankit, N. (2005).

will be cited as

P. Aghion et al. (2005)

T. Aghion et al. (2005)

(P. Aghion et al., 2005)

(T. Aghion et al., 2005)

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How to Use ‘‘et al.’’ in APA Style (7th Edition)

how to use et al.'' in a research paper apa

The Term ‘‘et al.’’ is the Abbreviation of Latin Term ‘‘et elia,’’ Meaning ‘‘and others’’

The term ‘‘et al.’’ is the abbreviated form of the Latin term ‘‘ et alia,’’ which means ‘‘and others.’’ It is used in academic in-text citations when referring to a source with multiple authors. In APA style, for a source with three or more authors , list the first author’s last name and “et al.” for all citations, including the first citation. Note that this rule has changed from APA 6th edition guidelines on using ‘‘et al.’’ which recommend listing all author names in the first citation up to five authors but then using ‘‘et al.’’ for the second and subsequent citations.

In October 2019, the American Psychological Association (APA) introduced the 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual, which replaces the 6th edition. The in-intext citation for works with three or more authors is now abbreviated right from the first citation. You only include the first author’s name and “et al.”

For two authors: Always cite both authors' names in-text everytime you reference them.

Here is how this would look for a source authored by Parker, Robin, and Williams published in 2018.

( Parker et al., 2018)

Parker et al. (2018) claimed that…

Note that there will be no comma between the surname and ‘‘et al.’’ but a comma should be placed before the date in parentheses citation. Also, the period goes only after the ‘‘al.’’ even when it falls in the middle of a sentence.

Use ‘‘et al.’’ in APA Style (7th Edition)

The Correct Use of ‘‘et al.’’

Authors make several mistakes when using ‘‘et al.’’ in academic writings. The “al” in “et al.” is always followed by a period because the period shows that it is the abbreviated form of the term ‘‘et alia.’’

Thus, the following forms are not correct: ‘‘ et al’’, ‘‘et. al’’, ‘‘et. al.’’

The proper use of the abbreviation is ‘‘et al.’’

Also, “et al.” can be directly followed by another punctuation where necessary. However, the period always comes first:

(Parker et al., 2018)

When “et al.” is used right at the end of a sentence, only one period is used:

... by Parker et al. (2018)

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For more information about the citation styles and APA style, read the following articles:

The 9 Most Important Changes in the 7th Edition of the APA Manual

APA Manual 7th Edition: In-Text Citation

How to Present Tables and Figures in APA Style (7th edition)

How to Use et al. in APA Style (7th Edition)?

APA Style: In-Text Citation | Reference List Entry

How to Cite Sources in APA Referencing Style? | With APA 7th Edition Update

How and When to Use ”et al.” in APA In-Text Citations?

Citation Styles | Which Citation Style Should I Use?

APA Formatting Guide for Academic Manuscripts

This handout discusses how and when to use et al. in APA style (7th edition). To give you an opportunity to practice your proofreading, we have left a few spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors in the text. See if you can spot them! If you spot the errors correctly, you will be entitled to a 10% discount.

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How Do You Use et al. in Scientific Papers? (with many examples)

Et al. in academic writing helps you cite a publication with multiple contributors. Exactly how and where to use it varies depending on the specific journal publication or prescribed style guide. Even experienced authors have trouble with “et al.” Here we help clarify its use across every major style guide.

Updated on June 15, 2022

A researcher considering the use of et al in a new academic article

In scholarly papers, citation rules definitely have some strange terms. Some aren't English, and some aren't words. The term “et al.”, for instance, isn't an English word. For someone who speaks a non-Latin-origin language, like Japanese or Arabic, it's especially confusing. This post explains the use of et al. and some common mistakes related to it.

You use “et al.” in academic writing to cite a publication that has multiple authors (or other contributors, such as editors). For example, instead of an in-text citation reading (Schouten, McAlexander, Smith, Rogers, & Koenig 2010), it would simply be (Schouten et al., 2010).

Et al. is used in manuscript body text and in reference lists and footnotes. Exactly how and where to use it varies depending on the prescribed style, such as APA, AMA, Harvard, Vancouver, or that of a specific publication. It's short for et alia (or the respective masculine and feminine plural et alii or et aliae) – Latin for “and others.” The abbreviation is required, but it also makes writing easier to read, helping the reader find the cited works faster.

Even experienced authors have trouble with “et al.” because many major academic writing style guides, as well as specific journals, use it slightly differently. Let's look at the main ones you'll typically see when you're seeking to publish your scientific manuscript. Some of these styles are updated regularly, so always be sure to check with your professor and/or with your target publication's guidelines.

Using et al. in the main academic referencing styles

The following sections will show how to use “et al.” in APA, MLA, Vancouver, and other main referencing styles, especially those found in journals.

APA (American Psychological Association) Style

APA is commonly used in the social sciences and medicine, both in universities and in publications. Keep up to date on the latest APA style as well.

For in-text citations in APA Style , when a source has two authors, list both authors by their last names, followed by the publication year. For three or more authors, cite the first author followed by “et al.”

Note that these rules are based on the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition (APA 7). The previous versions required listing more authors in the in-text citations, and had some differences in the reference list requirements.

APA Style in-text citations

The main difference in APA Style in-text citations is their use of the ampersand (&) symbol. Et al. is now simply used for three-plus authors. It used to be more confusing, as up to five authors were listed at first reference and then et al. on second reference. Many will not be familiar with the current style, so be sure to check.

APA style example of the use of et al. in academic articles

APA Style reference list

The “et al.” abbreviation is not used in the APA references list. But knowing how to prepare the list can help you know when to use et al. in the in-text citations.

For publications with 3–20 authors put all the authors. For example:

Eckhardt, G., Houston, M., Jiang, B., Lamberton, C., Rindfleisch, A. & Zervas, G. (2019). Marketing in the sharing economy. Journal of Marketing , 83(5), 5-27.

For a source with 20 or more authors put the first six authors, followed by an ellipsis (…) and then the final author. For example:

Pegion, K., Kirtman, B. P., Becker, E., Collins, D. C., LaJoie, E., Burgman, R., . . . Kim, H. (2019). The subseasonal experiment (SubX): A multimodel subseasonal prediction experiment. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society , 100(10), 2043-2061.

APA Style is rather idiosyncratic with its combinations of spaces and commas. Be careful with those, especially if you have a picky adviser or run into a picky peer reviewer or journal editor.

MLA (Modern Language Association) Style

MLA Style is most commonly used in the humanities. Nothing makes it especially unique, but it has its own slight differences.

MLA Style in-text citations

Unlike APA Style, MLA Style doesn't use the year in the citation. Instead, it uses the authors' last names and the relevant page number.

Use “et al.” for sources with three or more authors for both in-text citations and in the references list.

MLA style example of the use of et al. in academic articles

MLA Style reference list

For the reference list, known as the Works Cited list in MLA Style, publications with three or more authors will look like this:

Wysocki, Anne Frances, et al. Writing New Media: Theory and Applications for Expanding the Teaching of Composition . Utah State University Press, 2004.

Vancouver Style

The Vancouver Style guide was developed in Canada by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) . It's now widely used for journal referencing in medicine, health sciences, and life sciences, and even in technology.

It's a concise style that works well for hyperlinking and with referencing software such as EndNote.

Vancouver Style in-text citations

Vancouver Style uses numbers for in-text citations, so using “et al.” is not a concern. However, if an author is named in a sentence, use “et al.” for publications with more than one author. For example:

“Holt et al. found that there was no histochemical evidence of mitochondrial myopathy.”

Vancouver Style reference list

For the reference list, put the names of up to six authors. For example:

Holt IJ, Miller DH, Harding AE. Genetic heterogeneity and mitochondrial DNA heteroplasmy in Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy. J Med Genet. 1989 Dec; 26 (12): 739-743 .

For seven or more authors put the first six and “et al.” For example:

Meakin CJ, King DA, White J, Scott JM, Handley H, Griffiths A, et al. Screening for depression in the medically ill. J Nerv Ment Dis 1991; 12: 45‐53 .

AMA (American Medical Association) Style

Also very common in medical referencing is AMA Style. AMA Style tends to be used for strictly clinical medical journals and the life sciences.

AMA Style In-text citations and reference list

The AMA system is similar to the Vancouver system in that it also uses numbers for in-text citations. The difference is found in the way AMA treats publications with seven or more authors in the reference list.

In AMA put the names of all the authors for up to six authors. For example:

Mizumoto K, Kagaya K, Zarebski A, Chowell G. Estimating the asymptomatic proportion of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship, Yokohama, Japan, 2020. Euro Surveill. 2020;25(10):2000180.

For seven or more authors put the first three, followed by “et al.” For example:

Ahn DG, Shin HJ, Kim MH, et al. Current Status of Epidemiology, Diagnosis, Therapeutics, and Vaccines for Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). J Microbiol Biotechnol. 2020;30(3):313-324.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Chicago Style (and the very similar Turabian Style) is an American English style guide that is widely used in books in the social sciences and humanities, as well as journalism. It's less commonly used in journals.

The massive and comprehensive book called The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) has two referencing systems: author-date and notes and bibliography (which, by the way, LaTex can handle automatically).

Chicago Style in-text citations

Use of “et al.” is the same in both of the above referencing styles. For in-text citations put all last names when there are up to three authors. For four or more authors put the first author's name followed by “et al.”

