This table provides guidance on inserting references in the text in Cochrane Reviews. The study and reference IDs must be linked to the reference list.
| Guidance | Correct | Incorrect |
| Separate multiple citations with a semicolon. | (Smith 2000; Robb 2001) | (Smith 2000, Robb 2001) |
| List in alphabetical or chronological order (from earliest to latest), and be consistent within a single document. | Alphabetical: (Bakri 1988a; Bakri 1988b; Davis 2003; Slinn 2001) |
Alphabetical: (Bakri 1988a; Bakri 1988b; Slinn 2001; Davis 2003) |
| Chronological: (Bakri 1988a; Bakri 1988b; Slinn 2001; Davis 2003) |
Chronological: (Bakri 1988a; Bakri 1988b; Davis 2003; Slinn 2001) |
|
| No ‘and’ before the final citation | (Davis 2001; Omari 1988; Preston 1988; Slinn 2001) |
(Davis 2001; Omari 1988; Preston 1988; and Slinn 2001) |
| Citations can be used as part of a sentence or placed in round brackets within the closest punctuation.
Note: see below for single sentences containing multiple pieces of information |
The study was successful (Robeson 1990). | The study was successful [Robeson 1990]. |
| The study was successful (Griffin 1990); it confirmed previous findings (Howes 1995). |
The study (Griffin 1990) was successful; it confirmed previous findings (Howes 1995). |
|
| Williams 1991 reports the full details. | (Williams 1991) reports the full details. | |
| Sentences that include multiple pieces of information supported by a number of citations should be structured so that it is clear to which piece of information each citation refers. | Smith 1990 included women only, while Jones 1999 included men only.
or: One trial included women only (Smith 1990), while another included men only (Jones 1999). |
One trial (Smith 1990) included women only, while another (Jones 1999) included men only. |
| Rephrase to avoid using 'et al.' in the text. | Boddy and colleagues wrote that...
The Boddy study mentions… |
Boddy et al. wrote that… |