Ask Athena: Reference Style and The CSE Manual

This Ask Athena column discusses style manuals. CSE will host a webinar about changes to the ninth edition of The CSE Manual ("Unveiling The CSE Manual, Ninth Edition") on June 27, 2024. Register at https://cse.memberclicks.net/webinar-6-27-24. Dear Athena, In a cover letter that was returned to our editorial office with a manuscript revision, the corresponding author expressed displeasure at having to ensure that reference citations were formatted according to our style, specifically about the number of authors listed. We follow the rule in the eighth edition of Scientific Style and Format, which is to include up to the first 10 authors, and if there are more than 10 authors, include all 10 followed by "et al." This is clearly outlined in our journal requirements online, which the authors agree to follow when their manuscript is submitted. This is not the first time an author has expressed such displeasure with this style point. It does seem excessive to list the first 10 authors, and I'm finding that other style manuals require fewer author names in references. Our editorial office is considering other style formats that might ease this author burden for future papers. Any suggestions? —Ruffled by References Dear Ruffled, It can certainly be frustrating for authors to meet different formatting requirements for different journals. It's possible this author does not use (or is not aware of) EndNotes or other reference management tools that are designed to simplify and expedite the process of compiling reference lists. In your particular case, your […]