For footnotes, but the full author name(s). Note that relevant page numbers are also usually given in Chicago Style. Also, unlike APA Style, the word “and” is used instead of the & ampersand symbol. Footnotes are usually indicated in the text with a superscript number.

Chicago style example of the use of et al. in academic articles

Chicago Style reference list

For the reference list in Chicago Style, use all authors' full names if the source has up to 10 authors. For example:

Sechzer, Jeri A., S. M. Pfaffilin, F. L. Denmark, A. Griffin, and S. J. Blumenthal, eds. Women and Mental Health . Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996.

For more than 10 authors put the first seven, followed by “et al.”

Harvard Style

This style guide will be familiar for students who have studied in the US or under US professors. It's commonly used from the high school level upward. It's less common in scientific publications.

Harvard Style in-text citations

For in-text citations in Harvard Style put all names if the source has three or fewer authors. Use “et al.” if there are four or more authors. Just to make things even more confusing, Harvard usually does not put a comma between the author name or between “et al.” and the year.

Harvard style example of the use of et al. in academic articles

Harvard Style reference list

For the reference list in Harvard Style put the names of all the authors, no matter how many there are. For example:

Lupien, S.J., McEwen, B.S., Gunnar, M.R. and Heim, C., 2009. Effects of stress throughout the lifespan on the brain, behaviour and cognition. Nature Reviews Neuroscience , 10(6), pp. 434-445.

Harvard style is primarily used in university settings, and each school may have its own variations. Be sure to check, because Harvard shows a lot of variety in punctuation and capitalization depending on the university or publication using it.

Specific journal variations

Despite the great number of referencing styles available, some journals prefer to use their own style of referencing. These are almost never 100% unique. Most often, they are based on a popular style, but with a few alterations.

Most commonly, Vancouver Style is used as a basis for making a publication's or journal's “house style” (see more on that topic below). Some add spaces. Some change the punctuation. Some use superscript numbers while others use numbers in parentheses or brackets.

For instance, the popular online open-access (OA) journal PLOS ONE states it uses Vancouver Style. It does, but it also places citation numbers in brackets and it removes spaces in some punctuation in the reference list. These are small differences, but an author must do them correctly or they risk having their submission rejected by their target journal .

Another example, the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) , which produced journals including Transactions of the ASABE , uses a variation of APA Style 6th Edition. Why? We may never know. But if you're submitting to them, you must follow their guidelines.

To be sure you satisfy the guidelines you can hire a professional scientific editor who has done this task hundreds, even thousands, of times. We're skilled at spotting tiny differences in styles. It's part of an editor job.

Common mistakes in using et al. in academic writing

There are several common mistakes that authors of any level should be aware of when using et al.

Using et al. when you shouldn't

Knowing where you should and should not put et al. depends on the style guide you're following. That's all. However, some authors simply put use et al. when there's more than one author. That's just wrong.

The recent APA Style update also made things confusing for students and publication-seeking researchers, because some professors and journal reviewers will be following APA 6 while others will be updated to APA 7. Still others may not care. If you're not sure, ask.

Using the period in et al.

Maybe the most common problem in using et al. is knowing where to put the period. It should be after the “al.” and not after the “et”. This is because, as mentioned, “et al.” is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase “et alia.” The “et” is itself a word.

The “et al.” may be followed by any other punctuation. For example:

(Aaker et al., 2004)

Or it may not. It depends on the publication.

When et al. ends a sentence, use only one period. For example:

“This leads to a 40% reduction in food waste, as shown by Simpson et al.”

“Et al.” vs. “etc.”

“Et al.” and “etc.” are sometimes confused with each other. But they're completely different.

The abbreviation “et al.” is used for lists of authors (or other contributors). That's all. However, “etc.” ( et cetera , which is the Latin word for “and other similar things”) is used for lists or related items. For example:

“Riches et al. (2017) suggest that subcultures form around a variety of popular music styles (punk, hip hop, etc.), each with its own aesthetics and ethos.”

Final words on et al.

Although the basic concept behind using “et al.” is easy, each system is different. For journal submission, check the specifics. The journal may use a common style such as APA or Vancouver, but with a few custom differences. Some journals are very picky about this, some are not.

Even though the abbreviation is required, it adds readability. Modern scientific writing should be accessible and readable; so et al., though tricky, is a good thing .

If you need formatting for your manuscript to be sure you're using the right guidelines, scientific editors can do that for you. Journal guidelines are notoriously quirky and if English isn't your first language, they're even harder.

Professional scientific editors are trained in dealing with this. Many of us even enjoy it! Get a professional edit if you want to be sure you have your references totally consistent and pleasing to the journal editor's discerning eyes.

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How to Use Et Al. Effectively in Your Research Paper

Discover how to use et al correctly and easily with this step-by-step guide. Learn the rules and examples of using et al in academic writing.

Academic writing is full of various citation styles and abbreviations, and one of the most commonly used ones is “et al.” But what does it really mean, and how should you use it?

When there are three or more writers, this Latin phrase, short for “et alia,” is used instead of mentioning all of them. While it may appear simple, correctly using “et al.” can be difficult, and many writers struggle to understand when and how to use it.

This article will go over everything you need to know about utilizing “et al.” in your research paper, from what it is to how to cite it.

What Is Et Al.?

“Et al.” is a common acronym in academic writing to denote the presence of other writers who are not expressly mentioned. It comes from the Latin phrase “et alia” (which means “and others” in English). The use of Latin terms in academic writing extends back to the medieval period when Latin was the main scholarly language in Europe.

When a source contains three or more authors, it might be difficult to list all of them in a citation, especially when there is a large list of authors. In these specific situations, “et al.” might be used to indicate the presence of other authors who are not identified.

It’s worth noting that the use of “et al.” differs based on the citation style. In certain styles, such as APA and Chicago , “et al.” is used for sources with three or more authors, however, in MLA style, “et al.” is only used for sources with four or more writers in others.

How To Use Et Al.?

Here are some guidelines for effectively using “et al.” in academic writing:

Use “et al.” when a source has a large list of authors: When there are several authors of a source, the term “et al.” is used to shorten the citation, and it is commonly used when there are three or more writers; nevertheless, verify your citation style guidelines.
After the first author’s name, add “et al.” Most citation styles, including APA and MLA, include “et al.” after the first author’s name in the citation.
The period should come after “al.”. For instance, “Smith et al.” is correct, however, “Smith et. al” is wrong.
In academic writing, “et al.” is italicized but not capitalized.
Understand the citation style guidelines: The use of “et al.” varies depending on the citation style. Make sure to follow the citation style guidelines specified for your academic writing.

In general, “et al.” is a useful abbreviation that simplifies citations in research papers, and mastering its correct usage is crucial for producing clear and precise academic writing.

Et Alibi, Et Alii, And Others

One important piece of information concerning et al. is the different forms it may take. Here’s some more information on all the different forms of “et al.” and their meanings:

Et alia is the most fundamental and widespread form of “et al.” in academic writing, meaning “and others.” When the number of authors of a source exceeds the maximum allowed by a citation style, this phrase is commonly used in citations to denote multiple authors.

Et Alibi

Another Latin term for “and elsewhere.” It is used to highlight that further information about a topic is available from another source or location. For example, if you’re referencing a source and there’s more material on the same issue in another source, you might say “et alibi” to indicate that other sources are available.

In Latin, this is the feminine plural form of “et al.” It is used to show that a source has numerous female authors. For instance, if a source includes numerous female authors and you wish to highlight this in your citation, you may use “et aliae” rather than “et al.”

In Latin, this is the male plural form of “et al.” It is used to show that a source has numerous male authors. For instance, if a source includes numerous male authors and you wish to highlight this in your citation, you may use “et alii” rather than “et al.”

Difference Between Et Al. And Etc.

Et al. and etc. are two separate abbreviations used in academic writing.

Et al. is an abbreviation of the Latin term “et alia,” which translates as “and others.”, as previously stated. It is used in citations to show many authors of a source and is usually used amid a citation, after the first author’s name. Simply put, you may use “et al.” to indicate that there are other authors aside from the name mentioned.

Etc. is an abbreviation of the Latin term “et cetera,” which means “and so forth” or “and other things.” It is used to show that a list of things extends beyond those specifically mentioned. For instance, if you’re presenting several examples of a specific topic, you may use “etc.” to show that there are more examples. The expression “Etc.” is commonly used at the conclusion of a list and is preceded by a comma. It is frequently followed by a period and, depending on the citation style, italicized.

In summary, “et al.” indicates numerous authors of a source in a citation, whereas “etc.” indicates a continuation of a list of items.

Common Mistakes

Using “et al.” to indicate a list continuation: As previously stated, “et al.” should be used to denote multiple authors of a source and should not be used to suggest a list continuation.
Using “etc.” to denote many authors: “Etc.” should never be used to denote multiple authors of a source. This is the responsibility of “et al.” and using “etc.” instead is considered wrong and deceptive.
Capitalizing “et al.” and “etc.”: Both “et al.” and “etc.” are abbreviations and should be written in lowercase characters, unless at the beginning of a phrase.
Using “and others” instead of “et al.”: It is more suitable in academic writing to use “et al.” instead of “and others” to denote multiple authors of a source. Using “and others” can be informal and may violate the citation style.
Using “et cetera” instead of “etc.”: The acceptable abbreviation for “et cetera” is “etc.” and should be used instead. Using the entire sentence may be considered needless, and it may also take up precious space in a citation or text.

