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Citation

About CSE

This guide is a brief introduction to the Council of Science Editors (CSE) Manual for scientific style and format. Be sure to consult The CSE Manual or the online quick guide for detailed standards and procedures. 

In-Text Citation

A reference consists of two main components:

  1. an "in-text citation" that appears in the text of your writing, and
  2. a detailed "reference" that appears in your list of sources at the end of your document.

When you reference another source in the body of your paper, use an in-text citation. This gives credit to the original source of an idea and refers to the reference in your bibliography at the end of your document.

There are three different in-text citation systems in CSE:

  • Name-Year
  • Citation-Sequence
  • Citation-Name

Be sure to check with your instructor to confirm which style your course is using.

In Name-Year Citations, the author's name and year are placed in parentheses in the text of the document to refer to a reference in your bibliography.

Basic Format:

(Author's Last Name(s) or Organization Year)

(Morelli and Scholkmann 2023)

I am...

Summarizing or Paraphrasing

In CSE Style, it is preferred that you paraphrase and summarize from a research article rather than quoting the author's words directly. Always include the last name of the author(s) and the year of the publication, so your reader can find the full citation in the reference list.

According to Morelli and Scholkmann (2023), the role of lipids in oxygen absorption is critical for many aerobic species. Further, each species' gas exchange system has evolved to meet specific environmental, anatomical, and physiological needs (Jürgens and Gross 2002).

Directly Quoting

If you're quoting the exact words of someone else, introduce the quote with an in-text citation in parentheses. Any sentence punctuation goes after the closing parenthesis.

  • According to Morelli and Scholkmann (2023), "Direct quote."
  • Jürgens and Gross (2002) found that "Direct quote."
  • [Some other introduction] "Direct quote" (Brown 2019).

Note: The CSE Manual does not provide specific guidelines for identifying or including page numbers in in-text citations. However, a specific journal or your instructor may require the inclusion of page numbers when directly quoting from a source. Always confirm with your instructor before submitting your work.

When citing a long passage, use a block quote. The CSE Manual does not specify a specific number of words for determining when a block quote should be used; however, they do specify a number of style recommendations.

  • Block quotes do not need quotation marks and should be introduced with a preceding sentence ending with a colon.
  • Indent the block quote from both the left and right margins and use a smaller font than the main text.
  • Do not indent the first line of the block quote and capitalize the first letter
  • If the text preceding the excerpt does not include an in text citation, then the citation should be included at the end of the block quote after the closing punctuation.

Morelli and Scholkmann (2023) contend:

It seems unlikely that the way developed during evolution to accomplish the adjustment of ATP production to neuronal activity is the detour of first increasing CBF, which then ‘passively' drives an increased ATP production by increased oxygen delivery. Such a regulation would introduce a high vulnerability of brain function depending totally on intact neurovascular coupling.

Toro Tip: Use direct quotes sparingly! Focus on summarizing the findings from multiple research studies. In the sciences, only use the exact phrasing or argument of an individual when necessary.

 

In-text citations differ depending on the number of authors listed for a work, and if there is a group author.

I'm citing a work with...

1 Author

You only need the author's last name and the year in parentheses.

(Abrams 2018)

2 Authors

List both authors' last names, connected with 'and' and the year

(Wegener and Petty 1994)

3 or More Authors

If there are 3 or more authors, use 'et al' after the first author's last name and the year.

(Harris et al 2018)

Group Authors

A shortened version of the organization's name can be created for the in-text citation. If the organization lacks an established abbreviation, create an initialism from the first letter of each major word in the organization's name.

(CDC 2013)

To connect your in-text citation to your reference at the end of your document, include the abbreviation or initialism at the beginning of your reference.

[CDC] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US). 2013. An atlas of Salmonella in the United States, 1968-2011. Department of Health and Human Services (US). https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/pdf/reading-508.pdf

Alternatively, full organization names can be used in in-text citations. In this case, omit the abbreviation from the reference at the end of your document.

(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2013)

In Citation-Name, end references are first ordered alphabetically by author and then title. Numbers are assigned based on the order of these end references, regardless of the order of appearance in the text.

