how to write nomenclature in research paper

Nomenclature Guidelines

In this section, defining symbols.

Manuscripts with many symbols may benefit from a nomenclature list that defines all symbols at the beginning of the manuscript, inserted between the abstract and the introduction. If one is used, it must contain all the symbology used in the manuscript, and the definitions should not be repeated in the text. The nomenclature is not intended to serve as a glossary of terms, nor does it include definitions for acronyms or abbreviations, which should be defined in the text where they are first used. Abbreviations for standard units of measure never need to be defined.

Style and Format

Nomenclature entries are listed alphabetically (capital letters before lowercase), in the following order: regular letters, Greek letters, numerals, and special symbols. Units of measure should be included in definitions where appropriate. Individual headings may be used to distinguish subscripts and superscripts from regular symbols. Follow AIAA formatting and typeface rules with respect to the use of italics, bold, or regular type.

Sample Nomenclature

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How to Write Scientific Names of Bacterial Species in Journal Manuscripts (Part 2)

Research can be hard enough without worrying about how to use microbial nomenclature or scientific names of bacteria accurately. Writing bacteria names in a research article can be a big challenge for scientists, as the guidelines change to reflect new discoveries. Moreover, Latin names may be confusing.  In the first article of this series, we discussed effective tips on writing scientific names of plants and animals. This article will give you an overview of the biggest issues researchers encounter in using microbial nomenclature and some tips to keep you on track.

How are Bacteria Named?

The International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes (ICSP) has created guidelines that explain the proper nomenclature or naming system for bacteria. This system is known as the Bacteriological Code. A bacterium has a binomial name that consists of two parts: the genus name, which indicates which genus it belongs to and the species epithet.

Related: Go on a reading marathon and learn the important aspects of academic writing. Check out this section now!

When referring to a bacterium in a paper, the writer should underline or italicize the names in the text. After writing the complete name of a microorganism in the first mention, the genus name can be shortened to just the capital letter.

• For example, Moraxella bovis can be written M. bovis.

The ICSP recommends spelling out the entire name of any bacteria again in the summary of your publication.

When discussing unnamed species, the abbreviation “sp.” is used to refer to a single unnamed species.  Whereas “spp.” written after a genus refers to more than one unnamed species.

• For example, Moraxella sp. would be used to discuss one unnamed species of Moraxella.

Bacteria are often divided into subspecies, which are indicated by subdivisions such as biovar, chemoform, chemovar, cultivar, morphovar, pathovar, serovar, and state.

These subdivisions should be written in plain text preceding an additional italicized or underlined name. For example, “Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar viciae” would be correctly written as Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar viciae.

Common Issues in the Use of Microbial Nomenclature

However, there are some common issues that researchers encounter when using microbial nomenclature. The first, as you might have guessed, is that different types of bacteria might appear to be the same when their names are abbreviated.

M. bovis could indicate Moraxella bovis, Mycoplasma bovis, or Mycobacterium bovis.

In this case, the author should simply take care to either avoid using abbreviations if they might be confused, or be sure to clearly state which bacterium is being discussed.

Other issues that researchers encounter with microbial nomenclature are more complex. While the Bacteriological Code is often interpreted as the “official” list of valid names for bacteria, the Code only provides guidelines on how bacteria should be named. This allows for disagreement, discovery, and evolution in scientific research. For example, one group of researchers might classify a bacterium to genus A. Similarly, another group of researchers might conduct different research and conclude that the same bacterium belongs to genus B. Continuing with our previous example of the bovis species, one bacterium might be referred to as A bovis in one article and B bovis in another.

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Purdue Online Writing Lab College of Liberal Arts

IEEE General Format

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Contained in this page are some basic guidelines for formatting a paper in IEEE style. The best way to format your paper may vary slightly depending on which field you’re working in and the specifics of where your paper is being submitted, so remember to double-check against any submission guidelines provided by the organization, instructor, or supervisor to whom you are submitting your paper.

• The paper title should be centered at the top of the first page, in 24-point type.
• Author’s name (or authors’ names)
• Author affiliation(s)
• City & country location(s)
• E-mail address(es).
• The body of the paper should be in 10-point type, and formatted to appear in two columns. The columns on the last page should be the same length; this may require adding a column break after you have finished the body of your paper.
• All papers must begin with an abstract and index terms.

Note to Practitioners

Nomenclature.

