How to Cite a Book Chapter in CSE (8th Edition)

This guide explains how to format a book chapter citation in CSE (8th Edition). Follow the format template below, refer to the real example, and use the step-by-step instructions to build your citation correctly.

Format Template

The general pattern for citing a book chapter in CSE (8th Edition):

Template

Chapter Author(s). Year. Chapter title. In: Editor(s), editor(s). Book title. Place: Publisher. p. page range.

In-Text Citation Example

How the citation appears within the body of your paper:

In-text citation

(Chen 2022)

Reference List Entry Example

The full citation as it appears in your reference list:

Reference list entry

Chen SK. 2022. Behavioral nudges in public policy. In: Schotter A, editor. The Oxford handbook of behavioral economics. Oxford (UK): Oxford University Press. p. 201--230.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Format the chapter author
List the chapter author(s) as Last Name followed by initials with no periods.
2
Add the year and chapter title
Place the year after the author, followed by a period. Write the chapter title in sentence case, followed by a period.
3
Add the book information
Write "In:" followed by the editor name(s), "editor" or "editors," and the book title in sentence case.
4
Include publication details
Write the city with state/country abbreviation in parentheses, a colon, and the publisher name.
5
Add page range
Write "p." followed by the page range using an en dash. End with a period.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Italicizing the book title (CSE does not use italics).
Omitting "In:" before the editor name.
Forgetting "p." before the page range.
Using commas instead of semicolons between multiple editors.
Using headline-style capitalization instead of sentence case.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a chapter with multiple editors in CSE?

List all editors separated by semicolons, followed by "editors" (plural). For example: Smith JK; Wang L; Patel R, editors.

What if there is no editor for the book?

If the book has no editor (e.g., a single-author book), omit the "In:" construction and cite the chapter within the book reference, or cite the book as a whole.

Does CSE abbreviate the book title?

No. Only journal titles are abbreviated in CSE. Book titles are written in full, using sentence case.

Information You Will Need

Before creating your citation, gather the following information from your book chapter:

Chapter author(s)
Year of publication
Chapter title
Editor(s)
Book title
Edition (if not the first)
Page range
Publisher
DOI or URL

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Step-by-Step Guide

Format the chapter author

List the chapter author(s) as Last Name followed by initials with no periods.

Add the year and chapter title

Place the year after the author, followed by a period. Write the chapter title in sentence case, followed by a period.

Add the book information

Write "In:" followed by the editor name(s), "editor" or "editors," and the book title in sentence case.

Include publication details

Write the city with state/country abbreviation in parentheses, a colon, and the publisher name.

Add page range

Write "p." followed by the page range using an en dash. End with a period.