User:SOTO/Forum Archive/The Panopticon/@comment-88790-20130503164346/@comment-88790-20130505162614

I understand what you mean, and it's how I've felt when I've looked at some of these citations which is why I've not mentioned it for a long time.

As I've said "et al" only makes sense if you know what the other sources are or have a Reference List/Bibliography (neither are workable for us).

If you're going write vague/general statements either cite the first or the most illustrative example.

For your Sarah Jane Smith example, Time Warrior is one of only a few good examples where she's working as a journalist Invasion of the Dinos is an example of her investigating, but not actually being a journalist. Others that I can immediately think of that actually show her as a journo are Interference - Book One (novel) (which actually shows her investigating and reporting) and BF's Sarah Jane Smith (audio series) where again she's shown to have an editor and works/worked as a journalist.

The other way to go is if you need to cite a general statement, counter it was a specific one to illustrate both.


 * The Doctor used his TARDIS to travel through space and time, sometimes he could travel through just time or only space these he referred to as "short hops" (TV: Hide, Full Circle)