• Acknowledgements
• Papers may be divided into sections and subsections; IEEE has guidelines for primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary section headings.
• IEEE papers begin with a drop cap two lines deep, followed by the next 8-12 characters (or 1-2 words, whichever is appropriate) in all caps.
• Figures, tables, and equations should each be numbered consecutively, but separately. They should also be centered in the column in which they appear.

An IEEE abstract should be written as a single paragraph roughly 200 words long, give or take 50 words. (Abstracts shorter than 150 words or longer than 250 risk incurring the irritation of the editors.) It should be self-contained, and should concisely & accurately summarise the contents of your paper. It is encouraged to try and include three or four keywords or key phrases to help interested readers to find your article.

Abstracts should be simply formatted, without anything that requires specialized typesetting or consultation of material outside the abstract. Abbreviations, footnotes, references, tables, graphs, charts, figures, and displayed mathematical equations are specifically forbidden. The goal of an abstract is to be a simple, accessible, and self-contained microcosm of your paper.

Here is an example of how you might format an abstract:

The abstract should be followed by index terms. These should be in a paragraph separate from the abstract. Index terms are similar to keywords and are provided by the paper’s author to help journals, editors, and readers categorize, archive, or locate your paper. IEEE maintains a standardized list of index terms to make this process easier and its categories more consistent. The most recent version of the  IEEE Taxonomy  can be found on the IEEE website. Here is a link to the 2019 version of the taxonomy .

Index terms should be given in alphabetical order; the first should be capitalized, and the rest lowercase unless they contain acronyms or other components that inherently require capitalization.

Here is an example of how you might format a set of index terms:

Section Headings

Dividing one’s paper into clearly labelled sections increases readability, and is encouraged. Typical sections include Introduction and Conclusion sections as well as sections within the body of the paper that relate to aspects of its content.

Primary headings are enumerated with Roman numerals followed by a period, set in small caps, and centered above the text.

Secondary headings are enumerated with capital letters followed by a period,   set in italics and title case, left-aligned, unindented, and separated from the text by a line break.

Tertiary headings are enumerated by Arabic numerals followed by a close-parenthesis, set in italics and title case, left-aligned, indented one em, and separated from the text by a colon. There is no line break between the heading and the text. 

Quaternary headings are enumerated by lowercase letters followed by a close-parenthesis, set in italics and sentence case, left-aligned, indented two ems, and separated from the text by a colon. There is also no line break here.

Here is an example of what the various headings should look like in your document:

I. Primary Heading

                  Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Fermentum leo vel orci porta non pulvinar neque laoreet suspendisse.

A. Secondary Heading

                  Odio ut enim blandit volutpat maecenas volutpat blandit aliquam. Amet consectetur adipiscing elit pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et.

         1) Tertiary Heading:  Libero justo laoreet sit amet cursus sit. Enim nec dui nunc mattis enim ut tellus elementum sagittis.

                  a) Quaternary heading:  Nibh ipsum consequat nisl vel pretium lectus. Malesuada proin libero nunc consequat interdum varius.

Special Headings

In addition to the standard headings above, there are a few special cases. References and Acknowledgments are formatted like primary headings, but are not enumerated.

Appendix headings should be arranged under a separate system, though formatted like primary headings; if there is only one appendix, it requires neither a number nor a name, but is simply labelled Appendix. If there are multiple appendices, they should be numbered and titled, though one should note that the numbering system for appendix headings is wholly separate from that of section headings; they start at one, regardless of how many sections were present within the paper. Appendices may be enumerated either with Roman numerals or with capital letters, according to the preference of the author, as long as it is done with consistency. Unlike section headings, the number will come after the word “Appendix”: Appendix A rather than A. Appendix. They should have titles, set on the line below them but still formatted like a section heading.

Here is an example of how you might format the beginning of an appendix:

Regarding the Vermiform Process

                  Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. At augue eget arcu dictum varius.

If at any point you wish to refer back to a previous section within the text of your paper – e.g. “As mentioned in [section]…” – you should capitalize the word “Section” and separate subsections from the primary section numeral with a hyphen. E.g., “Section IV,” “Section II-A,” “Section III-B4c,” etc.

The Note to Practitioners, if you choose to include one, goes below your abstract. The aim of the Note is to, without repeating any of the information from your abstract, explain the practical applications of your work without use of jargon. This is so that engineers working on practical problems, who may not have significant background in your particular field, will be able to understand the application of your work to theirs.

A Note to Practitioners can be more than one paragraph, but is otherwise formatted like the abstract.

Here is an example of what a Note to Practitioners might look like:

                  Note to Practitioners – Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Enim sit amet venenatis urna cursus eget nunc scelerisque. Feugiat vivamus at augue eget arcu dictum. Lorem donec massa sapien faucibus et molestie. Pellentesque nec nam aliquam sem.

