How to Cite a Journal Article in CSE (8th Edition)

This guide explains how to format a journal article 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 journal article in CSE (8th Edition):

Template

Author(s). Year. Article title. Journal abbreviation. Volume(Issue):Pages.

In-Text Citation Example

How the citation appears within the body of your paper:

In-text citation

(Patel and Kim 2023)

Reference List Entry Example

The full citation as it appears in your reference list:

Reference list entry

Patel R, Kim S. 2023. The role of metacognition in self-regulated learning: a meta-analysis. Educ Psychol Rev. 35(2):112--138.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Format the author names
List each author as Last Name followed by initials with no periods or spaces between initials (e.g., Patel R). Separate multiple authors with commas for two authors, or semicolons for three or more.
2
Add the year
Place the year of publication after the author names, followed by a period.
3
Write the article title
Use sentence case. Do not italicize or use quotation marks. End with a period.
4
Add the journal abbreviation
Use the standard NLM abbreviation for the journal name. Do not italicize. End with a period.
5
Include volume, issue, and pages
Write the volume number followed by the issue in parentheses, a colon, and the page range. End with a period.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Italicizing the journal title (CSE does not use italics in the reference list).
Using the full journal name instead of the standard abbreviation.
Adding a comma between author last name and initials (CSE uses no comma or punctuation between them).
Placing a comma between authors instead of a semicolon for three or more authors.
Capitalizing all major words in the article title (CSE uses sentence case).

Frequently Asked Questions

What journal abbreviations does CSE use?

CSE uses the abbreviations listed in the NLM Catalog (PubMed). For example, 'Educational Psychology Review' becomes 'Educ Psychol Rev.' You can look up abbreviations at the NLM Catalog website.

How do I handle more than 10 authors in CSE?

In CSE Name-Year, list all authors in the reference list regardless of number. Do not use 'et al.' in the reference list. In the in-text citation, use the first author plus 'et al.' for works with three or more authors.

Does CSE use DOIs?

CSE 8th edition recommends including DOIs when available, formatted as a full URL: https://doi.org/xxxxx. Place the DOI at the end of the reference after the page numbers.

Information You Will Need

Before creating your citation, gather the following information from your journal article:

Author(s)
Year of publication
Article title
Journal name
Volume number
Issue number
Page range
DOI or URL

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Step-by-Step Guide

Format the author names

List each author as Last Name followed by initials with no periods or spaces between initials (e.g., Patel R). Separate multiple authors with commas for two authors, or semicolons for three or more.

Add the year

Place the year of publication after the author names, followed by a period.

Write the article title

Use sentence case. Do not italicize or use quotation marks. End with a period.

Add the journal abbreviation

Use the standard NLM abbreviation for the journal name. Do not italicize. End with a period.

Include volume, issue, and pages

Write the volume number followed by the issue in parentheses, a colon, and the page range. End with a period.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Italicizing the journal title (CSE does not use italics in the reference list).

Using the full journal name instead of the standard abbreviation.

Adding a comma between author last name and initials (CSE uses no comma or punctuation between them).

Placing a comma between authors instead of a semicolon for three or more authors.

Capitalizing all major words in the article title (CSE uses sentence case).