The two CBE citation styles: citation-sequence and name-year
The CBE manual describes two documentation systems: the citation-sequence system and the name-year system. Both consist of short in-text citations keyed to references in an list of works at the end of the paper. A complete citation thus has two parts: an in-text citation in the body of the paper, and a bibliographic reference in the list of works cited.
The first CBE documentation style we look at is citation-sequence documentation.
Citation-sequence (C-S) documentation
The basic format of citation-sequence (C-S) documentation is straightforward: in the body of a paper, sequential superscript numbers (or sometimes numbers in square brackets). The numbers refer to a list usually entitled “References” at the end of the document.
| The in-text citationMSHA does not seem to alter the efficiency of intestinal colonization.
The reference
49. Attridge SR, Manning PA, Holmgren J, Jonson G. Relative significance of mannose-sensitive hemagglutinin and toxin-coregulated pili in colonization of infant mice by Vibrio cholerae El Tor. Infect. Immun. 1996; 64: 3369-3373. |
A. C-S Citation details
Multiple references in one citation
For multiple references use commas and no spaces between citation numbers.
| Significant progress has been made in tracing the gene’s survival in the environment outside the human body. |
For three or more numbers in a sequence, join the first and last numbers of the sequence with a hyphen: 11, 13-16.
Citing a reference more than once
See the Chicago Style manual for more details.
Sources may be referred to as often as needed, using the original number.
B. C-S Reference details
C-S 1. Book by a single author
List all names.
| Petitti, DB. Meta-analysis, decision analysis, and cost-effectiveness analysis: methods for quantitative synthesis in medicine. New York: Oxford University Press; 2000. 306 p. |
C-S 2. Book or article by two or more authors
List all names.
| Fos, PJ, Fine, DJ. Designing health care for populations applied epidemiology in health care administration. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass; 2000. 302 p. |
C-S 3. Book with editors
| LeCroy D, Moller P, editors. Evolutionary perspectives on human reproductive behavior. New York: New York Academy of Sciences; 2000. 233 p. |
C-S 4. Translated book
| Cavalli-Sforza LL. Genes, peoples, and languages. Seielstad M, translator. New York: North Point Press; 2000. 227 p. Translation of: Gènes, peuples et langues. |
C-S 5. Book published in a new edition
| Prescott, LM, Harley, JP, Klein, DA. Microbiology. 3rd ed. Dubuque (IA): William C Brown Publishers; 1996. 935 p. |
C-S 6. Book published in several volumes
| European Commission for Europe [ECE]. Directory of chemical producers and products. 3 vols. New York: United Nations; 1993. |
C-S 7. Chapter in an edited book
| Cook HJ. Physicians and natural history. In: Jardine N, Spary EC, Secord JA, editors. Cultures of natural history. New York: Cambridge; 1996. p 91-105. |
C-S 8. Article in an encyclopedia
| Cowley, JM. Electron diffraction. Encyclopedia of Applied Physics. Trigg GL, editor. 23 volumes. Weinheim and New York: Wiley-VCH; 1999; 5: 405-430. |
Note the volume and page numbers at the end of the reference.
C-S 9. Article in a scholarly journal
| Farque SM, Albert MJ, Mekalanos JJ. Epidemiology, genetics, and ecology of toxigenic Vibrio cholerae. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 1998; 62; 1301-1314. |
Note the format of year, volume, and pages. Many journal titles in different fields have standard abbreviations: for help study other published works or consult the CBE manual.
C-S 10. Article in a monthly periodical
| Raikow, RJ, Bledsoe, AH. Phylogeny and evolution of the passerine birds. BioScience 2000 June; 50 (6): 487-499. |
C-S 11. Article in a newspaper
| Chang K. Two stars collide: a new star is born. New York Times 2000 June 13; Sect F; 1 (col 4). |
Note the information on section, page, and column.
C-S 12. Article without an author
| [Anonymous]. U.S., Britain agree to share genetic data. Detroit News 2000 March 15; Nation World: 3. |
C-S 13. Letter to the editor
| Genome map reveals presence of intelligent design. To the Editor. Anderson J. Kansas City Star 2000 July 1; 26. |
Note that a letter to the editor is cited by title, not author (the author’s name appears after the descriptive phrase).
C-S 14. Editorial
| What makes us human. Editorial. The Gazette (Montreal) 2000 July 2; Sect A: 12. |
C-S 15. Personal communication
| Hubley M. Citation practices in biology. 2000 Aug. 10. |
Caveat: some instructors frown on citing unpublished sources.