                  Vel quam elementum pulvinar etiam non quam lacus suspendisse. Velit scelerisque in dictum non consectetur a. Phasellus vestibulum lorem sed risus ultricies tristique nulla. Gravida neque convallis a cras semper auctor. At elementum eu facilisis sed odio morbi quis commodo.

                  Cursus eget nunc scelerisque viverra mauris in. Fames ac turpis egestas integer eget. Viverra mauris in aliquam sem fringilla ut morbi.

If your paper uses a number of different symbols, variables, and so forth, you may want to avoid having to define them within the body of your paper by providing a list of definitions up front; this is called the Nomenclature section. If you choose to include a Nomenclature section, it goes immediately before the Introduction section.

The heading for the Nomenclature section is formatted like a primary heading with no numeral, and the section itself is formatted generally the same as body text, including the italicization of variables. The main difference is the way in which the text must be aligned: the terms being defined are flush against the left margin, and the definitions are aligned one em-space after the longest defined term.

If you are working in a word processor, the easiest way to do this is often to insert a table into your document with invisible borders below the Nomenclature heading. See the images below for an example. Note that the images have been zoomed in to enlarge the text for clarity purposes.

Example of a nomenclature section

Example of a nomenclature section with the borders of the table used to format the section set to visible

How to Write Scientific Names of Plants and Animals

Scientific names, or taxonomic names, are the unique nomenclature used in biology to refer to specific species. The purpose of these names is to standardize species names across regions, languages, and cultures to avoid confusion and ambiguity.

Updated on September 15, 2022

While these Latin names may seem intimidating (they even confuse journal editors), they become easy to use once you understand where they come from and how to use the formatting, notations, and abbreviations associated with them.

What is scientific/binomial nomenclature?

In the 1750s, Carl Linnaeus developed the system of binomial nomenclature (a two-part naming system) that we use today to name and classify living things. Species names consist of two parts: the first part is the generic name (genus name), while the second is the specific epithet (species name).

Species with the same generic name are closely related species grouped into the same genus. The specific epithet by itself is meaningless, almost like an adjective without a noun. Unrelated species can have the same specific epithet, such as Melilotus albus (white sweetclover) and Procnias albus (white bellbird). Albus means white.

Some animals have species names where the specific epithet repeats the genus name, such as Gorilla (Western gorilla). This is called a tautonym. While often used in animal names, tautonyms aren’t allowed in plant, fungi and algae names according to the International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants  guidelines .

Some examples of common and scientific animal names:

Some examples of common and scientific plant names:

Rules for writing scientific names of plants and animals

Scientific names are made up of Latin, or latinized, words. The scientific name often describes some aspect of the organism. For example, the blue jay’s scientific name is Cyanocitta cristata, which means chattering, crested blue bird.

Sometimes, species are named after a person (e.g., a black-eyed satyr butterfly, Euptchia attenboroughi, was named after David Attenborough), or the place where it occurs (e.g., the Arabian gazelle is called Gazella arabica).

How to format scientific names

Scientific names are in Latin, so, similar to other words from foreign languages, they’re always written in italics. The generic name is always capitalized, while the species epithet is never capitalized.

If the species name appears in a sentence where the text is already italicized, such as in a heading or figure legend, the species name can be unitalicized to distinguish it from the rest of the text. If written by hand, the name should be underlined.

How to abbreviate scientific names

If a species name is repeated multiple times in a written piece, such as a research paper, it can be abbreviated after the first time the name is written out in full. For example, the mosquito Anopheles stephensi can subsequently be abbreviated as A. stephensi. In the same written piece, you can also refer to another species from the same genus in the same way, such as A. funestus. In some journals, this must be done in both the abstract and main text of the paper.

If there are two genus names in the text that start with the same letter, the genus name can be abbreviated using its first two letters.

For example, if you also mention Aedes vexans mosquitoes in your text, you can abbreviate the two species as An. stephensi and Ae. vexans.

However, as with all abbreviations, these abbreviations should be used sparingly and only if there is no possibility for confusion. Only use an abbreviation if you use the term multiple times in your text. The general guideline is three or more times, but this will depend on the length of your text, so use your own judgement.

Always keep your reader in mind. If there are genera with similar names, rather write them out in full. If you only have one species name in your text that you use repeatedly, abbreviating it is not a problem, but if you mention 10 different species, abbreviations could confuse and frustrate your reader.

