CSE Format Examples for Edited Volumes and Chapters

Introduction to CSE Format for Edited Volumes

In CSE style, edited volumes are treated differently from books written by a single author. When you cite a chapter or section from an edited collection, you must:

• Credit the chapter author(s)
• Provide the chapter title
• Indicate that the chapter appears In: an edited book
• List the editor(s) followed by ed. (one editor) or eds. (more than one)
• Include the book title, edition (if not the first), place of publication (if required by your manual/teacher), publisher, year, and page range of the chapter

CSE has three systems (Name–Year, Citation–Sequence, and Citation–Name). The content of the reference is the same, but the order and in‑text citation format differ slightly. Most biology and health sciences courses in the United States use the Name–Year system. The examples below follow Name–Year, with notes on how they adapt to Citation–Sequence.

Important Note
Always confirm which CSE system (Name–Year or Citation–Sequence) your instructor, journal, or department requires. The Council of Science Editors style manual is the authoritative reference.

Core Pattern for a Chapter in an Edited Volume (CSE Name–Year)

General format (Name–Year, chapter in edited book):

Author(s). Year. Chapter title. In: Editor(s), editor(s). Book title. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher; page range.

Key points:

• Use initials without periods for given names in many CSE implementations (e.g., Smith JA), but some instructors allow periods (Smith J.A.). Be consistent.
• Use ed. for one editor and eds. for two or more editors.
• Include edition only if 2nd ed. or higher.
• Page range is written with a hyphen (e.g., 123-145).

The following examples show how to apply this pattern in realistic scenarios.

Example 1: Single-Author Chapter in a Multi-Editor Volume

Context

This is the most common case: one author writes a chapter that appears in a book edited by multiple editors.

Reference List Format

Pattern:

Author Last Name Initials. Year. Chapter title. In: Editor Initials Last Name, Editor Initials Last Name, eds. Book title. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher; page range.

Example (Name–Year reference):

Smith JA. 2022. Coastal ecosystem responses to sea-level rise. In: Martinez L, Brown KT, Singh R, eds. Coastal resilience in a changing climate. 2nd ed. New York (NY): Academic Press; p. 101-132.

In-Text Citation (Name–Year)

• Narrative citation: Smith (2022) described multiple adaptive responses…
• Parenthetical citation: (Smith 2022)

Why this matters

• Edited volumes are widely used in climate science, medicine, and engineering. A 2020 survey of university science syllabi found that over 30% of assigned readings in upper-division courses came from edited collections rather than single-author monographs.

Pro Tip
In CSE, the chapter author, not the editor, usually appears in the in‑text citation because you are citing the specific contribution, not the entire book.

Example 2: Multi-Author Chapter in a Single-Editor Volume

Context

Many scientific chapters are written collaboratively. You must list all authors, in the order they appear in the chapter.

Reference List Format

Pattern:

Author1 Last Name Initials, Author2 Initials Last Name, Author3 Initials Last Name. Year. Chapter title. In: Editor Initials Last Name, ed. Book title. Place of publication: Publisher; page range.

Example (Name–Year reference):

Doe J, Lee SY, Kumar R. 2021. Innovations in grid-scale energy storage. In: Patel M, ed. Advances in renewable energy systems. Cambridge (MA): MIT Press; p. 67-102.

In-Text Citation (Name–Year)

• First in-text citation (three or more authors): Doe and others (2021) or (Doe and others 2021)
• Some instructors allow Doe et al. (2021); check your local guidelines.

Notes

• CSE generally prefers “and others” instead of et al. in Name–Year in‑text citations, but many journals accept et al.. Follow your course or journal instructions.

Important Note
In the reference list, you never shorten the author list with et al. or and others in standard student work. List all authors unless your journal’s instructions explicitly say otherwise.

Example 3: Chapter with Many Authors (More than 10)

Context

Large projects (e.g., genomics, climate modeling, global health) may have many authors. CSE allows truncation after a certain number of authors, but the rule depends on which edition of the style manual or journal instructions you follow.

A common rule (based on CSE 8th ed. patterns used in many journals):

• List up to 10 authors; if there are more than 10, list the first 10 followed by and others.

Reference List Format

Pattern (for >10 authors):

First10 Authors. Year. Chapter title. In: Editor(s), eds. Book title. Place of publication: Publisher; page range.