How To Cite Et Al.

Here’s how to properly quote “et al.” in several citation styles:

In MLA style, “et al.” is used after the first author’s name on the paper’s reference page. For example, if a source has three or more authors, you would list the first author’s name followed by “et al.”, example:

Smith, John, et al. “The Effects of Climate Change on Biodiversity.” Environmental Science Journal, vol. 27, no. 2, 2020, pp. 25-34.

For in-text citations, you would include the first author’s name followed by “et al.” and at the end, the page number should be enclosed in parentheses, for example:

(Smith et al. 36).

In the references page, put “et al.” after the first author’s name. If a source includes three or more authors, you would list the first author’s name followed by “et al.”, example:

Smith, J., Johnson, A., Williams, K., & Brown, M. (2019). “The Impact of Social Media on Adolescent Mental Health.” Journal of Adolescent Health, 65(3), 42-51.

In-text citations would include the first author’s name in parenthesis, followed by “et al.” and the year of publication, for example:

(Smith et al., 2019).

Chicago Format

On the reference page, “et al.” is used after the first author’s name in Chicago style. If a source includes four or more authors, you would list the first author’s name followed by “et al.”, for example:

Jones, S., et al. “The History of the American Civil War.” Civil War History, vol. 55, no. 2, 2009, pp. 34-47.

In-text citations would include the first author’s name in parenthesis, followed by “et al.” and the page number:

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Video Transcripts: APA Formatting & Style: Shortening Citations With et al.

Apa formatting & style: shortening citations with et al..

Last updated 5/6/2020

Video Length: 1:47

Visual: Screen opens to a background image with a person typing on a laptop and a notebook and pencil, along with the Walden University Writing Center logo. The title Walden University Writing Center and tagline “Your writing, grammar, and APA experts” appears on the screen. The screen changes to show the series title “Using & Crediting Sources” and the video title “Shortening Citations With et al.”

Audio: Guitar music

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Shortening Citations With et al.

Used to make citations concise
Smith et al. (2019)…
(Smith et al., 2019)
1-2 authors: Never
3 or more authors: Always

Audio: APA provides guidance for writers to shorten their citations using the abbreviation “et al.” Et al. is a Latin abbreviation that means “and others,” and so it’s used in APA to limit the number of authors writers need to list within their citations, making citations more concise. Note in particular that when we talk about using et al., we are only talking about citations; et al. is not used in the reference list.

The way we use et al. is by listing the first author of a source, followed directly by “et al.” in regular case. Note the punctuation here, with a period after “a-l”. For narrative citations, the publication year immediately follows; for a parenthetical citation, there’s a comma and the publication year.

APA directs writers to only use et al. when sources have three or more authors. When a source has one or two authors, never use et al. However, for all citations with three or more authors, shorten those citations using et al.

Visual: The following examples are added to the screen:

Authors: Kimberly Wiley, Elizabeth A. M. Searing, and Sarah Young (2020)
Wiley et al. (2020) (Wiley et al., 2020)

Audio: Let’s look at an example. In this example, we have three authors: Kimberly Wiley, Elizabeth A.M. Searing, and Sarah Young. Whenever I create a citation for this source, I would always shorten it to Wiley et al., as shown here in these narrative and parenthetical citation examples.

And that’s it! Now you know how to shorten your citations using “et al.”

Visual: The screen changes to an ending slide with a person typing on a laptop and a notebook and pencil, along with the Walden University Writing Center logo. The email address [email protected] appears on the screen.

Previous Page: APA Formatting & Style: Latin Abbreviations
Next Page: APA Formatting & Style: Capitalization
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When to Use Author “et al.” in Citation and References

We publish because we want to share our knowledge and because we want recognition for our work. We acknowledge people’s ideas and findings by providing citations. Unfortunately, however, the rules regarding this common practice are not always easy to decipher, even for the best of us! We have published a number of other articles that help you navigate citation requirements, for example on the best citation format for science papers, how many references you should include in your research paper, and the general differences between common citation styles .

This article focuses on how to name the authors of cited works, including when to use the abbreviated Latin term “et al.” that usually accompanies the phrase “author et al.” Please make sure to follow the relevant journal guidelines concerning punctuation, citation style, etc., as publishers do not always follow the exact same formatting rules. Let’s start with some general definitions, and then look at specific rules of the most common style guides .

How to Cite “et al.” in APA Style

How to Cite “et al.” in Chicago
How to Cite “et al.” in MLA Citations

What are the main types of citations?

When referring to published literature, you need to provide details so that others can find and review the original material you base your ideas and claims on. In your research paper, you can make references to source materials using either endnotes and footnotes (i.e., numbers in the text that refer to the bottom of the page or the end of the paper) or in-text citations. Both styles require you to also provide a reference list at the end of the document.

In-text (or parenthetical) citations

When referencing other literature by author name or title in the text paragraphs of your paper, you are using in-text citations . Another similar method of citing is using parenthetical citations , as the referencing information is usually placed within parentheses. Both of these citation types are common in APA style.

Endnotes and footnotes

Endnotes and footnotes help declutter your writing. They are simple notation systems that allow you to use numbers in the body of a text to reference a cited work. Each number corresponds to further information or a citation entry found at the end of a manuscript (for endnotes) or at the bottom of the page where the cited reference is mentioned (for footnotes).

Footnotes are rarely found in scientific writing but are frequently used in the humanities and social sciences. Additionally, endnotes often replace parenthetical in-text citations in scientific journals these days – make sure you pay attention to the journal guidelines when you prepare your manuscript so that you don’t have to suddenly change your entire citation style before submitting or during the review process.

Reference lists

A reference list compiles all the works cited within a document for ease of reference and is included at the end of a manuscript. It must be included regardless of how the source material is acknowledged within the main body of your article. The author guidelines of your target journal will tell you whether the list has to be ordered alphabetically or in order of appearance in the text (when using a numbered system), and what general style it has to adhere to.

Why do we use “et al.” in citation?

The Latin term “et al.” is short for “et alii” and means “and others.” The abbreviation is used when citing a source with multiple authors. Its function is similar to that of “et cetera”, another common Latin phrase that is usually abbreviated as “etc.” and means “and other similar things.”

Using “et al.” vs “etc.” in Citation and References

As stated above, “et al.” is used strictly when talking about people, while “etc.” is only used for things. Apart from this key difference, they have the same function: replacing a list.

When to Use “et al.” in Reference and Citation

We cannot stress this enough, but always double-check your journal or relevant style guide regarding Latin terms and citations. There is no uniform rule on when to use “et al.”, but at least the phrase’s spelling is consistent. Always write “et al.” in lowercase and include a period after “al.”, even when it appears in the middle of a sentence.

The abbreviation “et al.” replaces author names in endnotes, footnotes, and in-text citations; it depends on the target journal whether “author et al.” citation style can also be used in the reference list or whether all author names need to be spelled out in that section . In the following section, you will find further information on how to cite references according to the most common citation styles and examples.

The APA style is frequently used in social science publications. Examples of book and journal citations are provided below. For information about other sources and special cases, see the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association , Seventh Edition (2020) .

In-text or parenthetical citations (author-date system)

APA style uses the author-date notation, and the in-text citation rules apply to both digital and print editions of books and journals. Also, while providing page number references is optional for paraphrased statements, the APA recommends including them. Also, note that APA style uses the ampersand (&) to list author names in parentheses.

The same author rules apply to all source media including books, print periodicals, electronic journals, etc. Also, since reading electronic journals has become the norm for academics, the APA recommends including a DOI number for each journal article referenced, even if you accessed the document in print. Do not include a period (.) after the DOI information. Also note that APA reference lists should not contain “et al.”, and that the author-number thresholds for formatting rules in the reference list are different from those for in-text citations specified above.

The APA style does not use footnotes and strongly discourages the use of endnotes, which should only provide tangential information. However, sometimes content notes are necessary. In such cases, use the notation covered in Section 2.12 of the APA Publication Manual .

How to Cite “et al.” in Chicago Style

The Chicago style is commonly used in the humanities. Below, we only comment on general book and journal citation formats. For additional information, see Wordvice’s guide on the Chicago Manual of Style , 17th edition . For an example of an annotated paper that uses bibliographic notation (i.e., numbers that refer to sources in a list), see the Pu rdue Owl’s NB sampler. See an example of an author-date paper.

Note that for formally published online sources, such as electronic academic journals, you do not need to include access date information except if required by your publisher or discipline. If no DOI is available, provide the uniform resource locator (URL). Unlike APA style, Chicago style does NOT use the ampersand (&) in name lists; instead, use “and.” Additionally, an author’s given names (first and middle) should be written in full (no initials) unless the author consistently publishes using initials.

Using “et al.” in in-text or parenthetical citations (author-date system)

Parenthetical citations are more commonly adopted by authors in the social, physical, and natural sciences. The same notation is used for digital and print editions of books and journals.

Don’t use “et al.” in reference lists

Using author “et al.” in books

Using author “et al.” in journals

Using “et al.” in endnotes and footnotes (bibliographic system)

How to cite “et al.” in mla style.

The MLA style is commonly used by writers in the humanities. General book and journal citation formations are highlighted below. For information regarding other media and special cases, see Wordvices guide on the MLA Handbook style rules .