When referring to an unknown species in a genus, you can write the generic name followed by the abbreviation “sp.” The plural form is “spp.” The abbreviation “sp. novo” indicates a species that hasn’t been described yet.

For example: “During their bat survey in Guinea, they caught a Myotis sp. in one of their traps. Its distinctive coloring set it apart from other Myotis spp. and they knew it had to be a new species. The discovery of Myotis sp. novo highlights the importance of these surveys.”

How to add the taxonomic authority of a scientific name

Sometimes, the taxonomic authority is added to the scientific name. The taxonomic authority is the surname of the person who first described the species.

In plant names, the taxonomic authority is abbreviated (e.g., Panicum virgatum L., where the L is the abbreviation for Linnaeus). In animals, the surname is written out in full followed by the date when it was first described (e.g., Balaena mysticetus Linnaeus, 1758). A name following in brackets means that the name has been amended subsequent to first descriptions (e.g., Pulchrapolia gracilis (Dyke and Cooper).

How to indicate subgenus, subspecies, form, and variety

Other information that can be added include subgenus, subspecies, forms, and varieties. Subgenus is a classification level below genus, but above species level. If a subgenus is included in the scientific name, it’s placed in parentheses between the generic and specific name, with the first letter capitalized, for example Nereis (Hediste) diversicolor.

A subspecies is a further division of a species into groups of individuals that are distinguishable, but not different enough to be classified as a separate species. In animal names, the subspecies name is written after the species name, in lowercase italics. For example, the Bengal tiger is Panthera tigris and the Sumatran tiger is Panthera tigris sondaica. The Bengal tiger is found in India, while the Sumatran tiger is only found on the island of Sumatra and is much smaller than the Bengal tiger. Despite the differences in their distribution and appearance, they can interbreed, making them subspecies and not different species.

In plant names, the abbreviation subsp. is added between the species and subspecies name. For example, Cornus sericea subsp. sericea.

A variety is a population of individuals with distinct, inheritable differences and are indicated with the abbreviation var., for example Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis refers to the thornless variety of the thorny honeylocust. Form refers to occasional variations in individuals, such as variation in flower color. For example, Cornus florida f. rubra refers to individuals of the flowering dogwood with pink flowers instead of the usual white.

How to write the name of a hybrid

Hybrids are indicated with an “x”. Hybrids that have been named are written with the x between the genus and species name. For example, Solanum x procurrens is the hybrid between S. nigrum and S. physalifolium. If a hybrid hasn’t been named, or if you want to specify the parentage, the same hybrid can be written as S. nigrum x S. physalifolium.

How to write the name of a cultivar

Cultivar names are written inside quotations, capitalized, and not italicized. If the cultivar was bred from a single species, the cultivar name follows the specific epithet; for example Zea mays “Wisconsin 153.” If the cultivar was bred by hybridizing several species, the cultivar name replaces the specific epithet, for example, Rosa “Iceberg” is a cultivar derived from crosses between Rosa chinensis, Rosa multiflora, Rosa gigantea, and several other Rosa spp.

Can two species have the same scientific name?

When two genera from the same kingdom have the same name, this is called a homonym. This is similar to homonyms in grammar, which refers to words with the same spelling but different meanings. While homonyms aren’t allowed in scientific nomenclature, errors sometimes slip through as shown in this  online list of homonyms . For example, Colobus is a genus of beetles and a genus of primates.

When two genus names from different kingdoms have the same name, this is called a hemihomonym. For example, Ficus is a genus of plants and a genus of snails.

Hemihomonyms are allowed since the scientific names of different kingdoms are governed by different regulatory bodies. The  International Code of Nomenclature  (ICN) governs the naming of algae, fungi, and plants, while the  International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature  (ICZN) regulates the naming of animals. A  recent publication highlighted the problem with and extent of this phenomenon and compiled an online list of hemihomonyms .

It can happen that two species from generic hemihomonyms also have the same specific epithet, resulting in identical scientific names. In the previous example of the hemihomonym, Ficus, there’s both a  sea snail  and a fig named Ficus variegata. Another example is Orestias elegans, which is the scientific name of both an  orchid  and a  fish .

Resources for finding scientific nomenclature

The  Integrated Taxonomic Information System  (ITIS) and  The Catalogue of Life  are online data bases where you can find the scientific name of any life form by searching either the common name or the scientific name. They provide the full taxonomic classification, from kingdom to species level, the taxonomic authority, and references to the publications where these species were described.

The  IUCN Redlist  is another trusted source and provides a list of animal, plant, and fungi species with their taxonomic information and conservation status details, including population numbers, distribution, and current threats.

