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SCI 1001 & SCI 1002: Writing and Research in the Sciences

This guide is here to help you with your research. Don't forget to reach out to a librarian at any time you need help!

About CSE Citation

Generally used by students in Biology, the CSE style, or Council of Science Editors, uses numeric references within the text that correspond to your reference list at the end of the paper.  CSE style has three different citation formats (Name-Year, Citation-Sequence, and Citation-name). It it is up to you to ask your professor which format they prefer as there are subtle but important differences. 

Click the links below for helpful information on how to cite using the CSE Style. 

CSE Citation Style Examples

Name-Year

In-Text References

The CSE Name-Year style is sometimes referred to as Harvard style (not to be confused with Harvard Law Style).  When using this style, in-text references include the last name of the author or authors and the document's publication date. 

  • One Author: 

What a wonderful time to learn about citation styles! (Simms 2018).

  • Two Authors:

Citation helps us to be better researchers and share information (Simms and Johnson 2017). 

  • Three or More Authors: 

Tracing citations in various journal articles is like entering a scholarly conversation (Simms et al. 2023). 

End References 

The end references are unnumbered and appear in alphabetical order by the author's last name.  Multiple works by the same author should be listed chronologically.  Periods are used to separate each element of the citation. List all the authors in your end references if the journal article or book has 3 to 10 authors. For articles or books with more than 10 authors, list the first 10 in the end reference followed by "et al." 

A note about journal citations using CSE style. Journal titles are abbreviated according to the List of Title Word Abbreviations maintained by the ISSN International Center. Here you can search for how certain words are abbreviated to build your citation (it does not list abbreviated journal titles). For example, the word "journal" would be abbreviated to the letter J.  

Below are some examples of end references that have been taken from the CSE Scientific Style and Format Citation Quick Guide: 

Journals

Mazan MR, Hoffman AM. 2001. Effects of aerosolized albuterol on physiologic responses to exercise in                        standardbreds. Am J Vet Res. 62(11):1812–1817.

 

  • Online Journal Article: 
    • Author(s) of article. Date of publication. Title of article. Title of journal (edition). [date updated; date accessed];Volume(issue):location. Notes (this is where you can put the URL).

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.

Books

  • Author(s). Date. Title. Edition. Place of publication: publisher. 
    • Sanchez S, Fontenot D. 2016. Handbook of Biological Organisms. 7th ed. Baton Rouge (LA): Louisiana State University Press. 

 

Websites

APSnet: plant pathology online. c1994–2005. St Paul (MN): American Phytopathological Association; [accessed 2005 Jun          20]. http://www.apsnet.org/.​​​​​​​

  • IN TEXT: When citing a website in an in-text website you will include only the first word (or two) of the title of the homepage. Make sure that it can be differentiated from other website titles in the end reference list. You also follow the title with an ellipsis "..." 

​​​​​​​(APSnet...c1994-2005)

 

 

For more examples of how to cite sources using CSE Citation Style, please visit the Scientific Style and Format Citation Quick Guide. 

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Below is a video explaining Harvard style (aka CSE Name-Year style).  To access this video you will be prompted to log in to your myLSU account. 

Citation-Sequence and Citation-Name 

  • These two citation styles within CSE are identical except for the order in which your references will appear in the end references section.
  • For both you will use numbers within your text to refer to the end references (you will not use in-text citations like Name-Year style) 
  • Citation-Sequence will have end references listed in the order in which they appear in your paper.
    • Use the same number if you are referencing a source more than once. 
  • Citation-Name lists the end references alphabetically by author. 
    • This means that the "numbers assigned to the references are used for the in-text references regardless of the sequence in which they appear in the text of the work." (Scientific Style and Format Citation Quick Guide). For example, a source authored by Alpine would be 1, Berenstein would be 2, Bromide would be 3, etc. The work by Bromide, number 3 in the end reference list, would be numbered 3 in the in text citations as well. 

For more information on how to cite your references using either Citation-Sequence or Citation-Name go to the Scientific Style and Format Citation Quick Guide and click on the Tab titled "Citation-Sequence and Citation-Name." 

Journals

Pizzi C, Caraglia M, Cianciulli M, Fabbrocini A, Libroia A, Matano E, Contegiacomo A, Del Prete S, Abbruzzese A,       Martignetti A, et al. Low-dose recombinant IL-2 induces psychological changes: monitoring by Minnesota                   Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Anticancer Res. 2002;22(2A):727–732.

 

  • Online Journal Article: 
    • Author(s) of article. Date of publication. Title of article. Title of journal (edition). [date updated; date accessed];Volume(issue):location. Notes.

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.

Books

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

Wenger NK, Sivarajan Froelicher E, Smith LK, Ades PA, Berra K, Blumenthal JA, Certo CME, Dattilo AM, Davis D,        DeBusk RF, et al. Cardiac rehabilitation. Rockville (MD): Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (US); 1995.
 

 

Websites

  • Title of Homepage. Edition. Place of publication: publisher; date of publication [date updated; date accessed]. Notes (where you can put the URL).

APSnet: plant pathology. St Paul (MN): American Phytopathological Association; c1994–2005 [accessed 2005 Jun       20]. http://www.apsnet.org/.

 

For additional examples and other types of sources please go to the Scientific Style and Format Citation Quick Guide. 

In Text References

In-text Reference are literally in-text, or in your sentence.  They are shortened citations that show which source(s) supports the claims and information in the sentence.  

Where to cite: You want to cite the source or sources used near the information it supports.  This could mean you will cite sources in the middle of a sentence! You might cite a source at the end of a sentence too - a lot of times you might have long sentences because of this citation style.  Don't use the author's name in the in-text citation again if you have already name them in the sentence.  

End References

Title your end reference page "References" or "Cited References"  - this is a formal listing and helps to easily identify each numbered source used in your paper.  If other sources were used for your research but not directly cited in your paper, these should be listed alphabetically by author under "Additional References." 

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