Using “et al.” in in-text (parenthetical) citations

The MLA style uses an author-page style instead of an author-date style.

Using “et al.” in the reference list (works cited page)

Using “et al.” in endnotes and footnotes.

The MLA style does not generally encourage endnotes and footnotes; however, it does accommodate their use when needed to clarify points that don’t otherwise belong in the main body of your work. The formats for these notes are similar to the format used for in-text citations, but without the parentheses:

One author : See [last name] [page range]

See Johnson 5-15 for a further discussion of this phenomenon.

Multiple authors/studies:

[Comment]. See [last name] [page range], [last name] [page range], [last name] [page range]

Several other studies make the same argument. See, for example, Walker and Francis 112-118, Thomson 20-43, and Muller 78-90.

Regarding [content topic], see [last name] [page range] and [last name] [page range]; for [content topic], see [last name] [page range], [last name] [page range], and [last name] [page range].

Regarding this phenomenon’s impact on trauma caretakers, see Miller 54-68 and Willis 23-25; for alternative explanations, see Jones 23-25, Thompson 64-55, and Smith 12-15.

Using Academic Editing Services to Prepare Your Paper

If your sources are in order now but you wonder whether your paper could benefit from a language check, then Wordvice AI’s FREE text editor might be what you need.

And be sure to get English proofreading services –including paper editing services –from Wordvice before you submit your manuscript to journals. If you are interested in more articles and other resources that can help you, for example, with finding the perfect title for your paper , ordering author names correctly before you submit, or writing an effective cover letter, then head over to the Wordvice academic resources pages.

Enago Thesis

How to effectively use "et al." in apa, mla, and chicago style.

In academic writing, referencing and citation are crucial for giving credit to the authors of the sources used and avoiding plagiarism. However, in cases where multiple authors have contributed to a source, it can be tedious and repetitive to list all their names in every instance of citation. This is where the abbreviation "et al." comes into play. In this article, we will discuss what et al. means, how to use it in every format, and common mistakes to avoid.

What is Et al.? Why is it used?

"Et al." is a Latin used in academic writing to avoid the repetition of a long list of authors in reference lists or in-text citations. It is an abbreviation for "et alia," which means "and others" in English.

It is particularly useful when citing sources with multiple authors, such as academic papers, books, or journal articles. By using et al., you can condense the list of authors to just the first author's name and "et al.," which is especially helpful when dealing with citations that have more than three authors.

For example, if a research paper has four authors, instead of listing all the authors every time their names are mentioned, the first author's name is followed by "et al." after the first mention. This helps to simplify the text and reduce repetition.

The correct way to use "et al." in a citation depends on the citation style being used. In general, it is used for in-text citations and in the reference list or bibliography to indicate that there are multiple authors.

Et al. in Referencing

In-text citations with et al. should be used when citing a source that has three or more authors. When citing the source for the first time, all the authors' names should be included, separated by commas. For example, "According to Smith, Johnson, and Brown (2019)..." When citing the source again, "et al." can be used instead of listing all the authors' names. For instance, "As previously noted (Smith et al., 2019)..."

In reference lists or bibliographies, et al. is used to refer to sources with multiple authors. When listing the authors in the reference list, the first author's name should be listed in the standard format, followed by a comma and "et al." For example, "Smith, J., et al. (2019). Title of the source."

Proper formatting of et al. in different citation styles

Different citation styles have varying guidelines on how to use et al. Here are some examples of how to use et al. in different citation styles:

APA style: In in-text citations, use "et al." when there are three or more authors. For reference lists, the first author's name is listed, followed by "et al." For example, "Smith, J., et al. (2019). Title of the source."

MLA style: In in-text citations, use "et al." when there are three or more authors. In the Works Cited list, the first author's name is listed, followed by "et al." For example, "Smith, John, et al. Title of the source. Publisher, Year."

Chicago style: In in-text citations, use "et al." when there are four or more authors. In the bibliography, the first author's name is listed, followed by "et al." For example, "Smith, John, et al. Title of the source. Publisher, Year."

Examples of using et al. in APA, MLA, and Chicago Style

Jones, A., Smith, B., Johnson, C., et al. (2020). The effects of climate change on marine biodiversity. Science, 367(6485), 979-983.

Jones, Adam, et al. "The Effects of Climate Change on Marine Biodiversity." Science, vol. 367, no. 6485, 2020, pp. 979-983.

Jones, Adam, Bob Smith, Carol Johnson, et al. "The Effects of Climate Change on Marine Biodiversity." Science 367, no. 6485 (2020): 979-983.

Et Alibi, Et Alii, and Others

In addition to "et al.," there are other Latin phrases that are sometimes used in academic writing, including "et alibi" and "et alii."

"Et alibi" means "and elsewhere" and is often used to refer to sources that are cited elsewhere in the same work. For example, if a source is cited in one chapter and then referenced again in another chapter, the second citation may use "et alibi" instead of repeating the full citation.

"Et alii" means "and others" and is sometimes used interchangeably with "et al." However, "et alii" can also be used to refer to groups of people or things that are not authors. For example, "et alii" may be used to refer to multiple members of a research team or to multiple participants in a study.

It's worth noting that while these phrases have similar meanings, they are not always interchangeable. It's important to understand the context in which they are being used and to use them appropriately.

Difference Between Et Al. and Etc.

While "et al." and "etc." are both Latin abbreviations used in academic writing , they have different meanings and uses.

"Et al." means "and others" and is typically used in reference to multiple authors of a work, particularly when citing sources with more than three authors. For example, "Jones et al. (2021) found that..." would indicate that there are additional authors besides Jones who contributed to the work being cited.

"Etc." is short for "et cetera," which means "and so forth" or "and other things." It is typically used to refer to a list of additional items or examples that are not explicitly listed. For example, "The study examined the effects of diet, exercise, stress reduction, etc. on overall health" would indicate that there are additional factors being considered beyond the three specifically mentioned.

Common Mistakes to Avoid While Using Et al.

Incorrectly using "et al." with single-author sources: "Et al." should only be used when there are multiple authors of a work. If there is only one author, the full name should be used in the citation.
Not including enough author names: While "et al." is used to shorten a list of authors, it's important to include enough names to accurately identify the source. In general, if there are four or fewer authors, all names should be listed in the citation.
Inconsistent use of "et al." in the same work: If "et al." is used to shorten a list of authors in one citation, it should be used consistently throughout the rest of the work.
Incorrect placement of punctuation: The period should be placed after "al" and should not be italicized. For example, "Jones et al. (2021)" is correct, while "Jones et al. (2021)" is incorrect.
Not using "et al." when necessary: If there are more than three authors of a work, "et al." should be used to shorten the citation. Failing to do so can make the citation unnecessarily long and cumbersome to read.

In conclusion, using et al. is a useful tool for academic writing , allowing for concise and efficient referencing of sources with multiple authors. Be sure to use it correctly and follow the guidelines for your chosen citation style. By doing so, you will avoid plagiarism and give proper credit to the authors of the sources used in your writing.

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How to Use Et Al. in Every Format—Et Al. Meaning

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Written by Scribendi

Have you ever come across "et al." and wondered what it meant? Or how to use it?

If so, you're not alone. This Latin phrase is commonly used in academic writing and can be confused with other Latin phrases like "etc."

Things get even more complex when you realize that the placement of et al. changes depending on what style guide you're using.

Read on for a simplified breakdown of how to use et al. in every format, so you never get stuck.

Et Al. Meaning

Before we get into the nitty-gritty details, it helps to first understand the literal definition of et al. That way, you'll know exactly what you're saying when you use the term.

The phrase "et al." is derived from the Latin phrase "et alia," which means "and others." You are likely to encounter et al. in the references, in-text citations, and reference lists of academic texts.

For example, you might see the phrase, "Horowitz et al. (2012) published groundbreaking research," which means that Horowitz and others published the research.

Why Is Et Al. Used?

Et al. is used to simplify citations within your text or reference list. It lets the reader know that other authors have contributed to the work you're citing, without you having to list every author.

Et al. is also used to simplify subsequent references to groups of coauthors that have already been cited in full. For example, if you're citing the same group over and over, using et al. can simplify that citation throughout your paper.

How to Write Et Al.

Where should i put the period.

The period in et al. should go at the end of "al" because "al" is an abbreviation for "alia," meaning "others."

There is no period after "et" because "et" isn't an abbreviation. It's a full word in Latin, meaning "and."

Remember, "et al." is the only correct way to type this phrase.

A trick for remembering to include the period after "al" is to think of another common abbreviation, "etc."

"Etc." abbreviates et cetera, meaning "and the rest," and it always requires a period at the end. So et al., which is similar, always takes a period at the end too.

Here are a few common misspellings of et al.:

When you use other punctuation with et al., like a comma, it goes after the period. But if you're ending a sentence with et al., you don't need an additional period.

Should I Italicize Et Al.?

Most major style guides (including APA, MLA, the Chicago Manual of Style, and Harvard) do not require et al. to be italicized. However, some field-specific publications do require the italicization of the phrase, so it's always a good idea to double-check.

Using et al. in a sentence appropriately varies among style guides. Check out the overviews of different style guides below to make sure you're using this tricky phrase correctly.

How to Use Et Al., with Examples

APA format, established by the American Psychological Association, is commonly used for publications, essays, reports, and books in the fields of psychology and social science.

Also called APA style, this format has established specific standards for scientific and scholarly writing. It encourages uniformity and consistency in the way content is organized and references are cited.

