Scientific Style and Format by
For more than fifty years, authors, editors, and publishers in the scientific community have turned to Scientific Style and Format for authoritative recommendations on all matters of writing style and citation. Developed by the Council of Science Editors (CSE), the leading professional association in science publishing, this indispensable guide encompasses all areas of the sciences. Now in its eighth edition, it has been fully revised to reflect today’s best practices in scientific publishing. nbsp; Scientific Style and Format citation style has been comprehensively reorganized, and its style recommendations have been updated to align with the advice of authoritative international bodies. Also new to the eighth edition are guidelines and examples for citing online images and information graphics, podcasts and webcasts, online videos, blogs, social networking sites, and e-books. Style instructions for physics, chemistry, genetics, biological sciences, and astronomy have been adjusted to reflect developments in each field. The coverage of numbers, units, mathematical expressions, and statistics has been revised and now includes more information on managing tables, figures, and indexes. Additionally, a full discussion of plagiarism and other aspects of academic integrity is incorporated, along with a complete treatment of developments in copyright law, including Creative Commons. nbsp; For the first time in its history, Scientific Style and Format will be available simultaneously in print and online at www.scientificstyleandformat.org.nbsp;Online subscribers will receive access to full-text searches of the new edition and other online tools, as well as the popular Chicago Manual of Style Online Forum, a community discussion board for editors and authors. Whether online or in print, the eighth edition of Scientific Style and Format remains the essential resource for those writing, editing, and publishing in the scientific community.
A Short Guide to Writing about Biology by Note- see Scientific Style and Format pp. 645-646 or International Organization for Standardization for more
This part of Chapter 6 of Writing in Biology created by Laurie Shannon Meadows, MS, MT(ASCP) and Anne M. S. Tokazewski, MS
REFERENCES
Citing MedlinePlus [Internet]. 2020. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US); [updated 2020 Jun 24; accessed 2022 Aug 20].
Council of Science Editors, Style Manual Subcommittee. 2016. Scientific style and format: the CSE manual for authors, editors, and publishers, 8th ed. Chicago (IL): University of Chicago Press; p. 547-649.
Hofmann AH. 2022. Writing in the biological sciences: a comprehensive resource for scientific communication, 4th ed. New York (NY): Oxford University Press; p. 96-103.
Patrias K. 2007. Citing medicine: the NLM style guide for authors, editors, and publishers [Internet]. 2nd ed. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US); [updated 2015 Oct 2; accessed 2022 Aug 20].
Pechenik JA. 2016. A short guide to writing about biology, 9th ed. Boston (MA): Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 2, Citing sources and listing references; p. 66-76.
Roldan LA, Pardue M-L. 2016. Writing in biology: a brief guide. New York (NY): Oxford University Press; p. 195-216.
University of Chicago. 2017. The Chicago manual of style, 17th ed. Chicago (IL): University of Chicago Press; p. 739-921.
Wahl J. 2018. What is an eBook? Understanding why they work and how to make your own [Internet]. Chicago (IL): G2; [accessed 2022 Aug 20].
A reference is the complete bibliographical description of a source from which information is obtained. References are listed, in alphabetical order by the FIRST AUTHOR’S SURNAME, on a separate page at the end of a document under a heading such as “Works Cited” or “Bibliography.”
A citation is used, within the body of a document, to identify the reference in which the specific information being cited is contained
| Citation Example |
Reference Example *make sure to use a hanging indent if the reference is more than one line long!* |
|---|---|
| Einstein moved to New Jersey in the 1930s as Hitler rose to power in Germany; he always said that Princeton was a really nice place to live (Einstein 1930) | Einstein A. 1930. Life as a German-American scientist in Princeton. New Jersey Digest 1:1-10. |
In the “method 1” example shown below, the entire citation is placed in parentheses at the end of the sentence. The citation contains the author’s surname followed by the year that the article was published. Note that the citation is placed BEFORE the period at the end of the sentence.
