The CSE Citation Style—described in Scientific Style and Format—is commonly used in biology and other science subjects.
This page provides guidance for the CSE 8th edition. The 9th edition was published in May 2024. Both editions are listed in the "Learn More" box on this page. Check with your professor to see which edition you should use for your assignment.
Science classes at Montgomery College typically use the CSE Citation Sequence sytem:
Sources are numbered as they are first mentioned. The number from the reference list is used in the body of your paper:
If the same source is used again, use the earlier reference number again:
If multiple sources are used at the same time, separate them with a comma:
Sources are listed at the end of a paper in the order that they are first mentioned. Here is part of a list from a Reference page:
Example
5. Grant BR, Grant PR. Darwin’s finches: population variation and sympatric speciation. Proc Nat Acad Sci USA. 1979;76(4):2359- 2363.
6. Endler JA. Natural selection on color patterns in Poecilia reticulata. Evolution [Internet]. 1980 [accessed 2010 Feb 7];34(1);76-91. Available from: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2408316
7. Weiner J. The beak of the finch. New York (NY): Vintage; 1994.
8. Smith JM. Sympatric speciation. Am Nat [Internet]. 1966 [accessed 2010 Feb 7];100(916):637-650. Available from: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2459301?seq=1
Print and electronic books are cited the same way in CSE style:
Author(s). Title. Edition (if needed). City: Publisher, year.
Print and electronic books are cited in the same way in CSE style:
Author(s). Chapter title. In: Book editor(s), editor(s). Book title. Edition (if needed). City: Publisher, year. Pages.
Author(s). Article title. Journal name. Date; volume(issue): pages.
Author(s) (if applicable). Title. Publication series or Publication number (if applicable). Place of publication: publishing organization; date. Extent. Publication series or Publication number (if applicable). URL.
Author(s) (if applicable). Title of Page. Place of publication: publisher; date of publication [date accessed]. URL.
Author(s). Title [medium]. Place of publication: publisher, date of publication [date accessed]. URL.
Author(s) (if applicable). Title. Place of publication: publisher; date of publication [date accessed]. URL.
Author(s) (if applicable). Dataset title [medium]. Place of publication: publisher; date of publication [date accessed]. URL.
CSE sample papers:
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