APA in-text citations, reference lists, and title pages adhere to formatting requirements that differ from those of other styles.

For example, APA includes the author's surname and publication year in in-text citations, using an ampersand if there are two authors:

(Smith, 2012)

(Smith & Jones, 2012)

Another differentiator between APA and other styles is that APA requires a cover page, called a Title Page, and uses the title "References" above the citation list at the end of papers or manuscripts.

Traditionally, APA format is used for a range of subjects in the social and behavioral sciences, including:

Linguistics

When to Use Et Al. in APA

When dealing with a work by three or more authors in APA format (seventh edition), use the first author's last name in the signal phrase or parenthesis, followed by et al.

(McKenzie et al., 2020)

McKenzie et al. (2020)

Keep in mind that et al. wouldn't be needed if you were citing just two authors. If you were citing two authors and you replaced one of their names with et al., meaning "and others," this would be incorrect.

Use et al. in APA in-text citations only if you're citing at least three authors, and remember that et al. is never used in the reference list in APA.

Et Al. Example in APA Format

The use of et al. in APA format differs from other styles when it comes to the References.

Its format requires listing the surnames and first initials of up to 20 authors, placing an ampersand before the final author.

Karloff, J., McMahon, S., Watson, C., Williamson, M., Russell, S., Holden, R., Williams, B., Messier, A., Nesbo, J., Lamott, A., Shaffer, M., Barrows, A., Perry, T., Rooney, K., Cruz, M., Warren, G., Granville, D., Gonzalez, R., Johnson, S., & Galloway, J.

For more than 20 authors, you would replace all authors after the 19th with ellipses, followed by the final author's name.

Et Al. in APA In-Text Citations with Multiple Authors

When citing three or more authors in text with APA (seventh edition), you can use et al. upon the first and subsequent references to a source.

Before the seventh edition of APA, the names of up to five authors had to be spelled out in the text. Et al. could only be used upon subsequent references.

Luckily, the seventh edition has been simplified. Here is an example of how to use et al. for in-text citations in APA.

Three or more authors:

Parenthetical: (Johnson et al., 2020)

Nonparenthetical: Johnson et al. (2020)

MLA format was developed by the Modern Language Association. It provides specific guidelines for students and researchers writing academically in the fields of language and literature.

Often called MLA style, this format allows for an easy reading experience. It offers a uniform and consistent method of adding citations to books or literature.

Using et al. in MLA is different from APA and other styles in its requirements for the use of et al. MLA has different standards for layout, citations, and abbreviations.

There are also slight differences in the way authors are cited. But the spelling of et al. is always the same, regardless of the style guide being used, with lowercase letters and no punctuation after "et"—the only punctuation is the period after "al."

MLA format is traditionally used by writers and students creating work in the following disciplines:

Language and literature

Comparative literature

Literary criticism

Cultural studies

If you're formatting an essay or paper in MLA, the most updated edition is the ninth, published in April 2021.

When to Use Et Al. in MLA

You can use et al. in MLA when referring to multiple authors—three or more, to be exact. And you can add et al. to both your in-text citations and your Works Cited page (the name for the reference list).

Et Al. Example in MLA Format

Let's look at how to cite multiple authors in MLA in your Works Cited page with et al.

See the following two examples for citing a collection of poems and a collection of stories using et al. in MLA.

O'Hara, Frank, et al. The Collected Poems of Frank O'Hara . University of California Press, 1995.

Levine, Robert S., et al. The Norton Anthology of American Literature . Ninth ed., W.W. Norton &

Company, 2022.

Note that the second line of the citation is indented by half an inch.

Et Al. in MLA In-Text Citations with Multiple Authors

Now, we'll review how to cite multiple authors using et al. in MLA in-text citations.

MLA format requires the inclusion of the first author's surname, then et al., and then the page number.

(Lackey et al. 56)

The above is an example of a parenthetical in-text citation with et al. Here is an example of how to incorporate it within your prose:

According to Gilbert et al., "Today, however, we can see more clearly just how complex and multifaceted Woolf's set of women writers really is" (23).

The Chicago Manual of Style, often called CMS, CMOS, or Chicago, is a style guide used by authors, editors, indexers, designers, and publishers to prepare manuscripts and to aid in the revision of grammar, punctuation, and usage.

Dubbed the "editor's bible," the Chicago Manual of Style is typically used with material intended for publication. It's the style most often applied to novels, blogs, and creative nonfiction.

A key differentiator of Chicago style is that it offers two systems for source citations: notes and bibliography or author-date.

The notes and bibliography system is used by scholars and writers working in the humanities, and the author-date system is preferred by writers in the fields of science and social science.

That being said, here are a few of the most common fields in which Chicago style is used:

Social science

Natural science

The most recent edition is the 17th, which was published in September 2017. Let's look at how to use et al. in Chicago style.

When to Use Et Al. in Chicago Style

In essays adhering to Chicago style, you can use et al. when citing a source with four or more authors.

The format and placement of et al. can vary because, as we mentioned earlier, Chicago uses two systems for source citation: notes and bibliography and author-date. So the placement really depends on which system you're using!

But as a general rule, you can use et al. in your in-text citations, in your footnotes and endnotes, and in your reference list at the end of your document.

Note that bibliographies go with the notes and bibliography system, and reference lists go with the author-date system.

Et Al. Example in Chicago Style

You will use et al. in bibliographic form in Chicago Style for sources with more than 10 authors. In such cases, you'll list the first seven authors, followed by et al.

The citation format in your bibliography will change depending on whether you're using the notes and bibliography system or the author-date system, but the placement and format of et al. are the same.

Notes and bibliography system:

Jackson, Tiffany D., Nic Stone, Ashley Woodfolk, Dhonielle Clayton, Angie Thomas, Nicola Yoon,

Natasha Schrader, et al. Blackout . New York, NY: Quill Tree Books, an imprint of

HarperCollins Publishers, 2021.

Author-date system:

Natasha Schrader, et al. 2021. Blackout . New York, NY: Quill Tree Books, an imprint of

HarperCollins Publishers.

Et Al. in Chicago Style In-Text Citations with Multiple Authors

When using et al. in an in-text citation of four or more authors, et al. can be formatted in a few different ways, depending on which source citation system you're using. Take a look at the examples below.

In the author-date system, et al. goes after the first author's surname in an in-text citation.

(Johnson et al. 2021, 465)

In the notes and bibliography system, et al. can go in a short or long footnote. Here's how the format breaks down for each type:

Short footnote: Johnson et al.

Long footnote: David Johnson et al.

Turabian style is similar to Chicago style when it comes to how to write et al. Published by Kate L. Turabian in 1937, this style was created for researchers and students. Its official title is A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations.

You can think of it as a student's version of Chicago style. Turabian style places greater emphasis on student needs regarding the formatting of papers and citations, and this is its biggest differentiator.

This manual is also shorter and contains fewer instructions than others. Another differentiator of Turabian is that it covers a wide spectrum of disciplines, including:

Art history

Social studies

Global studies

Religious studies

If you're looking for the latest edition, be sure to use the ninth, published in 2018.

When to Use Et Al. in Turabian Style

As in Chicago style, you can use et al. in a sentence in Turabian when citing four or more authors.

You can also use et al. when citing sources in both the main text and the bibliography, and this is true of both the notes and bibliography and the author-date citation systems.

Where you should put et al. and how you should format it will vary depending on which citation system you use. Just keep in mind that you can use et al. in Turabian style whenever you have four or more authors to cite.

Et Al. Example in Turabian Style

The great thing about using Turabian style is that if you understand how to use et al. in Chicago style, using it in Turabian will be a breeze.

Below are some examples of how to write et al. in either your bibliography (notes and bibliography system) or reference list (author-date system) in Turabian style.

Notes and bibliography system (book):

Using the Turabian citation system, you'll follow the same format for et al. Only the placement of the publication date changes. See the examples below.

Kitamura, Katie, Allen Johnson, Birk Meyer, Alex Fritas, Joan Bigsby, Becca Thomas, Greg

Lewis, et al. A Separation . New York: Riverhead Books. 2017.

Author-date citation system (book):

For more than 10 authors, list the first seven authors and follow them up with et al.

Kitamura, Katie, Allen Johnson, Birk Meyer, Alex Fritas, Joan Bigsby, Becca Thomas, Greg Lewis,

et al. 2017. A Separation . New York: Riverhead Books.

Et Al. in Turabian In-Text Citations with Multiple Authors

Using et al. in your in-text citations is the same in Turabian as it is in Chicago style. You'll put et al. in your footnotes (short and long) and within your text. Below are examples of each.

(Johnson et al. 2017, 45)

In the notes and bibliography system, et al. could go in a short or long footnote. Here's how the format breaks down for each type of footnote.

Short footnote: Weber et al.

Long footnote: Jesse N. Weber et al.

Harvard style is a popular formatting style across many universities. It's been known to go by a couple of different names, including the Harvard Referencing System and Author-Date Referencing.

There's no official connection between Harvard style and Harvard University. This style is simply another way for students to cite their sources and format their papers uniformly.

Common disciplines that use this style include the following:

Behavioral sciences

The thing to remember about Harvard style is that it isn't as cut-and-dried as other styles—different schools have different requirements. This means that using et al. in Harvard style can change depending on what school you go to.

Be sure to refer to your professor's instructions before using et al. in your papers.