In the “method 2” example shown below, the author’s surname is integrated into the structure of the sentence. In this case, the only item that needs to be placed within parentheses is the publication year.
| CITATION - METHOD 1 | CITATION - METHOD 2 |
|---|---|
| Einstein moved to New Jersey in the 1930s as Hitler rose to power in Germany; he always said that Princeton was a really nice place to live (Einstein 1930) | Princeton was a really nice place to live, according to Einstein (1930), who moved there in the 1930s as Hitler rose to power in Germany. |
|
Emphasis on Science |
Emphasis on Authors |
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Characterization of lipid content can be used to identify the types of biological and chemical processes that occur in oceans (Koelmel et al. 2020) |
Koelmel and others (2020) reviewed the characterization of lipid content as a method to determine the types of biological and chemical processes that occur in oceans. |
|
REFERENCE *make sure to use hanging indents if the reference is more than one line long!* |
|
|
Koelmel JP, Napolitano MP, Ulmer CZ, Vasiliou V, Garrett TJ, Yost RA, Prasad MNV, Pollitt KJG, Bowden JA. 2022. Environmental lipidomics: understanding the response of organisms and ecosystems to a changing world. Metabolomics 16 (5):1-22. |
|
NOTE: List the authors’ names in the order that they appear in the article.
DO NOT alphabetize or rearrange them!
The required format for references and citations in RCBC biology courses is based upon the “name-year” system described in the eighth edition of Scientific Style and Format: the CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers (Council of Scientific Editors 2016), which is based on the Chicago Manual of Style (University of Chicago 2017).
NOTE: MLA and APA formats are NOT acceptable in the field of biology.
Scientific articles from peer-reviewed, scholarly journals will be the major type of source used in your biology coursework at RCBC. The basic format for journal articles is shown below. An example is shown in the table above.
Author(s). Year. Article title. Journal Name Volume no.(Issue no.):first page–last page.
| CITATION | REFERENCE |
| Located within the body of the document | Located in list at the end of the document |
|
Basic format:
|
Basic format:
|
Detailed descriptions and examples for each of the required components follow. Clicking on the hyperlinks in the table above will take you directly to the document location for each component.
Use surname and publication year as citation.
|
Einstein moved to New Jersey in the 1930s as Hitler rose to power in Germany; he always said that Princeton was a really nice place to live (Einstein 1930). OR Princeton was a really nice place to live, according to Einstein (1930), who moved there in the 1930s as Hitler rose to power in Germany. Reference: Einstein A. 1930. Life as a German-American scientist in Princeton. New Jersey Digest 1:1-10. |
Use both surnames separated by the word “and” plus the publication year.
|
Living at a time of rapid modernization, Einstein was eternally grateful for commercial electricity, and agreed with its developers that alternating current was the best way to deliver electricity across long distances (Tesla and Westinghouse 1890). OR Living at a time of rapid modernization, Einstein was eternally grateful for commercial electricity, and agreed with Tesla and Westinghouse (1890) that alternating current was the best way to deliver electricity across long distances. Reference: Tesla N, Westinghouse G. 1890. On why alternating current is the way to deliver commercial electricity. Electricity Today 5:100-105. |
Use first author’s surname followed by the abbreviation et al. and the publication year
et al. = Latin abbreviation for “et alii” which means “and others.” This should be italicized; a period should be placed after “al.”
If you incorporate the first author’s surname into the sentence, use the phrase “and others” (NOT et al.). Follow this with the publication year in parentheses.
|
While he was making important contributions to theoretical physics, evolutionary biologists were developing the modern synthesis, bringing together the theory of evolution by natural selection (Darwin et al. 1860) with Mendelian genetics. OR While he was making important contributions … together the theory of evolution by natural selection, as developed by Darwin and others (1860), with Mendelian genetics. Reference: Darwin C, Wallace AR, Bates H. 1860. You won’t believe what we went through to bring you the theory of evolution by natural selection. Journal of Weary World Travelers 2:6-12. |
Follow the surname with the publication years (in chronological order) separated by commas.