However, species names can change when new taxonomic information becomes available. Keeping track of the taxonomic changes of all organisms is a huge task. While the above-mentioned lists are a good starting point to finding a species name, do some further research to be sure you have the latest accepted scientific name.

A scientific name in a database might have been correct at the time it was last updated, but it could be outdated. For example, the name of the sweet thorn tree was changed to Vachellia karroo as described by  Banfi and Galasso in 2008 . However, in the ITIS database, Acacia karroo is still listed as the correct name, while the IUCN Redlist and The Catalogue of Life have the correct accepted name, with Acacia karroo listed as the synonym.

Region- or taxon-specific resources such as recent, regional field guides or online databases are often better resources. For example, a good reference for bird species would be the  Birdlife International website . The  World Register of Marine Species  (or WORMS) is a database of marine organisms. However, the gold standard would be the most recent taxonomic publications on the species.

If you really want to be sure you’ve got your taxonomy right…

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Science writing and editing: how to write scientific names, the basic rule for writing a scientific name.

• Use both genus and species name: Felis catus .
• Italicize the whole name.
• Capitalize only the genus name. (In the past you would capitalize the species designation if it was derived from a proper name, e.g., Megalonyx Jeffersonii , but now the species designation is always lowercased: Megalonyx jeffersonii .)

Rules for abbreviating the genus name

• When a section of the text might be displayed on its own, you might want to spell out the name in full the first time it appears there. For instance, some academic journals require that you write out the genus in full the first time it is used in the abstract, and in all tables and table captions.
• When you introduce the name of another species in the same genus, you can use the abbreviated genus name for the new species: 1 The domestic cat is species Felis catus . Both F. catus and its wild relative, F. silvestris . . .
• If you are discussing two species that belong to different genera that nevertheless start with the same letter, say, Leopardus pardalis , the ocelot, and the Canada lynx, Lynx canadensis , it is better not to abbreviate their genus names.
• Abbreviations of more than one letter: I’ve seen a few instances of two-letter abbreviations of genus names , for instance Au. afarensis and Ar. ramidus for Australopithecus afarensis and Ardipithecus ramidus , and I’ve seen discussion of two- or three-letter genus abbreviations for some taxonomic groups. Butcher’s Copy-editing 2 says they are to be avoided, but they’re permissible to avoid ambiguity. 3 I recommend checking with your target publication to see whether they allow this style.
• Sometimes the full genus name isn’t spelled out on first use. Some organisms, such as the famous study organisms E. coli and C. elegans , are so well known that it’s common in informal discussion to just use the abbreviated version of the name.

Names of taxonomic levels above the genus level

Names of taxonomic levels below the species level.

• The subspecies name is italicized.
• In zoology, the subspecies is not indicated by any label; it just follows the species name: the European wildcat is Felis silvestris silvestris . If the subspecies name is the same as the species name, it can be abbreviated: Felis s. silvestris .
• In botany, the subspecies is indicated by “subsp.” or “ssp.” (Butcher’s recommends subsp. 4 ): Juncus effusus subsp. solutus . The “subsp.” label is not italicized.
• The name of a variety is italicized, but the “var.” label is not: The insecticide BTK is produced by Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki .

Unknown or unspecified species

The species author and the sp. nov. tag for introducing new species in the literature.

• The author name is not italicized: The straightleaf rush is Juncus orthophyllus Coville.
• The name may be abbreviated. Carolus Linnaeus, a biologist who is such a hero his name was Latinized, gets the abbreviation “L.”: The European meadow rush is Juncus inflexus L.
• If the author name is in parentheses, that indicates that the species was originally assigned to a different genus.
• The abbreviation “sp. nov.” indicates that a species is being introduced in the literature for the first time. Do not italicize “sp. nov.”: “ Pyrococcus furiosus sp. nov. represents a novel genus of marine heterotrophic archaebacteria growing optimally at 100°C ”

• The Chicago Manual of Style , 17th Edition has a short but useful section on scientific names of organisms. See section 8.119 and following: “Scientific Names of Plants and Animals.”
• Butcher’s Copy-editing , 4th Edition has a good section on biological classification and nomenclature in its science and mathematics chapter.
• For a more in-depth treatment of the subject, Chicago recommends: Council of Science Editors Scientific Style and Format , the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature , and the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature

• The New Hart’s Rules also has some useful information on the format of Latin names.
• Wikipedia has a comprehensive entry on binomial nomenclature .

More help with writing scientific papers

59 comments:.