For the purposes of this post, we'll be talking about how to use et al. following Harvard Business School's Citation Guide.

When to Use Et Al. in Harvard Style

While some aspects of Harvard style can vary across institutions, one thing everyone seems to agree on is that et al. should be used to cite four or more authors.

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

Et Al. Example in Harvard Style

In the bibliography section of your paper, you can use et al. for academic citations of sources with four or more authors .

Unlike Chicago, you don't have to list a certain number of authors before you list et al.—you can simply use et al. after the first author's name.

Here are two examples, one for a book citation and one for a web citation:

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

D. Irwin, Inc., 1982.

Enright, Michael J., et al. "Daewoo and the Korean Chaebol." University of Hong Kong case no.

HKU143 (University of Hong Kong, August 2001). Harvard Business Publishing.

https://hbsp.harvard.edu/, accessed March 2007.

Et Al. in Harvard Style In-Text Citations with Multiple Authors

When it comes to using et al. in Harvard style in-text citations, you can use it in your footnotes, parenthetical phrases, and signal phrases.

See examples of each below.

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

Richard D. Irwin, Inc., 1982), p. 101.

Parenthetical phrase:

(Johnson et al. 2007)

Signal phrase:

Johnson et al. (2007)

Again, keep in mind that Harvard style gives your instructor leeway in their guidelines for how to format et al., so be sure to follow their instructions.

An additional way to cite references is to use Vancouver style. This style was developed in Vancouver in 1978 by medical journal editors. It is most commonly used in medicine and science.

The biggest difference between Vancouver and other styles is its use of numbers. Often called the Numbering System, Vancouver cites sources by placing numbers within parentheses or superscripts in the main text.

These citation numbers are tied to entries in your reference list. Like in other styles, your reference list in Vancouver style will have all of the sources you've cited within your text.

Some common fields that use Vancouver are as follows:

Biomedicine

As in Harvard style, keep in mind that some universities and organizations have their own specific formatting requirements when it comes to citing work with et al. in Vancouver style.

When to Use Et Al. in Vancouver Style

With Vancouver style, you can use et al. for both in-text citations and within the reference list.

You should use et al. in your reference list when citing more than six authors. If you're citing just six authors, you'll need to spell out each author's surname and first initial, separating each author with a comma.

You should use et al. within the main text when citing multiple authors. Some universities differ in terms of how many authors, so it's best to check with your institution to confirm its preferences for this style.

Et Al. Example in Vancouver Style

Let's start our et al. examples for Vancouver with those in bibliographic form.

In Vancouver style, the bibliography is called a reference list. You'll add et al. to reference entries only if you're listing more than six authors. List the first six authors, then add et al.

Here's an example of a book citation with et al. in the reference list:

Doornbos MM, Groenhout ER, Hotz GK, Brandsen C, Cusveller B, Flikkema M, et al.

Transforming care: a Christian vision of nursing practice. Grand Rapids, Michigan:

William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; 2005.

Note that the authors' surnames are followed by their first and (in many cases) middle initials, without punctuation.

Here's an example for an electronic journal article:

Aho M, Irshad B, Ackerman SJ, Lewis M, Leddy R, Pope T, et al. Correlation of sonographic

features of invasive ductal mammary carcinoma with age, tumor grade, and

hormone-receptor status. J Clin Ultrasound [Internet]. 2013 Jan [cited 2015 Apr

27];41(1):10-7. Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jcu.21990/full

DOI: 10.1002/jcu.21990

Et Al. in Vancouver Style In-Text Citations with Multiple Authors

As far as in-text citations go in Vancouver style, you can use et al. directly in the text, followed by a reference number.

Because Vancouver references sources within parentheses or superscripts, here are examples using et al. in-text with both systems:

Harrison et al. (5) agree that only one solution is viable.

Harrison et al. 5 agree that only one solution is viable.

Et Alibi, Et Alii, and Others

Sometimes, et al. can be confused with other Latin phrases like et alibi and et alii. This is understandable because the terms all begin with the same letters!

Don't worry. Over the next few sections, we'll break down what each of these phrases means. That way, if you need to use them in your next paper or article, you won't use them incorrectly.

Et alia is the Latin phrase for "and others," and the phrase "et al." is its abbreviated form.

Et alia is meant to be used when a list contains too many people or things to name. In academic writing, it is used when citing sources with multiple authors.

However, the full phrase "et alia" isn't typically spelled out in academic writing. In papers, journals, and manuscripts, the abbreviated form "et al." is used, with a period after "al."

Et alibi means "and elsewhere" in Latin. It's used in academic writing to show that the information you're citing is mentioned in other parts of a text, too.

For example, if you're citing a passage from the Bible that can also be found in other locations of the text, that would be a perfect instance for using et alibi.

Keep in mind that "et al." is the abbreviated form of both et alibi and et alia.

Et aliae also means "and others" but in the feminine plural form. This means that et aliae refers specifically to a group of women or girls.

However, you won't need to differentiate between feminine or masculine forms when using et al. in your writing. You would simply use "et al."—the abbreviated form of both.

The Latin phrase et alii means "and others" in the masculine plural form. It’s used to refer to a group of men or boys.

But the abbreviated form, "et al.," is still what you would use to cite multiple authors.

As long as you can remember how to write the abbreviation et al. in your papers, you're good to go!

Difference between Et Al. and Etc.

Do you ever confuse et al. with etc.? You're not alone. The two are very similar.

While et al. means "and others" in Latin, etc. is short for the Latin et cetera and means "and the rest."

Both phrases indicate that something has been omitted from the text, and both are abbreviations. However, there are key differences to keep in mind to avoid using them incorrectly in your paper.

You use etc. to shorten a list. Its use lets the reader know that there are more items or examples you could list but that the shortened list allows the reader to get the idea.

For example, if you were to write, "The event is at the beach, so bring your swimsuits, towels, sunscreen, sandals, etc.," readers know they need to bring all beach items, not just the ones mentioned.

Similarly, you use et al. to shorten a list of authors or collaborators.

Common Mistakes

Spelling and formatting Latin phrases is no walk in the park—especially when you need to get them right to earn a passing grade.

It also doesn't help that each style guide has its own formatting or that many Latin phrases can sound the same. It's enough to make your head spin!

Below, we'll cover common mistakes made when using et al. and why using it is so important for clear and concise academic writing.

Spelling Latin phrases can be tricky, but abbreviating them correctly can be even trickier.

When using et al. in your papers, be sure to abbreviate it correctly and to use the right punctuation.

Et al. is always spelled as two separate words—"et" and "al"—with a period after "al."

The best way to remember how to punctuate and spell it is to remember that it's an abbreviation.

Here are a few common misspellings of et al. so you know to avoid them:

Using the Incorrect Style

Spelling et al. correctly is only half the battle. You'll also need to be sure you're using et al. in the style required by your university, institution, or professor.

As we mentioned earlier, there are many style guides to choose from, including MLA, Chicago, APA, and Turabian.

Each style has its own specific format for et al., so be sure to study its guidelines carefully before adding et al. to your references.

You'll especially want to take note of how et al. is used in both in-text and reference list citations and how many authors necessitate its use.

Not Using Et Al.

Using et al. is a clear and concise way of communicating your source information to readers without overwhelming them or taking away from your work.

It lets readers know that multiple authors or collaborators contributed to the source without having to list them all. Also, when referencing a source with several authors or collaborators multiple times, the use of et al. keeps the writing neat and tidy.

Not using et al. would make academic writing awkwardly long and arduous within the main text while extending bibliographies and reference lists unnecessarily.

Et al. helps academic writers and authors reference their sources in a clean-cut way.

How to Cite a Tweet

Nowadays, it's not uncommon for students or researchers to turn to social platforms like Twitter for their research.

Because of this, styles like MLA, APA, and Chicago have stayed current by offering standards for formatting citations of Tweets in research papers and scholarly articles.

Each style has its own formatting requirements for citing a Tweet, and these can vary among different editions of the same style.

Below are instructions for citing Tweets in each of the three major styles.

To cite a Tweet in MLA (ninth edition), you'll cite the first name and surname of the account holder (or the name of the organization) in addition to the Twitter handle.

Here is the basic structure:

Surname, First name [Username]. "Tweet message." Twitter , date posted, URL.

Here's an example:

Swift, Taylor [@taylorswift13]. "I'm so proud of this song and the memories I have with you guys

because of it." Twitter , 22 November 2021,

twitter.com/taylorswift13/status/1462908809542787072.

To cite a Tweet from an organization in MLA, you'll use this structure:

Organization or Account Name [Username]. "Tweet message". Twitter , date posted, URL.

The Wall Street Journal [@WSJ]. "Activist hedge fund Trian has acquired a stake in Unilever,

people familiar with the matter say, adding pressure on the consumer-goods company."

Twitter , 23 January 2022, twitter.com/WSJ/status/1485356694972551171.

To cite a Tweet in APA style (seventh edition), you'll do things a little differently from MLA. APA requires only the author's full surname with the first name initialized.

You'll also include only the first 20 words of the Tweet in your reference.

Surname, Initials [@username]. (Year, Month Day). Text of Tweet [Tweet]. Twitter. URL

Gates, B. [@BillGates]. (2019, September 7). Today, it's difficult for researchers to diagnose

#Alzheimers patients early enough to intervene. A reliable, easy and accurate diagnostic

would [Thumbnail with link attached] [Tweet]. Twitter.

https://twitter.com/BillGates/status/1170305718425137152

To cite a Tweet in Chicago style, you'll include many of the same elements as Tweet citations in other styles, but you'll also add a timestamp.