List references in chronological order (earliest to latest).
|
The responsible and ethical use of the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing system continues to be a major focus of the global scientific community (Doudna 2019, 2020). OR Doudna (2019, 2020) continues to advocate for the responsible and ethical use of the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing … References: Doudna J. 2019. The gene-editing revolution is already here. TIME Magazine 194(18/19):80. Doudna J. 2020. A viable path toward responsible use. Issues in Science & Technology 36(3):37-39. |
Add a lowercase letter to the year in both the citation and the reference.
List references in chronological order (earliest to latest by publication month) or in alphabetical order by title if the chronological order cannot be determined.
|
White-light development of selected sunspots has been analyzed by Meadows (2021a, 2021b) to determine … References: Meadows P. 2021a. Sunspot groups without active region numbers. Journal of the British Astronomical Association 131(3):145-157. Meadows P. 2021b. The five greatest sunspot groups. Journal of the British Astronomical Association 131(6):375-383. |
Add authors’ initial(s) and list in alphabetical order by first initial.
Separate each citation with a semicolon (;).
List references in alphabetical order by authors’ first initial.
|
Religious and political affiliations, socio-economic status, and even gender may impact an individual’s willingness to be vaccinated against COVID-19 (Jones DG 2022; Jones J 2022). References: Jones DG. 2022. Religious concerns about COVID-19 vaccines: from abortion to religious freedom. Journal of Religion & Health 61(3):2233-2252. Jones J. 2022. An ethnographic examination of people's reactions to state-led COVID-19 measures in Sierra Leone. European Journal of Developmental Research 34(1):455-472. |
Use an abbreviation for the group the author’s name in the citation.
Place the abbreviation in square brackets [ ] at the beginning of the reference.
|
Three months after the first recognized case of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) in Vietnam, scientists from across the globe worked together to identify the cause of this new infectious disease and to develop three diagnostic tests for it (WHO 2003). Reference: [WHO] World Health Organization. 2003. A multicentre collaboration to investigate the cause of severe acute respiratory syndrome. Lancet 361:1730-1733. |
Use the first word(s) of the title of the article, followed by an ellipsis (...) and the publication year.
Move the article title to the “author” position in the reference.
|
The benefits and challenges of setting up a private psychiatric practice … (Going … 2015). Reference: Going private: a journey into private practice. 2015. Psychodynamic Practice 21(2):160-166. |
List citations in chronological order (earliest to latest) within one set of parentheses.
Separate individual citations by semicolons (;).
|
The impact of geographical variables on the genetic variation of populations of Rana species has been studied … (Seitz 1998; Johansson et al. 2005). References: Johansson M, Primmer CR, Sahlsten J, Merilä J. 2005. The influence of landscape structure on occurrence, abundance and genetic diversity of the common frog, Rana temporaria. Global Change Biology 11(10):1664-1679. Seitz AM. 1998. Mitochondrial and nuclear genetic variation within and among geographically isolated populations of Rana luteiventris (Columbia spotted frog) within Utah [master’s thesis]. [Logan (UT)]: Utah State University. |
For journal articles, place the publication year after author names and add a period. Notice that the last author’s initial also is followed by a period.
|
Johansson M, Primmer CR, Sahlsten J, Merilä J. 2005. The influence of landscape structure on occurrence, abundance and genetic diversity of the common frog, Rana temporaria. Global Change Biology 11(10):1664-1679. |
If the publication date is unknown, replace the publication year with “[date unknown]” followed by a period.
|
Meadows LS. [date unknown]. Teaching remotely during a pandemic: the importance of a sense of humor. New Jersey Journal of Higher Education 13(7):66-71. In-text citation: (Meadows [date unknown]) |
For journal articles, place the article title after the publication year and add a period.
Use “sentence-style” capitalization: only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized.
Italicize the Latin genus and species names of organisms.
|
Johansson M, Primmer CR, Sahlsten J, Merilä J. 2005. The influence of landscape structure on occurrence, abundance and genetic diversity of the common frog, Rana temporaria. Global Change Biology 11(10):1664-1679. |
NOTE: If the article title ends with a different punctuation mark, use that instead of a period at the end.