Thank you so much for this valuable resource!

Thanks for the reference. Fyi, it's Canada lynx, not Canadian lynx. The same is true for the Canada goose.

Thanks for the comment! I've made the change.

When you cite only the genus name, I think it is not italicized. What do you do?

Chicago style italicizes the genus name when it's used on its own (see 8.119). For example "it belonged to the genus Smilodon ."

What if I want to write the latin name in the title, JUNCUS INFLEXUS L. or JUNCUS INFLEXUS LINNAEUS? Because as far as i'm concern we are not allow to use abbreviation in title.

Yes, I think whether you abbreviate or spell out "Linnaeus" just depends on your publication's preferred style. I definitely see some people spelling out Linnaeus in titles, so you'll be in good company.

Thanks for your useful comments. I was looking for the rule that says when (in your reference list) you write the title of a book that includes the scientific name and the title is supposed to be in italics, then the scientific name is written in non-italic font, when all the other words are in italics. Can you confirm this?

I understand the 'spp.' does not have to be underlined. What about the genus before the 'spp.'? E.g. in Eimeria spp., do I have to underline the 'Eimeria' alone when writing or not?

Yes, you have to underline Eimeria.

Yes, as Ricardo says, when Eimeria appears alone or in "Eimeria spp.," it should be in italics. If you're underlining instead of using italics, then underline. (As a side note, I recommend using underlining only when you're not able to use italics, for example if you're writing by hand or using a typewriter.)

I hope you will keep sharing more interesting posts.

Hi Eva, Thanks for posting this article. I need some help: what does ¨f¨ mean in Columba livia f. domestica? Thanks!!!

I arrived here because as a proofreader for a large international publisher I was trying to determine how to correct a book title containing a scientific name: The Diverse Faces of Bacillus Cereus. Ultimately I decided that the title as displayed on an accompanying cover image of the book, where it appears as The Diverse Faces of Bacillus cereus (with "Bacillus cereus" italicized and the species name set in lowercase), was correct. Do you concur? Thanks for your help!

Yes, I think that's a good decision. Chicago's guideline is to lowercase the species name in a title-case headline, and it also suggests maintaining the italics in the title (setting them in roman type if the rest of the title is in italics, or italics if the rest of the title is roman).

Thanks, Eva! I appreciate your prompt response. (And I'm relieved I made the right decision!)

Would any one be able to explain to me exactly why some things have to be italicized? Is it for clarification? Cheers

Good question. I think the short answer is that it's a widely-used convention, so following it helps your reader understand your writing easily. But italicizing the scientific name fits in with the common style convention of italicizing foreign words, since the scientific name was traditionally in Latin.

Anybody recognize "Colegii Blosoromii Insula' Longa' "? It's the name of a college on a medical school diploma, possibly in Europe.

Nice informative post! Another question is: in the title of an article, when reporting both the common and scientific name, which format is better? ...common name (Genus species) vs. ...common name, Genus species vs. ...common name Genus species In the above, Genus species are italicized of course. I prefer to include both the common and scientific name so that the audience doesn't need to look it up if unfamiliar (e.g., red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii) but which of the above presentations is best is quite unclear to me - perhaps it doesn't matter...

I prefer the parentheses, but I think the comma will probably also be reasonably clear. There's no rule or convention as far as I know.

When the genus name is used alone, i.e. "... several Brassica species...", should it be italicised? kthxbi

If you're using the genus name alone as a genus name then it should be italicized: "Brassica campestris and other species of Brassica." But if you feel that in the context, brassica is being used as a common name, then I would lowercase it and not use italics: "Many brassicas have yellow flowers."

I'm querying about thesis title which request to capitalize. Example, should it be ''EVOLUTION OF ESCHERICHIA COLI'' or ''EVOLUTION OF Escherichia coli''

If the style of the document requires the title to be in all capital letters, then I would put the genus and species in full caps, as in your first example.

I would put the title all in caps and then underline (or italicise, if allowed) Escherichia coli.

how to properly write this: Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf

I am of the opinion that when scientific names are written in capitals, they should not be in italics.

I am copyediting a manuscript that talks about 'bitter cucumber', i.e., _Citrullus colocynthis_ as simply Colocynthis. When using only the species name, rather than genus/species binomial form, do you capitalize the species (my guess is no) or italicize it (I am not sure)?

My vote: tell them to use the full scientific name. After that they can abbreviate as italicized: C. colocynthis

I agree. I was going to say that if "Colocynthis" was generally used as the common name as well as being the scientific name, then I would lowercase and not italicize, but it's clear from the question that "bitter cucumber" is the common name.

