How do I control number of authors in citation using Chicago style

[MSWNovice2008]

Hello,
I would appreciate if anyone could show me the right method of using MS word
2007 for the following application.
I am using MS word 2007. I follow Chicago style referencing. When I insert
a citation, in some instances it would cite (Author1 et al 2008) and in other
instance it would cite (Author1, Author 2 and Author3, 2008). Further, in
one instance it even cites (Author1, Author2 et al, 2008).

What I doing wrong? How can I control this?

Thanks,
MSWNovice2008

 

[p0]

Hello,
I would appreciate if anyone could show me the right method of using MS word
2007 for the following application.
I am using MS word 2007.  I follow Chicago style referencing.  When Iinsert
acitation, in some instances it would cite (Author1 et al 2008) and in other
instance it would cite (Author1, Author 2 and Author3, 2008).  Further,in
one instance it even cites (Author1, Author2 et al, 2008).

What I doing wrong?  How can I control this?

Thanks,
MSWNovice2008

You are not doing anything wrong. The algorithm used for displaying
the number of authors is just not what you expected. On first glance,
the algorithm for Chicago works as follows:

if there are more than 6 authors
display the first authors name, followed by a ', et al.'
else (so less than 6 authors)
display all authors, seperated by a comma except for the last one
which is separated by ' and '

Your last version " (Author1, Author2 et al, 2008) " doesn't come up
in the algorithm. My first idea would be that you actually added 'et
al' as part of an authors name. As that seems the only likely way to
achieve this result.

Anyway, the only way to control the amount of authors being displayed,
is by messing around with the stylesheet. Something I advise against,
as it involves messing around with hard to understand XSLT code. But
if you still want to do it, for Chicago, you would have to mess around
with the following 4 template functions:

- formatPersonSeperator
- formatPersonSeperator2
- formatPersonsAuthor
- formatPersons

If you need extra help with the numbers, just post a follow-up
message.

Yves

 

[grammatim]

You are not doing anything wrong. The algorithm used for displaying
the number of authors is just not what you expected. On first glance,
the algorithm for Chicago works as follows:

if there are more than 6 authors
    display the first authors name, followed by a ', et al.'
else (so less than 6 authors)
    display all authors, seperated by a comma except for the last one
which is separated by ' and '

Yves, since you insist on making pronouncements about how Word 2007
(mis)handles Chicago style, don't you think you should acquire a copy
of the Chicago Manual of Style (15th ed.) and learn how the references
are supposed to appear? The rule is very, very simple. If there are
more than three authors, the citation should be given as "author 1 et
al.) If there are three, two, or one authors, all authors are named in
every citation.

You have still made no response to the ten failings in handling
Chicago style that I noted some days ago.