Example (11 authors, Name–Year reference):

Nguyen T, Alvarez M, Chen L, Gupta A, Rossi P, Hall J, Ibrahim S, O’Connor D, Li W, Perez R, and others. 2020. Integrative approaches to human microbiome analysis. In: Foster K, Hernandez L, eds. Systems biology of human health. San Diego (CA): Elsevier; p. 45-88.

In-Text Citation (Name–Year)

• (Nguyen and others 2020)

Pro Tip
Always check your instructor’s or journal’s author truncation rule. Some require listing all authors up to 20; others follow the “first 10 and others” pattern.

Example 4: Chapter in an Edited Volume, Online or E-Book Version

Context

Many edited volumes are now accessed online through library databases or publisher platforms. CSE generally treats online books similarly to print, but adds medium designators and access information when needed.

Reference List Format (Online Chapter)

Pattern (Name–Year):

Author(s). Year. Chapter title. In: Editor(s), editor(s). Book title [Internet]. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher; [cited Year Mon Day]. p. page range. Available from: URL

Example (Name–Year reference):

Rivera DM, Collins J. 2019. Machine learning for clinical decision support. In: Zhang Y, Patel R, eds. Data science in healthcare [Internet]. 3rd ed. New York (NY): Springer; [cited 2025 Jan 10]. p. 201-238. Available from: https://link.springer.com

In-Text Citation (Name–Year)

• (Rivera and Collins 2019)

Notes

• Use [Internet] after the book title to indicate the medium.
• Include a cited date because online content can be updated.
• Use a stable URL or DOI when possible.

For additional guidance on citing online scientific sources, see the National Library of Medicine’s Citing Medicine, which closely aligns with CSE for many biomedical references.

Pro Tip
If the chapter has a DOI, some instructors prefer you add it at the end: doi:10.xxxx/xxxxx. Follow the format your course or journal specifies.

Example 5: Chapter in a Translated or Edited-After-Translation Volume

Context

Sometimes the original work is in one language, and you are using an English translation in an edited collection. You should make it clear that the work is translated.

Reference List Format

Pattern (translated chapter):

Author Last Name Initials. Year. Chapter title. Translator Last Name Initials, translator. In: Editor Last Name Initials, editor. Book title. Place of publication: Publisher; page range.

Example (Name–Year reference):

Müller K. 2018. Neural plasticity in early development. Johnson P, translator. In: Carter L, ed. Foundations of developmental neuroscience. Chicago (IL): University of Chicago Press; p. 55-84.

In-Text Citation (Name–Year)

• (Müller 2018)

Notes

• The author remains the original author, not the translator.
• The translator is identified after the chapter title, before In:.

Important Note
If your assignment requires it, you can add the original publication year in brackets after the year of the translation, e.g., 2018 [originally published 2009]. Ask your instructor whether this is needed.

Example 6: Citing the Entire Edited Volume (Not a Specific Chapter)

Context

Sometimes you are referring to the whole book rather than a particular chapter (for example, when describing a handbook or a reference work as a resource).

In that case, you cite the editor(s) as the main names, followed by editor or editors.

Reference List Format

Pattern (entire edited book):

Editor Last Name Initials, editor. Year. Book title. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher.
Editor Last Name Initials, Editor2 Initials Last Name, editors. Year. Book title. Place of publication: Publisher.

Example (single editor, Name–Year reference):

Patel M, editor. 2021. Advances in renewable energy systems. Cambridge (MA): MIT Press.

Example (multiple editors, Name–Year reference):

Hernandez L, Foster K, Singh R, editors. 2020. Systems biology of human health. San Diego (CA): Elsevier.

In-Text Citation (Name–Year)

• (Patel 2021) when discussing the book as a whole.

Pro Tip
If you cite both the whole book and individual chapters from it, your reference list will contain separate entries: one for the book (editors as authors) and one for each chapter (chapter authors as authors).

Example 7: Chapter from a Reference Work (Encyclopedia or Handbook)

Context

Reference works (e.g., scientific encyclopedias, handbooks) are often edited volumes with signed articles or chapters. If the article has a named author, treat it as a chapter in an edited book.

Reference List Format

Pattern:

Author Last Name Initials. Year. Article or chapter title. In: Editor Last Name Initials, editor. Reference work title. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher; page range.

Example (Name–Year reference):

Allen RD. 2019. CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing. In: Green MJ, editor. Encyclopedia of molecular biology. 4th ed. Philadelphia (PA): Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; p. 310-318.

In-Text Citation (Name–Year)

• (Allen 2019)

Notes

• If no author is given for the article, CSE often treats the encyclopedia or handbook as the authored item. In that case, you may cite the work by its title (e.g., Encyclopedia of molecular biology 2019). Check your instructor’s preference.

