et.al.

Hi, I am writing my PhD thesis and in reference list, based on the instruction of the University, I have to put Croatian abbreviation "i sur." instead of et.al.
I would appreciate your help.
  • What citation style are you using?
  • Vancouver ( in the bibliography list 6 authors and then put "i sur." - instead "et al.")
  • In your Word document (not in Zotero), click the Zotero tab, then click Document Preferences and set your local to Croatian
  • I have done that way, but it appear "i ostali" and not required abbreviate form "i sur."
    for example:
    Burton MJ, Ramke J, Marques AP, Bourne RRA, Congdon N, Jones I, i ostali. The Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health: vision beyond 2020. Lancet Glob Health. 2021.;9(4):e489–551.

    Is there a way to replace it ?
  • Is “i ostali” generally incorrect for Croatian, or just for your institutional rules?
  • "i ostali" means "and others", while

    "i suradnici" means "collaborators", "associates"
    My institution rule is: "i sur." (shortened version of i suradnici).

    I would really appreciate your help.

  • download the style CSL file from here: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/citation-style-language/styles/master/vancouver.csl

    Open it in a text editor like Notepad or TextEdit.

    Find the line:


    <locale xml:lang="fr">


    Before that line, add


    <locale xml:lang="hr">
    <terms>
    <term name="et-al">i sur.</term>
    </terms>
    </locale>


    then change the style title and ID at the top of the style file, save, and install into Zotero.

    General style editing guidelines here: https://www.zotero.org/support/dev/citation_styles/style_editing_step-by-step
  • I have done, step by step, but it does not work at my document.
    The link of The vancouver style You sent to me is the version from 2014, and not the newest from 2022, does it matter?
  • When I want to put the edited style (.csl) from my desktop, I do it in this way: Zotero preferences-Cite-Style- Get additional styles - and when I press +, I choos the edited version from my desktop but I dosen t appear anywhere)
    What should I do?
    Thank U
  • edited March 10, 2023
    You can edit posts by hovering over your post and clicking on the editing wheel in the top right corner.

    Our vancouver.csl style saw a couple more changes since 2014, but very minor ones. I think that's why the date was not changed.
    See https://github.com/citation-style-language/styles/commits/master/vancouver.csl

    Regarding your issue:
    You need to change the style title, ID and self link as explained above by bwiernik. Otherwise, you have two styles with the same name/ID and that just doesn't work.
  • Ok, it works perfectly now with "i sur" instead of "et al". Thank You for Your help. But I have found another problem. After the year it appears fulstop. What and where is the code to remove it.

    For example:


    Keltner J, Johnson C, Anderson D, Levine R, Fan J, Cello K, i sur. The Association between Glaucomatous Visual Fields and Optic Nerve Head Features in the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study. Ophthalmology. 2006.;113(9):1603–12.
  • I would appreciate your help.
  • You've obviously introduced this dot yourself while editing.
    You can either just start afresh and just make the et-al change or upload your code to pastebin.com and share the link so we can actually see what you're working with.

  • edited March 14, 2023
    I'm sorry, but I didn't introduce a dot because it shows up again when I star afresh.
    I will try to uplode my code to pastebin.com
    Thank You very much.


    I have pasted the code on pastebin.com
  • I'm afraid that's not correct. A clean version of vancouver.csl from our repository will produce something like:
    1. Engelage D, Heidorn T, Schmaltz C. Die neuen Richtlinien zur Kapital- und Liquiditätsadäquanz. Zeitschrift fuer das gesamte Kreditwesen. 2010;(5):910–6.

    You need to give us the specific link to your code paste.
  • I've tried ten times, via the Vancouver link you gave me, and the dot always appears after the year.

    Here is the link. https://pastebin.com/JNY5uD6V
    Please help me.
    Thank U.

  • Yeah, that looks like a bug in the Croatian locale

    if you add
    date form="text">
    <date-part name="day" form="numeric-leading-zeros" suffix=". "/>
    <date-part name="month" suffix=" "/>
    <date-part name="year"/>
    </date>

    right below
    <term name="et-al">i sur.</term> that should work.
    How would you typically display a date like March 14, 2023 in Croatian?
  • No! it does not work..
    I am really desperate.

    it is written: Error parsing style. Error. it is not valid XML.

    Everything is perfect except that dot behind the year.

    We typically display a date like 14.3.2023.

  • Your style has several errors and extra characters.
    Line 4: vancouverisur
    Line 5: isur

    Again, you need to change a few things like here explained under "Change the Style Title and ID":
    https://www.zotero.org/support/dev/citation_styles/style_editing_step-by-step

    This tool also can help you debug your styles: https://validator.citationstyles.org/
  • Now, I have done all by the instructions, but it reports error

    here is the link... https://pastebin.com/KkE5HHzg
  • Line 6: You'll also need to modify the self link.

    If you use the above linked validator you'd be able to identify that you have a syntax error in line 44.
  • I really don t know have to solve it.
    The validator report about error :
    Line 2: Illegal processing instruction target (found “xml”)


    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
    <style xmlns="http



    What should I do?!?
    is there anyway you can make it for me?
    1. Vancouver style, i sur. instead of et al. , and without dot after year. Those 3 thing.

    Or I shoul do it everything from the start without Zotero...
  • Did you check your ine 44? I pointed the error out.
    Just add < to the front of the line.
  • It finally works!!! thank You so much for Your help !
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