Research 101: Library Research Basics

What is CSE style?

• A documentation style for writing and formatting scientific research papers, including citing sources
• Created by the Council of Science Editors
• Scientific Style and Format contains comprehensive and explanations for proper scientific communication and style guidelines
• CSE offers three style options for in-text citations: Citation-Sequence System, Name-Year System, and Citation-Name System

How to cite in CSE

1. Citation-Sequence System

In Text:

• Use a superscript number at the end of a sentence to acknowledge that you are using another author's words or ideas in the text of your research paper.
• Number citations in the order they appear in the text.
• If you cite the same source again later in your paper, use the number you assigned originally; each source should be associated with one and only one number.

Reference List:

• Include a reference list at the end of your paper. The list should contain a full citation for each in-text citation referenced within your paper.
• Each full citation should include the specific publication information required by the Council of Science Editor rules. This allows your reader to find the sources, if desired.
• Arrange the end references in numerical order according to the order they appear in the paper.

 

2. Citation-Name System

Reference List:

• Include a reference list at the end of your paper. The list should contain a full citation for each in-text citation referenced within your paper.
• Each full citation should include the specific publication information required by the Council of Science Editor rules. This allows your reader to find the sources, if desired.
• Arrange citations in alphabetical order by the first word of the citation (usually author's last name). Then, number the sources sequentially.

In Text:

• Use a superscript number at the end of a sentence to acknowledge that you are using another author's words or ideas in the text of your research paper.
• Use the number assigned to the source in the reference list.

 

3. Name-Year System

In Text:

• Provide in-text citations in parentheses at the end of a sentence to acknowledge that you are using another author's words or ideas in the text of your research paper. In-text citations should consist of the last name of the author (or authors) and the year of publication.
  • Example: (Smith 2019)
• For sources with two authors, list surnames separated by “and".
  • Example: (Smith and Jones 2019)
• For sources with three or more authors, give only the first author’s name followed by et al.
  • Example: (Smith et al. 2019)
• When citing two sources with the same author but different publication years, separate the years with a comma.
  • Example: (Smith 2013, 2019)
• To distinguish between two sources published by the same author in the same year, add a lower-case letter to the year in both the in-text and reference list entries. Assign letters alphabetically in chronological order of publication.
  • Example: (Smith 2019a, 2019b)
• When citing two different sources that have authors with the same surname and publication year, include the authors' first initials in the in-text reference and, if cited together, separate the references by a semicolon.
  • Example: (Smith J 2019; Smith M 2019)

Reference List:

• Include a reference list at the end of your paper. The list should contain a full citation for each in-text citation referenced within your paper.
• Each full citation should include the specific publication information required by the Council of Science Editor rules. This allows your reader to find the sources, if desired.
• Do not number the reference list. Arrange the end references alphabetically by the author’s last name.
• In the reference list, multiple sources by the same author should be listed chronologically, earliest first.

Books

Citation-sequence and citation-name:

Basic format:

Author(s). Title. Edition. Place of publication: publisher; date.

Example:

Schott J, Priest J. Leading antenatal classes: a practical guide. 2nd ed. Boston (MA): Books for Midwives; 2002.

Name-year:

Basic format:

Author(s). Date. Title. Edition. Place of publication: publisher.

Example:

Schott J, Priest J. 2002. Leading antenatal classes: a practical guide. 2nd ed. Boston (MA): Books for Midwives.

 

Newspaper Articles

Citation-Sequence and Citation-Name:

Basic format:

Author(s). Title of article. Title of newspaper (edition). Date; section:beginning page of article (column no.).

Example:

Weiss R. Study shows problems in cloning people: researchers find replicating primates will be harder than other mammals.

     Washington Post (Home Ed.). 2003 Apr 11;Sect. A:12 (col. 1).

Name-Year:

Basic format:

Author(s). Date. Title of article. Title of newspaper (edition). Section:beginning page of article (column no.).

Example:

Weiss R. 2003 Apr 11. Study shows problems in cloning people: researchers find replicating primates will be harder than other

     mammals. Washington Post (Home Ed.). Sect. A:12 (col. 1).

 

Journal Articles

Citation-Sequence and Citation-Name:

Basic format:

Author(s). Article Title. Journal title. Date;volume(issue):location.

Example:

Smart N. A practical guide to exercise training for heart failure patients. J. Card Fail. 2003;9(1):49-58.

Name-Year:

Basic format:

Author(s). Date. Article Title. Journal title. Volume(issue):location.

Example:

Smart N. 2003. A practical guide to exercise training for heart failure patients. J. Card Fail. 9(1):49-58.

 

Webpages

Citation-Sequence and Citation-Name:

Basic format:

Title of Homepage. Edition. Place of publication: publisher; date of publication [date updated; date accessed]. URL.

Example:

APSnet: plant pathology. St. Paul (MN): American Phytopathological Association; c1994-2005 [accessed 2005 Jun 20].

     http://www.apsnet.org/.

Name-Year:

Basic format:

Title of Homepage. Date of publication. Edition. Place of publication: publisher; [date updated; date accessed]. URL.

Example:

APSnet: plant pathology. c1994-2005. St. Paul (MN): American Phytopathological Association; [accessed 2005 Jun 20].

     http://www.apsnet.org/.

 

eBooks

Citation-Sequence and Citation-Name:

Basic format:

Author(s). Title of book. Edition. Place of publication: publisher; date of publication [date update; date accessed]. URL.

Example:

Griffiths AJF, Miller JH, Suzuki DT, Lewontin RC, Gelbart WM. Introduction to genetic analysis. 7th ed. New York (NY):

      W. H. Freeman & Co.; c2000 [accessed 2005 May 31]. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?call=bv.View..ShowTOC&rid=iga.TOC.

Name-Year:

Basic format:

Author(s). Date of publication. Title of book. Edition. Place of publication: publisher; [date updated; date accessed]. URL.

Example:

Griffiths AJF, Miller JH, Suzuki DT, Lewontin RC, Gelbart WM. c2000. Introduction to genetic analysis. 7th ed. New York (NY):

     W.H. Freeman & Co.; [accessed 2005 May 31]. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?call=bv.View..ShowTOC&rid=iga.TOC.

 

Online Journal Articles

Citation-Sequence and Citation-Name:

Basic format:

Author(s). Title of article. Title of journal (edition). Date of publication [date updated; date accessed];volume(issue): location. URL. doi.

Example:

Savage E, Ramsay M, White J, Beard S, Lawson H, Hunjan R, Brown D. Mumps outbreaks across England and Wales in 2004:

     observational study. BMJ. 2005 [accessed 2005 May 31];330(7500):1119-1120. http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/reprint/330/7500/1119.

     doi: 10.1136/bmj.330.7500.1119.

Name-Year:

Basic format:

Author(s). Date of publication. Title of article. Title of journal (edition). [date updated; date accessed];volume(issue): location. URL. doi.

Example:

Savage E, Ramsay M, White J, Beard S, Lawson H, Hunjan R, Brown D. 2005. Mumps outbreaks across England and Wales in 2004:

     observational study. BMJ. [accessed 2005 May 31];330(7500):1119-1120. http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/reprint/330/7500/1119.

     doi: 10.1136/bmj.330.7500.1119.