C-S 16. Government publication
| National Institutes of Health (US) [NIH]. Proceedings of an NIH workshop on spinal cord injury: emerging concepts. Bethesda (MD): NIH; 1997 Sept. Series 97-4201. |
C-S 17. Dissertation
| Hovis RC. Principles and the development of physical theory: case studies [dissertation]. Ithaca (NY): Cornell University; 1994. 111 p. Available from: University Microfilms International, Ann Arbor, MI. |
C-S 18. Abstract
| 7. Chapman, PJ, Harvey J, Walker W. Microbial ecology research at the Gulf Breeze U.S. EPA Laboratory: Estuarine and marine issues [Abstract]. In: Pensacola Bay system technical symposium, foundations of sustainability: status of Pensacola Bay system water quality meeting program; 1997 Sept 19; Pensacola, FL. Washington: Government Printing Office. p 87. Abstract nr R578. |
Name-year (N-Y) documentation
Name-year (N-Y) style is akin to APA style. The basic format consists of a citation in the body of paper that includes the name of author(s) and year of publication.
| The in-text citationMSHA does not alter the efficiency of intestinal colonization (Attridge, Manning, Holmgren, Jonson,1996).
The reference
Attridge SR, Manning PA, Holmgren J, Jonson G. 1996. Relative significance of mannose-sensitive hemagglutinin and toxin-coregulated pili in colonization of infant mice by Vibrio cholerae El Tor. Infect. Immun. 1996; 64: 3369-3373. |
Et al. is short for the Latin et alii (“and others”).
A. N-Y Citation details
You may find it convenient to mention the author in the text, in which case the year and any other information goes in the parenthetical:
| Attridge and his colleagues have shown that MSHA does not alter the efficiency of intestinal colonization (1996). |
If you are citing a specific page in the source, note that in the citation, not the reference: (Attridge et al., 1996, p 3371).
Multiple references in one citation
Arrange citations chronologically from earliest to latest. Within the same year, alphabetize by author. Separate entries by semicolon.
| (Issleib and Hohlfeld 1961; De Stefano et al., 1974; Leising, 1988; Bateman, 2000) |
Authors with same last name
No problem if the source years differ: (Johnson, 1999; Johnson, 1998). But if the names and years are the same, give each author’s initials, ordering alphabetically: (Perkins S 1999, Perkins SP 1999). If listing additional authors will clear up the ambiguity, list as many as necessary: (Wilson, Eakins, Pravab et al., 1995; Wilson, Eakins, Searle et al., 1995).
Work by two authors
Cite both names: (Issleib and Hohlfeld, 1961).
Work by three or more authors
In the first citation list all the names. In subsequent citations, cite the first name followed by et al.
| First citation(Attridge, Manning, Holmgren, Jonson,1996)
Subsequent citations of the same source
(Attridge et al., 1996) |
B. N-Y Reference details
N-Y 1. Book by a single author
| Petitti, DB. 2000. Meta-analysis, decision analysis, and cost-effectiveness analysis: methods for quantitative synthesis in medicine. New York: Oxford University Press; 306 p. |
N-Y 2. Book or article by multiple authors
See the examples in N-Y citation details above.
N-Y 3. Book with editors
| LeCroy D, Moller P, editors. 2000. Evolutionary perspectives on human reproductive behavior. New York: New York Academy of Sciences; 233 p. |
N-Y 4. Translated book
| Cavalli-Sforza LL. 2000. Genes, peoples, and languages. Seielstad M, translator. New York: North Point Press; 227 p. Translation of: Gènes, peuples et langues. |
N-Y 5. Book published in a new edition
| Prescott, LM, Harley, JP, Klein, DA. 1996. Microbiology. 3rd ed. Dubuque (IA): William C Brown Publishers; 935 p. |
N-Y 6. Book published in several volumes
| European Commission for Europe [ECE]. 1993. Directory of chemical producers and products. 3 vols. New York: United Nations. |
N-Y 7. Chapter in an edited book
| Cook HJ. 1996. Physicians and natural history. In: Jardine N, Spary EC, Secord JA, editors. Cultures of natural history. New York: Cambridge; p 91-105. |
N-Y 8. Article in an encyclopedia
| Cowley, JM. 1999. Electron diffraction. Encyclopedia of Applied Physics. Trigg GL, editor. 23 volumes. Weinheim and New York: Wiley-VCH; 5: 405-430. |
Note the volume and page numbers at the end of the reference.
