# et al handling

**URL:** <https://discourse.citationstyles.org/t/et-al-handling/116>\
**Category:** CSL Development\
**Created:** [November 25, 2005, 8:37pm UTC](https://discourse.citationstyles.org/t/et-al-handling/116 "2005-11-25T20:37:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Bruce\_D\_Arcus1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Bruce\_D\_Arcus1](https://discourse.citationstyles.org/u/Bruce_D_Arcus1)\
**Post date:** [November 25, 2005, 8:37pm UTC](https://discourse.citationstyles.org/t/et-al-handling/116/1 "2005-11-25T20:37:16Z")

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OK, as I’m working on the new et al handling, I’m left with a question.  
Which of the following options?

1. The formatting of “et al” is defined in each context. So for  
citation I may have:

et al.  
et al.

1. Define that only once, but still separately for citations and  
reference lists:

2. add config of “et al” elsewhere, a la terms.

… and \<use-et\_al min-authors=“4” use-first=“3”/\> in the citation and  
bibliography element.

Am leaning toward option 3.

Bruce

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**Author:** ![Johan\_Kool1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3da27b/32.png) [@Johan\_Kool1](https://discourse.citationstyles.org/u/Johan_Kool1)\
**Post date:** [November 26, 2005, 12:45pm UTC](https://discourse.citationstyles.org/t/et-al-handling/116/2 "2005-11-26T12:45:42Z")

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Hello Bruce,

Option 3 seems the simplest to me. I still have to come along an  
article that uses anything other than “et al.” let alone one that  
uses a different string for the citation and reference lists.

Johan

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**Author:** ![Bruce\_D\_Arcus1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Bruce\_D\_Arcus1](https://discourse.citationstyles.org/u/Bruce_D_Arcus1)\
**Post date:** [November 26, 2005, 2:02pm UTC](https://discourse.citationstyles.org/t/et-al-handling/116/3 "2005-11-26T14:02:18Z")

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That’s what I was thinking. However, I seem to recall that some  
styles use some different string to represent the same thing, which is  
why I keep it configurable. Certainly in Kanji it’d be different 😉

Bruce