How will i write pisum sativum in on paper?

I would write Pisum sativum , with the name in italics

I live in Brazil, so works like the Chicago Manual of Style are unavailable here. Also, I work primarily in EN-GB so wondered if there is something like the CMS but for British English. Suggestions?

The Society for Editors and Proofreaders, a UK organization, recommends the New Hart's Rules and Butcher's Copy-Editing, among others: https://www.sfep.org.uk/resources/recommended-reference-books/general-editing-publishing-style In this post, I've mentioned a few items where Butcher's deviates from Chicago.

I have natural cursive handwriting. So should I or should I not underline? And thanks for the information you shared.

Yes, in a handwritten manuscript, it is conventional to use underlining.

Thanks for valuable info shared here. My query is, if I am writing any scientific name as stand alone (not as a part of a paragraph text) for example name plates for my insectary, should I need to italise/underline/Bold the scientific names? Thanks

I would italicize the names in a standalone label. I don't have any style guide recommendations to back that up though; it's just my feeling.

If you are discussing results regarding an organism, but not specific to species, do you have to continually italicize a genus name? For example, does "Demodex" need to be italicized in this context? (2 places) The intimate relationship between Demodex mites and mammals is ancient, potentially dating back to the radiation of mammals from synapsids more than 200 million years ago. Although the mammalian host’s immune system is tolerant of these ubiquitous mites, it has been demonstrated in both humans and dogs that significant immune system perturbations can result in response to colonization with Demodex mites.

Yes, I would italicize the genus name when it's used alone, even if it is never used with the species name.

Hi, I am doing project on drug discovery for different bacterias. how to write this in the manuscript. Identification of drug targets in selected bacterial species. how to write this in manuscript? selected bacterial "ssp" or selected bacterial "sp" kindly help me in this regard.

If you are just writing the word "species" without it being part of a formal species name, then I recommend spelling it out. So, "we studied three species," "identification of drug targets in bacterial species," etc. It's only if you are using the Latin name of a species or group of species ("Streptococcus sp.") that you need to use "sp." or "spp."

Hello! Please, can someone explain me why the scientific name is often followed by the name of the author sometimes put between brackets and sometimes not

Brackets are used around the author name and date to show that that species has been reclassified since its original description. If there are no brackets, that indicates the species is in the same taxonomic group as when it was first described.

If you write animal or plant taxonomy, how to write a genus? italicized or not? example: ...... Family : Melanotaeniidae Genus : Melanotaenia (italicized or not) Species : Melanotaenia boesemani (italicized)

I would italicize the genus name in your example above, and also the species name, as you've indicated. That seems consistent with the general principles we know of. (I'd also recommend removing the space before the colon to be consistent with North American punctuation style.)

Very helpful article, thank you!

Do you have any advice for what to do when using genus and species names on a website page that cannot handle italics or underlining? We need to label some images with the genus species and authority i.e., ‘Uroptychus bispinatus’ Baba, 1988 Would it be acceptable to use the single quotation marks or just leave it with no formatting?

I'm trying to figure out why some genus and common names are not capitalized in reference. An example is: "The Darwin's rhea (Rhea pennata), also known as the lesser rhea, is a large flightless bird, but the smaller of the two extant species of rheas." Why is Rhea/Rheas not capitalized? I took this example from Wikipedia. I also noticed this when a listing for a Tenanger was lowercase tenanger. I'm confused.

Hi! Is it correct to use articles(the or a or an) before a scientific name? Could you recommend references about using (or not) articles before scientific names, please?

Very helpful article,thank you.

I'm writing a paper about a variety of anemone that will be mentioned dozens of times. There's a short common name, but it's used for all three varieties so could be misleading if referenced out of context. Is there a shorter way than spelling out A. virginiana var. cylindroidea dozens of times?

I see your problem: even the abbreviation is too long. I think the way to go is to use the full formal name first, and then when possible use a descriptive phrase like "the cylindroidea variety" or similar to give the reader a break from too much repetition. Also use a pronoun ("it is found . . .") whenever possible without losing clarity. My only other tip is to use my favourite cheat, which is to do web searches to see how other writers on the same topic handled this problem (Google Scholar may be useful). You may find some helpful ideas there.

Why do latin language used in naming

Using Latin for the official names of species is just a tradition from when Latin was the language used in Europe for all kinds of scholarship.