In-Text Citation:

The role of lipids in oxygen absorption is critical for many aerobic species.2 Further, each species' gas exchange system has evolved to meet specific environmental, anatomical, and physiological needs.1

References:

1. Jurgens KD, Gross G. Phylogeny of gas exchange systems. AINS. 2002;37(4):185-195. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2002-25080.
2. Morelli AM, Scholkmann F. The significance of lipids for the absorption and release of oxygen in biological organisms. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2023;1438:93-99. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-42003-0_16

In Citation-Sequence, superscript numbers are assigned to references as they are cited in the text and refer to numbered reference in your bibliography. Your bibliography should be ordered by these same numbers as assigned.

In-Text Citation:

The role of lipids in oxygen absorption is critical for many aerobic species.1 Further, each species' gas exchange system has evolved to meet specific environmental, anatomical, and physiological needs.2

References:

1. Morelli AM, Scholkmann F. The significance of lipids for the absorption and release of oxygen in biological organisms. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2023;1438:93-99. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-42003-0_16
2. Jurgens KD, Gross G. Phylogeny of gas exchange systems. AINS. 2002;37(4):185-195. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2002-25080

References

Include the complete citation at the end of your paper in a References section. References in Citation-Name and Name-Year systems are organized by the author's last name in alphabetic (A-Z) order. References in Citation-Sequence systems should appear in the order of assigned superscipt number. Use an hanging indent to separate each list item.

I'm citing a...

Journal Article

  1. Author(s). Note: List each author's last name and initials as Author AA, Author BB, Author CC. No need to place an ampersand (&) or "and" before the final author's name. If a reference has more than 5 authors, list on the first author and follow it with "et al."
  2. Title of the article. Note: Only the first word of the title and proper nouns are capitalized.
  3. Title of the Journal. Note: Journal titles longer than one word should be abbreviated. Recognized abbreviations can be confirmed with CAS Source Index or LTWA tool.
  4. Date; Note: Should be placed immediately after the author element if using name-year style.
  5. Volume Note: If there is no issue, place a colon before the page range.
  6. (Issue): Note: If there an article lacks a page range or an article/citation number, place a period after the issue number.
  7. Page range. Note: If there is no page range within the journal volume/issue, an article or citation number can be placed here.
  8. DOI (Digital Object Identifier) Note: should be formatted as a hyperlink.

Name-Year Reference:

Lee J, Park K, Lee S, Choe E. 2006. Lipid changes of freeze-dried spinach by various kinds of oxidation. J Food Sci. 65(8): 1290–1295. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2621.2000.tb10599.x

Citation-Sequence & Citation-Name Reference:

Roppongi T, et al. Solubility and mass transfer coefficient of oxygen through gas- and water-lipid interfaces. J Food Sci. 2021;86(3): 867–873. https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.15641

Newspaper or Magazine Article

  1. Author(s). Note: List each author's last name and initials as Author AA, Author BB, Author CC.
  2. Title of the article. Note: Only the first word of the title and proper nouns are capitalized.
  3. Title of the Newspaper or Publication (edition). Note: Capitalize the main words in the publication title. If you are citing a specific edition of a newspaper or magazine, include the edition. Abbreviate the word "edition" as "Ed." For example, the New York Edition of the New York Times should be written as "The New York Times(New York Ed)."
  4. Year Month Date. Note: The month should be abbreviated. Should be placed immediately after the author element if using name-year style.
  5. URL or Section:Page Number. Note: If citing an online article, conclude your reference with the complete URL. If you are citing a print article, complete your citation with the section and page number.

Online Publication (Name-Year):

Kenkel CD. 2024 Aug 15. Want to see coral reefs grow? Freeze them. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/15/opinion/caribbean-coral-reefs-climate-change.html

Print Publication (Citation-Sequence & Citation-Name):

Kenkel CD. Want to see coral reefs grow? Freeze them. The New York Times (New York Ed) 2024 Aug 17;Sect A:19.

Book

  1. Author(s). Note: List each author's last name and initials as Author AA, Author BB, Author CC. No need to place an ampersand (&) or "and" before the final author's name.
  2. Title of the book. Note: Only capitalize the first word of the title and any proper nouns.
  3. Edition. Note: Abbreviate edition as "ed."
  4. Publisher; Note: You do not need to include the publisher location or databases where you retrieved it.
  5. Year of publication. Note: Should be placed immediately after the author element if using name-year style.

