Et aliae, which is often abbreviated as et al., is used in academic writing to indicate that there are multiple authors of a work. It is a Latin phrase that means "and others". However, there are alternative synonyms that can be used in its place such as "and colleagues", "and co-authors", and "and collaborators". These synonyms can provide more specific information about the relationship between the authors of a work and can be used to vary the language of academic writing. It's important to choose the best synonym based on the context and intent of the writing.