Thank you so much for this detailed explanation

Hi, Eva. Thanks very much for your informative post. Now I'm reviewing a manuscript for a scientific journal. The authors mentioned some bacterial species in the Pseudomonas genus and some pine species in the Pinus genus. They used P. as genus abbreviation for species in both genus. Sometimes in one paragraph the bacterial species and pine species are both mentioned. I think it is a bit confusing. In this case, what can I suggest them to do? Should I let them to use one letter genus abbrevation and let the readers to remember the specific name or should I suggest the authors to use two or three letters genus abbreviation?

I think I would suggest writing out the whole genus name when you feel it is needed for clarity. So in sections of the article that only discuss one of the species, it's probably clear enough if you use the P. abbreviation, but in paragraphs where both species are discussed, you might need to spell out both genus names. I don't think there is a hard and fast rule for this situation, so keep in mind that you want the article to be clear to the reader while avoiding unnecessarily writing out long names. Good luck!

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How to Use Binomial Nomenclature in Scientific Writing

5-minute read

• 20th June 2021

Binomial nomenclature – i.e., the Latin names given to animal and plant species – is a key part of scientific writing in zoology, botany, and similar subjects. But how do you use this naming system in your work? In this post, we explain the basics of how to use and cite binomial nomenclature in scientific writing .

What Is Binomial Nomenclature?

“Binomial nomenclature” refers to the system of two-part names given to animals and plants in scientific writing. In The Lion King , for instance, a lion is just a lion. But in scientific work, a lion is Panthera leo . These names comprise the following:

• A generic name for the genus (i.e., the category to which a species belongs). For example, Ursus is a genus that includes a number of bear species.
• A species name , sometimes known as the “specific name” (animals) or “specific epithet” (plants). The binomial name for the polar bear, for instance, is Ursus maritimus (Latin for “sea bear”), while the brown bear is Ursus arctos (a mix of Latin and Greek with the slightly mundane meaning of “bear bear”).

This system helps us to identify any species clearly with two words, thereby ensuring clarity in scientific writing. Common names, by comparison, vary from place to place and language to language, which can cause confusion.

A form of binomial nomenclature was first used by Swiss botanists the Bauhin brothers . But the version we know today is based on the work of Carolus Linnaeus , a Swedish botanist who formalized the system in 1753.

Basic Rules for Writing Species Names

There are two key conventions used when writing binomial names. Make sure to:

• Capitalize the first letter of the genus, but not the species.
• Format all binomial names in italics.

After the first use, genus names can sometimes be abbreviated to a first initial (e.g., Felis catus would become F. catus on subsequent mentions). However, you should only do this if there is no possibility of confusion. If you are using more than one similar species name, it is best to give the full name each time.

The other key consideration is where to put a species name. If you’re referring to a species by its binomial nomenclature alone, you can simply give it in the text:

Lycaon pictus is close to extinction.

But if you’re using a common name, too, the scientific name will usually go in parentheses afterwards. For instance:

The African wild dog ( Lycaon pictus ) is close to extinction.

If you’re using a species name in everyday writing, following the guidelines above should suffice! However, there are more conventions related to binomial nomenclature in scholarly work, which we’ll look at briefly next.

Author Citations in Scholarly Work

In scholarly writing, you may need to cite the person who named a species when you first introduce the binomial nomenclature for an animal or plant.

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For animal species , the rules are set out in the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (or ICZN). A basic author citation here includes the surname of the person who named the species and the year it was named . For example:

The brown bear ( Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758) ranges across Eurasia.

But for plant species , as set out in the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICBN), basic author citations only require giving an abbreviated surname for the person who named the species:

Amaranthus retroflexus L. is better known as “tumbleweed.”

Here, for instance, the “L.” is short for “Linnaeus” (yes, again; he was a very busy man and named a lot of species). You can find the standard author abbreviations for botany via the International Plant Name Index .

Note, too, that neither citation italicizes the author’s name, just the species name.

This covers basic author citations for animal and plant species. However, the rules can vary depending on the code and situation. As such, you should check the full rules for the code you’re using when adding author citations in your writing.

Abbreviations Used with Binomial Nomenclature

Some common abbreviations used with binomial nomenclature include:

• sp. (zoology) or spec. (botany) in place of a species name after a genus shows that you’re referring to the genus in general, not a specific species.
• spp. after a genus name means “several species of said genus.”
• ssp. (zoology) and subsp. (botany) indicate an unspecified subspecies.
• sspp. (zoology) and subspp. (botany) indicate several subspecies.
• cf. indicates a species identification that hasn’t been confirmed.

Be careful not to confuse these abbreviations, as many of them are quite similar!

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