Name-Year Reference:

Russel K, Sheppard C. 2021. Coral reefs: a natural history. 1st ed. Princeton University Press.

 Citation-Sequence & Citation-Name Reference:

Russel K, Sheppard C. Coral reefs: a natural history. 1st ed. Princeton University Press; 2021.

Book Chapter with Editor(s)

  1. Author(s). Note: List each author's last name and initials as Author AA, Author BB, Author CC.
  2. Title of the chapter. Note: Use sentence case. Only the first word of the title and proper nouns are capitalized.
  3. In: editor(s). Note: List each editor's surname and initials as Surname AA, Surname BB, editor(s). 
  4. Title of the book. Note: Use sentence case. Only the first word of the title and proper nouns are capitalized.
  5. Publisher; Note: You do not need to include the publisher location or databases where you retrieved it.
  6. Year. Note: Should be placed immediately after the author element if using name-year style.
  7. p xx-xx.

Name-Year Reference:

Parmesan C. 2021. Range and abundance changes. In: Lovejoy TE, Lee H, editors. Biodiversity and climate change: transforming the biosphere. Yale University Press; p 25-38.

 Citation-Sequence & Citation-Name Reference:

Parmesan C. Range and abundance changes. In: Lovejoy TE, Lee H, editors. Biodiversity and climate change: transforming the biosphere. Yale University Press; 2021. p 25-38.

Web Page

  1. Author(s). Note: List each author's last name and initials as Author AA, Author BB, Author CC. If there is no individual author, begin the reference with the title of the page.
  2. Title of page.
  3. Publisher; Note: Usually the official name of the website.
  4. Date of publication [date updated]. Note: Any date of modification, update, or revision must be recorded in the reference. If no date can be determined, record an access date instead. Should be placed immediately after the author element if using name-year style.
  5. URL

Name-Year Reference:

Basics of climate change. 2024 Apr 2. United States Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/climatechange-science/basics-climate-change

 Citation-Sequence & Citation-Name Reference:

Basics of climate change. United States Environmental Protection Agency; 2024 Apr 2. https://www.epa.gov/climatechange-science/basics-climate-change

Dissertation or Thesis

  1. Author. Note: List the author's last name and initials as Author AA. There is usually only one author for a thesis or dissertation.
  2. Title of the dissertation or thesis [dissertation or thesis]. Only capitalize the first word of the title and any proper nouns. In brackets, include "dissertation" for doctoral-level work or "thesis" for master's-level work. Refer to the title page of the work to identify whether it's a Doctoral dissertation or Master's thesis.
  3. Publisher; Note: Include the degree-granting institution as the publisher.
  4. Year of publication. Note: Should be placed immediately after the author element if using name-year style.
  5. URL

Name-Year Reference:

Valentin ER. 2019. Narcissism predicted by Snapchat selfie sharing, filter usage, and editing [thesis]. California State University Dominguez Hills. https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/concern/theses/3197xm925?locale=en

 Citation-Sequence & Citation-Name Reference:

Valentin ER. Narcissism predicted by Snapchat selfie sharing, filter usage, and editing [thesis]. California State University Dominguez Hills; 2019. https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/concern/theses/3197xm925?locale=en

Formatting Tips

How do I make a hanging indent in Word?

1. Highlight the citaiton with your cursor. 

2. Right click. 

3. Select Paragraph.

4. Under Indentation, select Special and Hanging.

Animated gif of creating a hanging indent in Word. Highlight the full citation. Right click. Go to Paragraph. To to the Special drop down menu, select Hanging. Select Okay.

How can I save time formatting my paper? 

Microsoft Word and Google Docs have a Format Painter tool that will copy and apply basic formatting to any text! 

1. Highlight the formatting you want to apply. 

2. Select Format Painter. 

3. Highlight the text you want to change. 

Note: If using the Format Painter on the Reference List, you'll need to go back and add italics. 

Animated gif of using the Format Painter tool in Word.

Creative Commons License CC by NC 4.0 This guide was created by Aric Haas at CSUDH Library and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.