The general structure is as follows:

First name Surname (@TwitterHandle), "Text of Tweet," Twitter, Month Day, Year, 00:00

a.m., link to Tweet.

Here's an example from the Chicago Manual of Style:

Conan O'Brien (@ConanOBrien), "In honor of Earth Day, I'm recycling my Tweets," Twitter, April

22, 2015, 11:10 a.m., https://twitter.com/ConanOBrien/status/590940792967016448.

If you'd like to cite a Tweet within your text, here's an example using the above Tweet:

Conan O'Brien's Tweet was characteristically deadpan: "In honor of Earth Day, I'm recycling my Tweets" (@ConanOBrien, April 22, 2015).

Frequently Asked Questions

What does et al. mean in a citation.

In a citation, et al. indicates that multiple authors are being cited within a reference in an academic work but that not all of their names are listed.

It's not uncommon for some sources to have 10 or even 20 authors, given the collaborative nature of research in the fields of medicine and science. Using et al. is a way of ensuring that all authors are referenced without crowding the content.

When Should Et Al. Be Used in APA Style?

Use et al. in APA in-text citations with multiple authors, as well as in the References. Specifically, use it when dealing with a work by three to five authors. You'll use the first author's surname in the signal phrase, parenthetical statement, or bibliographic entry, followed by et al.

Keep in mind that you should use et al. only for three or more authors, not two. Since et al. is an abbreviation for "and others," it must stand in for more than one person. If you were trying to cite two authors and you used et al. after the first one, et al. would represent one person as opposed to several "others," which would be incorrect.

What Is Et Al. in MLA?

In MLA style, et al. is an abbreviated Latin phrase meaning "and others." It indicates that multiple authors contributed to the source being cited but that not all of them are listed.

MLA recommends using et al. for sources with three or more authors. Et al. can be used both within the main text and on the Works Cited page. It's punctuated in the same way as in other styles, with a period after "al" only.

Here is a citation example using et al. in MLA:

(Gubar et al. 56)

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Meaning of Et Al in Academic Writing and How to Use it?

Learning phrases from a foreign language can often be exciting and boost your confidence. Yet some phrases can evoke annoyance. For many students, one such phrase is “ et al .” Similarly, students get confused on how to use et al in a research paper and use it effectively.

But you can stop worrying now because this post aims to show you that this phrase is not intimidating. It can be quite helpful academically.

By the end of this article, you will feel more assured about the meaning of “et al.,” how to use it in different styles of research paper writing, and much more.

Table of Contents

What is “ et al. ”?

Et al. is an abbreviated form of the Latin phrase “et alia”, which loosely translates to “and others” in English. Many students are familiar with this term because it’s commonly used for citing a paper written by multiple authors in your academic research. Let’s look at et al example that’ll explain it better. This example will explain how do you write et al by visual representation.

For instance:

Kazbar Ekker, Z., et al. (2021). Exploring the Impact of Abortion Legalization on Women’s Health. Journal of Women’s Health, 8(2), 112-128.

Why Use et al. in Academic Writing?

Organizing a research paper is a time-taking process with plenty of elements that contribute to it. Et al. play a big role in maintaining preciseness and structure in your article.

It helps provide all the needed information without overwhelming it, as lengthy citations can cause confusion for the reader. This is why the use of et al. in academic writing has been widely adopted. Et al meaning in research simply implies that a given research / investigation/ experiment is not completed all by a single person or a researcher. It’s rather a work of a or many group(s).

Examples of et al in different formats of writing.

Smith, J., Wali Khan, A., et al. (2022). The Effects of Climate Change. Journal of Environmental Science, 10(3), 45-60.
Anderson, M., et al. “The Impact of Social Media on Society.” Journal of Communication Studies, vol. 25, no. 2, 2021, pp. 78-95.
Brown, R., et al. “Exploring Cultural Diversity in Urban Communities.” Urban Studies Quarterly, 39(4), 2008, pp. 567-582.
Johnson, L., et al. “Advancements in Wireless Communication Systems.” IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, vol. 17, no. 6, 2019, pp. 3289-3301.
Davis, K., et al. (2020) “Innovations in Renewable Energy Sources.” International Journal of Sustainable Energy, 43(2), pp. 145-160.

All the citation styles have slightly varying rules regarding the use of et al. Exploring these styles will help you understand how different writing styles can benefit from using et al.

Using et al. in Chicago Format

Chicago Style has a similar way to use et al. in its two citation systems: bibliography and notes and author- date styles.

In-text citations; (whether author-date or footnotes) sources with one to three authors, names of all the authors will be listed.
Sourcing four or more authors, use the first name followed by “et al.”
You can reference up to 10 authors within the referencing list or bibliography.

Et al Examples:

Smith, John, et al. The History of Modern Art. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2019.
Johnson, Mary, et al. “The Impact of Climate Change on Biodiversity.” Environmental Science Journal 25, no. 3 (2022): 45-60.
Brown, Robert, et al., eds. Perspectives on Globalization. New York: Routledge, 2018.
Davis, Sarah, et al. “The Role of Technology in Education.” In Advancements in Educational Technology, edited by Johnson, Michael, et al., 67-82. Boston: Academic Press, 2020.
“The Benefits of Exercise.” National Health Organization. Accessed April 15, 2023. https://www.nho.org/benefits-of-exercise.

Using et al in MLA Style of Writing a Research

The use of et al. in MLA implies when three or more writers are involved in research. This is applicable for both MLA in-text citations and cited work bibliography lists.

Et al. is not used in the narrative citation in MLA format (where the names of the author are part of the main sentence and not used in parentheses)

In-text citation examples: (Abdul and David)
Works cited examples: Abdul, Khan and David Burchees.
In text citation examples: (Jackson et al.)
Works cited examples: Simone, Jackson, et al.

Et al. Meaning and Use: APA style

The APA format has various versions (6th and 7th), so the rules of using et al. slightly change. Let’s discuss both of these editions.

Rules of Using et al. for APA 7th Edition

Citing in-text with a source with two authors, you must list both of them.
However, if there are three writers, you will only cite the first author with the et al.
APA doesn’t require et al. for the reference list. It has the capacity to list up to 20 authors for one source.

Examples:

1-2 authors:

In-text Citation: (Zoha Alam & Iffat Nadeem, 2023)

3+ authors:

In text Citation: (Kennedy et al., 2014)

Rule for Using et al. for APA 6th Edition

Sources with up to 5 authors require using all names within the first citation. However, if you must repeat citing this course, use et al. after the first writer’s last name.
A source with six or more writers should use et al. from the very first citation in the paper

The Don’ts: Et al Meaning and Use

In many cases, students can repeatedly commit the same mistakes, which leads to lower grades. Oftentimes these mistakes are overlooked and never properly addressed by the professors. So, we have given a list of “don’t” that you must avoid.

Misspelling “et al.” as “et al” or “et. al.”
Incorrectly capitalizing “et al.” as “Et Al.” or “ET AL.”
Not including a period after “al.” (e.g., “et al.” instead of “et al.”). Punctuation is one of the key mistakes many students commit. There is a period right after the “al” to indicate that the term is an abbreviation. Here are some of the frequent mistakes people commit

et al.

You only need one period if you use et al. at the end of your sentence.
Whenever “et al.” follows a list of two or more names, a serial comma appears before it. There shouldn’t be a comma when only one name precedes it.
Using “et al.” for a single author or when there are only two authors.
Failing to provide the full list of authors on the first mention before using “et al.” in subsequent citations.
Using “et al.” in both in-text citations and the reference list.
Not italicizing “et al.” when it appears in the text or incorrectly italicizing it in the reference list.
Using “et al.” when citing a specific source portion, such as a particular chapter or section.
Not consistently using “et al.” throughout the document for the same authors.
Failing to verify the correct usage of “et al.” in the specific citation style required by their institution or professor.
Avoid using singular verbs after the et al. This is because the meaning of et al. is “all others”. For instance: Zoe H et al. (2023) mention that…
Using “et al.” without providing the year or publication details in the citation.
Including the abbreviation “et al.” in the reference list instead of listing all authors.
Never confuse et al. with etc.
Using “et al.” in the wrong place within the citation (e.g., before the title instead of after the authors’ names).
Using “et al.” with personal communications or unpublished works.

Et al Meaning and Use: How to Use “et al.” in Title?

There are no separate rules for using et al. in the title. If you follow a specific citation style (i.e., APA, MLA, Harvard, or Chicago), be mindful of its requirements for using et al.

However, it is always wise to consider your prompt for the paper or contact your supervisor in case of any special requirements.

When using “et al.” in a title, it is typically employed to reference multiple authors or contributors of a work. Here are six examples that demonstrate the usage:

“The Effects of Climate Change on Ecosystems: A Review by Smith et al.”
“A Comparative Study of Solar Energy Technologies: Insights from Johnson et al.”
“Effects of Online Research Paper Writing Service Platforms: An In-depth Analysis from Hussian et al.”
“The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Perspectives from Kim et al.”
“Exploring Genetic Variations in Human Populations: Findings from Garcia et al.”
“Advancements in Nanotechnology: A Survey of Recent Research by Patel et al.”
“Understanding Consumer Behavior in Online Retail: Insights from Jones et al.”
In each example, “et al.” (short for “et alia,” meaning “and others” in Latin) is used after the first author’s name to indicate that there are additional contributors to the work.

