LibAnswers

This question reflects guidance provided in both the 8th and 9th editions of CSE Style as no changes were made in the new edition.

At Marist, most classes use name-year CSE Style for in-text and reference list citations.  For in-text citations, only the author's last name and publication year need to be included. 

One Author: Smith 

Two Authors: Smith and Jones 

If a source has 3 or more authors, list just the first author’s last name followed by et al. 

Three or more authors: Smith et al. 

For sources without an author listed, start with the first 1-3 words of the title followed by 3 periods also known as an ellipsis. These are always placed in parentheses to prevent confusion with the text of the sentence.  

(Clown fish are...2004). 

If authored by a government department or organization, you can use the full name or use a widely accepted acronym.* 

(American Society for Plant Biologists 2024)

NOAA (2023) 

*If using an acronym in text, include the acronym in brackets at the start of the reference list entry followed by the full name of the department or organization written out.

[NOAA] National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Place the in-text citation in parentheses:

• Mid-sentence, if only one part of the sentence refers to source: Clown fish are boring (Smith 2004) and…​

• At the End of the sentence: A study shows….(Smith 2004). 

Or include it narratively with the date in parentheses following the author's last name:

• At the Beginning of the sentence: Smith (2004) writes​...

If you need further help, contact a librarian.