Adapting These Examples to CSE Citation–Sequence

Many health science journals and some courses use the Citation–Sequence system, where citations are numbered in the order they appear.

Key differences from Name–Year

1. In-Text Citation

   • Use superscript or bracketed numbers instead of author–year, e.g., …as previously reported.¹

2. Reference List Order

   • References are listed in the order cited, not alphabetically.

3. Reference Content

   • The elements and punctuation for the chapter citation are essentially the same as in Name–Year.

Example (Citation–Sequence)

Using Example 1 above in Citation–Sequence format:

In-text:

Coastal ecosystems face multiple stressors.¹

Reference list entry:

1. Smith JA. 2022. Coastal ecosystem responses to sea-level rise. In: Martinez L, Brown KT, Singh R, eds. Coastal resilience in a changing climate. 2nd ed. New York (NY): Academic Press; p. 101-132.

Pro Tip
When converting from Name–Year to Citation–Sequence, you usually do not change the wording of the reference, only its position in the list and how it is cited in the text.

Common Mistakes When Citing Edited Volumes in CSE

1. Omitting the chapter author

   • Error: Starting the reference with the editors’ names when you are citing a specific chapter.
   • Fix: Always start with the chapter author(s) for chapter citations.

2. Forgetting In: before the editors

   • In: signals that the chapter is part of a larger work. CSE expects it.

3. Using the wrong editor label

   • Use ed. for one editor, eds. for two or more.

4. Missing page range

   • Page numbers help readers locate the chapter. They are required in most CSE implementations.

5. Mixing styles

   • Do not combine APA, MLA, or Chicago punctuation with CSE. For example, CSE does not use parentheses around the year in the reference list.

Pro Tip
When in doubt, compare your citation against a trusted example from your university writing center or a style guide. Many U.S. universities provide CSE examples; for instance, see CSE guidance from Cornell University Library or similar institutional resources.

Practical Checklist for CSE Chapter Citations

Before finalizing your reference list, check each chapter citation for:

1. Author(s)

   • All authors listed, in order, with initials.

2. Year

   • Publication year of the book/edition you used.

3. Chapter title

   • Capitalization consistent with your instructor’s CSE variant (often sentence case).

4. In:

   • Followed by editor(s) and the correct ed./eds. label.

5. Book title

   • Accurately transcribed, including subtitles.

6. Edition

   • Included if 2nd ed. or higher.

7. Place and publisher

   • City and state abbreviation (for U.S. cities) plus publisher name.

8. Page range

   • With p. before the range in many CSE implementations.

9. Medium and access (if online)

   • [Internet], cited date, and URL/DOI if required.

Using this checklist can significantly reduce citation errors, which are a common source of lost points in lab reports and research papers.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Do I cite the editor or the chapter author in CSE in-text citations?

If you are citing a specific chapter, use the chapter author in the in-text citation (e.g., Smith 2022). The editor appears only in the reference list entry after In:. Cite the editor in-text only when you are referring to the entire edited volume.

2. How do I handle a chapter with no listed author?

If a chapter or entry in an edited volume has no named author, CSE often uses the title in place of the author in the reference list and in-text citation. For example:

Climate change impacts on agriculture. 2020. In: Johnson L, ed. Global food security. New York (NY): Routledge; p. 45-68.

In-text: (Climate change impacts on agriculture 2020).

3. Should I include the edition of the book in every citation?

Include the edition only if the book is 2nd ed. or later. First editions usually omit the edition statement in CSE. However, if the book explicitly labels itself as a “1st ed.” and your instructor wants full detail, you may include it for consistency.

4. Do I need a URL for a chapter I accessed through a library database?

If the chapter is from a standard print-equivalent e-book accessed through a library database, many instructors do not require a URL and instead treat it like a print book. If you use a clearly online-only version, or your instructor requires URLs, follow the online chapter pattern (include [Internet], cited date, and Available from: plus a stable URL or DOI). The National Library of Medicine offers guidance compatible with CSE for biomedical sources.

5. How can I be sure my CSE citations are correct?

Use multiple checks:

• Compare against examples from your university writing center or library.
• Consult the CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers (latest edition) for official rules.
• Cross-check with resources like Citing Medicine for biomedical references, which closely mirror CSE conventions.

Pay attention to consistency: even if your format is not perfect CSE, consistent application of a clear pattern is usually valued in academic settings.