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We are sure this post helped lift the cloud of confusion gathered around the et al. meaning and use. However, good use of et al in paper. can enhance your perspective. You can reach our professionals for their college paper writing service .

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Reference List: Textual Sources

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Basic Format for Books

Edited book, no author, edited book with an author or authors, a translation.

Note : When you cite a republished work, like the one above, in your text, it should appear with both dates: Plato (385-378/1989)

Edition Other Than the First

Article or chapter in an edited book.

Note : When you list the pages of the chapter or essay in parentheses after the book title, use "pp." before the numbers: (pp. 1-21). This abbreviation, however, does not appear before the page numbers in periodical references, except for newspapers. List any edition number in the same set of parentheses as the page numbers, separated by a comma: (2nd ed., pp. 66-72).

Multivolume Work

Articles in periodicals.

APA style dictates that authors are named with their last name followed by their initials; publication year goes between parentheses, followed by a period. The title of the article is in sentence-case, meaning only the first word and proper nouns in the title are capitalized. The periodical title is run in title case, and is followed by the volume number which, with the title, is also italicized. If a DOI has been assigned to the article that you are using, you should include this after the page numbers for the article. If no DOI has been assigned and you are accessing the periodical online, use the URL of the website from which you are retrieving the periodical.

Article in Print Journal

Note: APA 7 advises writers to include a DOI (if available), even when using the print source. The example above assumes no DOI is available.

Article in Electronic Journal

Note : This content also appears on Reference List: Online Media .

As noted above, when citing an article in an electronic journal, include a DOI if one is associated with the article.

DOIs may not always be available. In these cases, use a URL. Many academic journals provide stable URLs that function similarly to DOIs. These are preferable to ordinary URLs copied and pasted from the browser's address bar.

Article in a Magazine

Article in a newspaper.

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Et Al.
Using et al. in Chicago style. Chicago style has two systems of citation: notes and bibliography, and author-date style. The use of "et al." is the same in both styles. For sources with one, two, or three authors, list all author names in your in-text citations (whether footnotes or author-date). For sources with four or more authors, use ...
When to use et al. in APA citation style
In-text citation format with et al. The phrase "et al." is used with in-text citations (including APA parenthetical citations) only when referencing a source that has three or more authors. Include the name of only the first author's last name plus "et al." in every citation. In-text citation structure:
Using et al.
According to Lai and Sookochoff (2018)…. In APA 7, for a work with three or more authors, list the first author and "et al." for all citations, including the first citation, unless doing so would create ambiguity. (Note that this rule has changed from APA 6 guidelines on using "et al.," which recommend listing all author names in the ...
How to Use ''et al.'' in APA Style (7th Edition)
In October 2019, the American Psychological Association (APA) introduced the 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual, which replaces the 6th edition. The in-intext citation for works with three or more authors is now abbreviated right from the first citation. You only include the first author's name and "et al.".
APA Style 6th Edition Blog: The Proper Use of Et Al. in APA Style
Namely, use et al. as usual but also include lowercase letters after the year (2010a, 2010b, etc.) to tell the references apart. For more information and examples on citing references in text, see Chapter 6 of our sixth edition Publication Manual (pp. 174-179). You may also be interested in our primer on how in-text citations work and our ...
How Do You Use et al. in Scientific Papers? (with many examples)
Maybe the most common problem in using et al. is knowing where to put the period. It should be after the "al." and not after the "et". This is because, as mentioned, "et al." is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase "et alia.". The "et" is itself a word. The "et al." may be followed by any other punctuation. For example:
Using et al.
Rasmussen et al. (2004) emphasized the vital role research plays in development planning, saying that thoughtful examination of data and evidence should be present. Remember that there will not be a comma between the surname and "et al.," and the period goes only after the "al.". The English translation of "et al." is simply "and ...
APA format and et al.
Using et al. in APA format. In the APA format, et al. is used for crediting author names but only in citations within the text and not in the reference list. This is because according to the new APA 7 th edition guidelines, you can mention up to 20 authors in the reference list. More than 20 authors are listed using ellipses (…) instead of et al.
APA Style 6th Edition Blog: et al
To do this, on the second and all subsequent citations, you should cite the surnames of the first two authors and of as many of the next authors as necessary to distinguish the two references, followed by a comma and et al. (see the sixth edition of the Publication Manual, p. 175). Now let's add a twist and use references that contain ...
How to Use Et Al. Effectively in Your Research Paper
Use "et al." when a source has a large list of authors: When there are several authors of a source, the term "et al." is used to shorten the citation, and it is commonly used when there are three or more writers; nevertheless, verify your citation style guidelines. After the first author's name, add "et al.".
APA Formatting & Style: Shortening Citations With et al
The way we use et al. is by listing the first author of a source, followed directly by "et al." in regular case. Note the punctuation here, with a period after "a-l". For narrative citations, the publication year immediately follows; for a parenthetical citation, there's a comma and the publication year.
In-Text Citations: Author/Authors
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. Unknown Author. If the work does not have an author, cite the source by its title in the signal phrase or use the first word or two in the parentheses.
How do I use et al. in APA?
For any source with more than two authors, type out the first author's last name followed by "et al." Follow this format for the first and subsequent citations of the source. Example for a source with three authors, Rasmussen, Hopkins, and Fitzpatrick: Research plays a vital role in development planning (Rasmussen et al., 2004). Additional ...
When to Use Author "et al." in Citation and References
Always write "et al." in lowercase and include a period after "al.", even when it appears in the middle of a sentence. The abbreviation "et al." replaces author names in endnotes, footnotes, and in-text citations; it depends on the target journal whether "author et al." citation style can also be used in the reference list or ...
How to Effectively Use "Et al." in APA, MLA, and Chicago Style
For example, if a research paper has four authors, instead of listing all the authors every time their names are mentioned, the first author's name is followed by "et al." after the first mention. ... APA style: In in-text citations, use "et al." when there are three or more authors. For reference lists, the first author's name is listed ...
How to Use Et Al. in Every Format—Et Al. Meaning
Et al. is used to simplify citations within your text or reference list. It lets the reader know that other authors have contributed to the work you're citing, without you having to list every author. Et al. is also used to simplify subsequent references to groups of coauthors that have already been cited in full.
APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th Edition)
Basic guidelines for formatting the reference list at the end of a standard APA research paper Author/Authors Rules for handling works by a single author or multiple authors that apply to all APA-style references in your reference list, regardless of the type of work (book, article, electronic resource, etc.) ...
How to Cite in APA Format (7th edition)
APA in-text citations The basics. In-text citations are brief references in the running text that direct readers to the reference entry at the end of the paper. You include them every time you quote or paraphrase someone else's ideas or words to avoid plagiarism.. An APA in-text citation consists of the author's last name and the year of publication (also known as the author-date system).
Author-date citation system
Use the author-date citation system to cite references in the text in APA Style. In this system, each work used in a paper has two parts: an in-text citation and a corresponding reference list entry. In-text citations may be parenthetical or narrative. In parenthetical citations, use an ampersand (&) between names for a work with two authors ...
What does 'et al.' mean and How to Use 'et al.' in a Research Paper
For example, when citing the same group of authors multiple times in your paper, using et al. can simplify the citations. How to use et al. in a research paper. The number of authors to be listed before et al. can vary depending on the style guides. A few guidelines on the proper use of et al. in citations and references are given below. 2
Deciphering et al Meaning and Use with a Variety of Formats
This is because the meaning of et al. is "all others". For instance: Zoe H et al. (2023) mention that…. Using "et al." without providing the year or publication details in the citation. Including the abbreviation "et al." in the reference list instead of listing all authors. Never confuse et al. with etc.
Reference List: Textual Sources
Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor & F. F. Editor (Eds.), Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle (pp. pages of chapter). Publisher. Note: When you list the pages of the chapter or essay in parentheses after the book title, use "pp." before the numbers: (pp. 1-21). This abbreviation, however, does not appear before the page numbers in ...
Travel preference: an indicator of the benefits of urban green space
Assessment of quantity, quality, and accessibility determines whether the UGS are important social benefits. The travel preference of urban residents is a good indicator for the social relevance of UGS. This study integrates remote sensing and geographic big data to quantitatively analyze and evaluate the social benefits of urban green space.
Should researchers use AI to write papers? Group aims for ...
When and how should text-generating artificial intelligence (AI) programs such as ChatGPT help write research papers? In the coming months, 4000 researchers from a variety of disciplines and countries will weigh in on guidelines that could be adopted widely across academic publishing, which has been grappling with chatbots and other AI issues for the past year and a half.

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Table of Contents:

How to Cite “et al.” in APA Style

What are the main types of citations?

In-text (or parenthetical) citations

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Why do we use “et al.” in citation?

Using “et al.” vs “etc.” in Citation and References

When to Use “et al.” in Reference and Citation

In-text or parenthetical citations (author-date system)

How to Cite “et al.” in Chicago Style

Using “et al.” in in-text or parenthetical citations (author-date system)

Don’t use “et al.” in reference lists

Using “et al.” in endnotes and footnotes (bibliographic system)

Using “et al.” in in-text (parenthetical) citations

Using “et al.” in the reference list (works cited page)