N-Y 9. Article in a scholarly journal
| Farque SM, Albert MJ, Mekalanos JJ. 1998. Epidemiology, genetics, and ecology of toxigenic Vibrio cholerae. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 62; 1301-1314. |
Note the format of year, volume, and pages. Many journal titles in different fields have standard abbreviations: for help study other published works or consult the CBE manual. If the title is not abbreviated, do not put a period after it and before the volume number.
N-Y 10. Article in a monthly periodical
| Raikow, RJ, Bledsoe, AH. 2000 June. Phylogeny and evolution of the passerine birds. BioScience; 50 (6): 487-499. |
N-Y 11. Article in a newspaper
| Chang K. 2000 June 13. Two stars collide: a new star is born. New York Times; Sect F; 1 (col 4). |
Note the information on section, page, and column.
N-Y 12. Article without an author
| [Anonymous]. 2000 March 15. U.S., Britain agree to share genetic data. Detroit News; Nation World: 3. |
N-Y 13. Letter to the editor
| Genome map reveals presence of intelligent design. To the Editor. Anderson J. 2000 July 1. Kansas City Star; 26. |
Note that a letter to the editor is cited by title, not author (the author’s name appears after the descriptive phrase).
N-Y 14. Editorial
| What makes us human. Editorial. 2000 July 2. The Gazette (Montreal); Sect A: 12. |
N-Y 15. Personal communication
| Hubley M. 2000 Aug. 10. Citation practices in biology. |
Caveat: some instructors frown on citing unpublished sources.
N-Y 16. Government publication
| National Institutes of Health (US) [NIH]. 1997 Sept. Proceedings of an NIH workshop on spinal cord injury: emerging concepts. Bethesda (MD): NIH; Series 97-4201. |
N-Y 17. Dissertation
| Hovis RC. 1994. Principles and the development of physical theory: case studies [dissertation]. Ithaca (NY): Cornell University; 111 p. Available from: University Microfilms International, Ann Arbor, MI. |
N-Y 18. Abstract
| 7. Chapman, PJ, Harvey J, Walker W. 1997 Sept 19. Microbial ecology research at the Gulf Breeze U.S. EPA Laboratory: Estuarine and marine issues [Abstract]. In: Pensacola Bay system technical symposium, foundations of sustainability: status of Pensacola Bay system water quality meeting program; Pensacola, FL. Washington: Government Printing Office. p 87. Abstract nr R578. |
CBE Internet references
In general, CBE references to Internet sources follow CBE format with the addition of information about the source’s URL and the retrieval date (important because web documents are by their nature dynamic). For formatting the examples below, I have followed Andrew Harnack and Eugene Kleppinger, Online! A Reference Guide to Using Internet Sources (New York: Bedford / St. Martin’s, 2000).
E1. Web site
Reference
| Dupont Corp. 2000. Dupont biotechnology. <http://www.dupont.com/biotech/> Accessed 2000 Sept. 12. |
E2. Article in an online journal
Reference
| Zhan D, Holmes WF, Shujian W, Soprano DR, Soprano KJ. 2000. Retinoids and ovarian cancer. Journal of Cellular Physiology 185(1):1-20. <http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/issuetoc?ID=72515037> Accessed 2000 Oct 3. |
E3. Abstract
Reference
| Kidd AH, Garwicz D. 1995 Feb 1. Human and simian adenoviruses: phylogenetic inferences from analysis of VA RNA genes [abstract]. In Virology 207(1):32-45. IDEAL database <http://www.idealibrary.com/links/artid/viro.1995.1049 > Accessed 2000 Sept 12. |
E4. Newspaper article
Reference
| [Anonymous.] 2000 Sept. 29. 11,000 species said to face extinction, with pace quickening. New York Times. <http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/29/science/29EXTI.html>. Accessed 2000 Oct 1. |
E5. Government publication
Reference
| U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2000 Oct. 1. Resources for promoting global business principles and best practices: a directory of people, organizations and web sites. <http://www.epa.gov/globalresources/>. Accessed 2000 Oct 1. |
E6. Forum or conference posting
Reference
| Jensen W. 2000 Apr. 17. Re: question about grading essays. <http://tychousa.umuc.edu/BMGT110/5218/class.nsf/conference/value.htm> Accessed 2000 July 18. |
E7. Email
Reference
| Hubley M. 2000 Aug. 17. Re: biology citation style [Personal email]. |
