Some grammar help...

[Spoooon]

I can't find an example of this in my Publication Manual.

Which is correct:

it was hypothesized that distraction would be the most desirable option to the child (Cohen et al.) <- I think it's this one.
it was hypothesized that distraction would be the most desirable option to the child (Cohen et al.). <- But it could be this one.

There are specific rules about when you're supposed to enclose the period in parentheses. But none of them show what you're supposed to do when the last word of a sentence is an abbreviation that is enclosed in parenthese. I suppose I could just restructure the sentence.

 

[Random Variable]

The period should come after the parentheses

EDIT: so the second one is correct

 

[StageLeft]

i think also after

 

[Spoooon]

Cool, thanks guys.

 

[WillyF1uhm1]

The second one is correct.
The first period for the abbreviation 'et al.' = 'et aliter' = 'and others'.
The second one for the end of the sentence.

 

[peemo]

I believe it is correct not to add an extra "." when one occurs in an abbreviation at the end of a sentence, e.g. "He is an M.D." I think your example is such a case, despite the closing parenthesis.

 

[Random Variable]

Don't forget the the page number!

 

[joohang]

<< I believe it is correct not to add an extra "." when one occurs in an abbreviation at the end of a sentence, e.g. "He is an M.D." I think your example is such a case, despite the closing parenthesis. >>


I disagree.

 

The latter (option two) is correct. There should be two full stops. The first period follows "et al", since "et al" is an abbreviation. And then the second period ends the sentence, but that one should be outside of the parenthesis. So, option two is correct and option one is incorrect, for option one fails to end the sentence.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

<< Don't forget the the page number! >>

i dont think needs a page number unless it's a direct quote. under APA anyway. and the 2nd entry is right. and if i remember right you should have the year.
(Cohen et al., 2000).

 

[Random Variable]

<< i dont think needs a page number unless it's a direct quote. under APA anyway. and the 2nd entry is right. and if i remember right you should have the year.
(Cohen et al., 2000). >>


Well, I always use the MLA style. (Cohen et al. 23-46).

 

[Harvey]

I think Et al stands alone, without a period, so I don't think you need one inside the parentheses. It sounds like you confusing this with the rule for punctuation inside quotation marks.

 

[Random Variable]

<< I think Et al stands alone, without a period, so I don't think you need one inside the parentheses. It sounds like you confusing this with the rule for punctuation inside quotation marks. >>


But "al." is an abbreviation. Anyways, to cite a direct quote, the quotation marks should come before the parentheses.
For example: "I like cheese" (Cohen et al. 42).

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

could you tell us if you are MLA or APA style? stupid standards boards :| how the hell is anyone supposed to get help or know what to do when there are so many different standards. APA, MLA, Medical, even the timber industry has their own set. grrrr.

 

[peemo]

joohang,

Source?

Source 1

Source 2

Source 3

I could be wrong but I think ".)." looks weird.

 

[Omegachi]

 

[Omegachi]

 

"Et al" is an abbreviation, so it must have a period!!!! If it didn't, then how would one know something is being abbreviated? Besides that, even if "et al" weren't to have a period, we would have to have a period outside of the parenthesis for a well structured, complete sentence; whereas option one lacks that structure.

Here are a couple of examples from A Writer's Reference:

[MLA:] The study was extended for two years, and only after results were duplicated on both coasts did the authors publish their results (Doe et al. 137).

[APA:] Communes in the late 1960s functioned like extended families, with child-rearing responsibilities shared by all adult members (Berger et al., 1971).

I hope that helps and clarifies things.

Edit: Peemo, thanks for the source 'cuz, it verifies just what I thought. Read source two and you'll see it says that periods must be used after abbreviations (different from acronyms), with exception to when it actually ends a sentence. In this case, "et al" is in parenthesis and is not a complete sentence within parenthesis, so it does not end the sentence. Besides, my dictionary uses a period after "et al".