Place the journal name after the article title without any ending punctuation.
Use the complete (not abbreviated) journal name.
Use “title-style” capitalization: all major words are capitalized.
Italicize journal name.
|
Johansson M, Primmer CR, Sahlsten J, Merilä J. 2005. The influence of landscape structure on occurrence, abundance and genetic diversity of the common frog, Rana temporaria. Global Change Biology 11(10):1664-1679. |
NOTE: Journal names are typically abbreviated to save space. However, in your RCBC biology coursework, use the complete journal name in order to better familiarize yourself with the scientific literature.
Volume numbers are used to identify major “bibliographic units” of a scientific journal. Issue numbers are used to identify individual “subunits” of a volume.
For example, the journal Nature publishes weekly. Each weekly publication is designated by its own issue number, while one or more months’ worth of issues have the same volume number.
|
Publication Date |
Volume Number |
Issue Number |
|
1/4/2001 |
409 |
6816 |
|
1/11/2001 |
409 |
6817 |
|
1/18/2001 |
409 |
6818 |
|
1/25/2001 |
409 |
6819 |
|
2/1/2001 |
409 |
6820 |
|
2/8/2001 |
409 |
6821 |
|
2/15/2001 |
409 |
6822 |
|
2/22/2001 |
409 |
6823 |
|
Publication Date |
Volume Number |
Issue Number |
|
1/6/2011 |
469 |
7328 |
|
1/13/2011 |
469 |
7329 |
|
1/20/2011 |
469 |
7330 |
|
1/27/2011 |
469 |
7331 |
|
2/3/2011 |
470 |
7332 |
|
2/10/2011 |
470 |
7333 |
|
2/17/2011 |
470 |
7334 |
|
2/24/2011 |
470 |
7335 |
For journal articles, place the volume number after the journal name followed by a colon (:).
Separate the volume number from the journal name with a single space (no punctuation).
Use the number only; do NOT use any abbreviations (“vol.”) before the number.
|
[WHO] World Health Organization. 2003. A multicentre collaboration to investigate the cause of severe acute respiratory syndrome. Lancet 361:1730-1733. |
If an issue number is present, place it in parentheses between the volume number and the colon.
Do not separate the issue number from the volume number by a space.
Use the number only; do NOT use any abbreviations (“iss.”) before the number.
|
Johansson M, Primmer CR, Sahlsten J, Merilä J. 2005. The influence of landscape structure on occurrence, abundance and genetic diversity of the common frog, Rana temporaria. Global Change Biology 11(10):1664-1679. |
If a journal has no volume or issue number, place the article page numbers after the journal name and end the reference with a period. Add the month (or season) after the publication year.
|
Tanaka H, Akaza T, Juji T. 1996 Jan. Report of the Japanese central bone marrow data center. Clinical Transplantation 139-144. |
Page numbers indicate the location of a particular journal article within the journal itself.
Place the first page and last page, separated by a hyphen (-), immediately after the colon that follows the journal volume (or issue) number.
Do not put a space between the first page number and the colon.
Do not put a space before or after the hyphen.
Put a period after the last page number.
|
Johansson M, Primmer CR, Sahlsten J, Merilä J. 2005. The influence of landscape structure on occurrence, abundance and genetic diversity of the common frog, Rana temporaria. Global Change Biology 11(10):1664-1679. [WHO] World Health Organization. 2003. A multicentre collaboration to investigate the cause of severe acute respiratory syndrome. Lancet 361:1730-1733. |
If a journal has no volume or issue number, add the month (or season) after the year and place the article page numbers after the journal name.
|
Tanaka H, Akaza T, Juji T. 1996 Jan. Report of the Japanese central bone marrow data center. Clinical Transplantation 139-144. |
If the article has no page numbers, provide the total number of pages, followed by “p.” and surrounded by brackets.
|
Meadows LS. 2022. Developing open educational resources for biology writing courses. New Jersey Journal of Higher Education 13(7):[2 p.]. |