Appendix H: CBE/CSE Documentation

The CSE (Council of Science Editors, formerly the Council of Biology Editors) style is most frequently used in the fields of biology and environmental science.

The current CBE/CSE style guide is Scientific Style and Format: The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, Seventh Edition (2006). Publishers and instructors who require the CBE/CSE style do so in three possible formats: a citation-sequence superscript format, a name-year format, or a citation-name format, which combines aspects of the other two systems.

Citation-sequence superscript format: Use superscript numbers for in-text references. In the references list, number and arrange the references in the sequence in which they are first cited in the speech.
Name-year format: Use the name and year, in parentheses, for the in-text reference. In the references list, give the references, unnumbered, in alphabetical order.
Citation-name format: Use superscript numbers for in-text references. In the references list, arrange the references in alphabetical order and number the list sequentially.

In the following examples, all of which refer to environmental issues, you will see that the citation-sequence and citation-name formats call for listing the date after the publisher’s name in references for books and after the name of the periodical in references for articles. The name-year format calls for listing the date immediately after the author’s name in any kind of reference. Notice also the absence of a comma after the author’s last name, the absence of a period after an initial, and the absence of italics for titles of books or journals.

1. Book by One Author

CITATION-SEQUENCE AND CITATION-NAME

1. Houghton JT. Global warming: the complete briefing. 4th ed. Cambridge (UK): Cambridge University Press; 2009.

NAME-YEAR

Houghton JT. 2009. Global warming: the complete briefing. 4th ed. Cambridge (UK): Cambridge University Press.

2. Book by Two or More Authors

CITATION-SEQUENCE AND CITATION-NAME

2. Harf JE, Lombardi MO. Taking sides: clashing views on global issues. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2010.

NAME-YEAR

Harf JE, Lombardi MO. 2010. Taking sides: clashing views on global issues. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.

3. Journal Article CBE/CSE style uses standard scientific abbreviations for titles of journals (Am Sci for American Scientist and J Am Med Assoc for Journal of the American Medical Association, for instance). One-word titles are never abbreviated.

To cite a journal article on the Internet, add the medium ([Internet]) after the journal title, the date cited after the publication date (in brackets), and end the entry with the words “Available from:” and the URL (Internet address). Omit end punctuation after a URL (except for those that end with a slash—they end with a period).

CITATION-SEQUENCE AND CITATION-NAME

3. Brussard PF, Tull JC. Conservation biology and four types of advocacy. Conserv Biol. 2007;21(1):21–24.

3. Brussard PF, Tull JC. Conservation biology and four types of advocacy. Conserv Biol [Internet]. 2007 [cited 2010 Oct 22];21(1):21–24. Available from: www.blackwell-synergy.com/toc/cbi/21/1

NAME-YEAR

Brussard PF, Tull JC. 2007. Conservation biology and four types of advocacy. Conserv Biol. 21(1):21–24.

Brussard PF, Tull JC. 2007. Conservation biology and four types of advocacy. Conserv Biol [Internet]. [cited 2010 Oct 22];21(1):21–24. Available from:

4. Magazine Article

CITATION-SEQUENCE AND CITATION-NAME

4. Sheppard K. Bad breakup: why BP doesn’t have to tell the EPA—or the public—what’s in its toxic dispersants. Mother Jones. 2010 Sep-Oct:41.

NAME-YEAR

Sheppard K. 2010 Sep-Oct. Bad breakup: why BP doesn’t have to tell the EPA—or the public—what’s in its toxic dispersants. Mother Jones. 41.

5. Newspaper Article

CITATION-SEQUENCE AND CITATION-NAME

5. Zeller T Jr. Negotiators at climate talks face deep set of fault lines. New York Times. 2009 Dec 6;Sect. WK:3 (col. 1).

NAME-YEAR

Zeller T Jr. 2009 Dec 6. Negotiators at climate talks face deep set of fault lines. New York Times. Sect. WK:3 (col. 1).

6. Website For material found on a website, give the author’s name (if any) and the title of the material, followed by “Internet” in brackets. Add the place of publication, the publisher, and the date of publication (usually found at the bottom of the Web page), followed by the date of update and the date of citation in brackets. Add “Available from:” and the URL.

CITATION-SEQUENCE AND CITATION-NAME

6. Coastal Programs: The Barnegat Bay Estuary Program [Internet]. Trenton (NJ): Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Watershed Management; c1996–2004 [updated 2010 Feb 18; cited 2010 Oct 23]. Available from: www.nj.gov/dep/watershedmgt/bbep.htm

NAME-YEAR

Coastal Programs: The Barnegat Bay Estuary Program [Internet]. c1996-2004. Trenton (NJ): Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Watershed Management; [updated 2010 Feb 18; cited 2010 Oct 23]. Available from: www.nj.gov/dep/watershedmgt/bbep.htm

7. E-mail Message CBE/CSE style recommends mentioning personal communications, such as letters and e-mails, in text but not listing them in the list of references. An explanation of the material should go in a separate “Notes” section. . . . (2010 e-mail from Maura O’Brien to me; unreferenced, see “Notes”) . . .

8. E-mail Discussion List Message or Newsgroup Message

8. Affleck-Asch W. Lawncare methods causing heavy damage to environment [discussion list on the Internet]. 2004 Aug 17, 2:30 pm [cited 2010 Dec 2]. [about 10 paragraphs]. Available from: www.mail-archive.com/ecofem%40csf.colorado.edu