# How to on numeric references

**URL:** <https://discourse.citationstyles.org/t/how-to-on-numeric-references/312>\
**Category:** CSL Development\
**Created:** [August 15, 2007, 3:46pm UTC](https://discourse.citationstyles.org/t/how-to-on-numeric-references/312 "2007-08-15T15:46:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![John\_P\_McCaskey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@John\_P\_McCaskey](https://discourse.citationstyles.org/u/John_P_McCaskey)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2007, 3:46pm UTC](https://discourse.citationstyles.org/t/how-to-on-numeric-references/312/1 "2007-08-15T15:46:28Z")

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Can CSL handle these? If so, what is the coding?

(A) Numeric references where the numbers indicate order in the bibliography  
(used in math and computer science).

. . . Jones said [3, p.34] that . . .

[2] Homer, Brad. . . .  
[3] Jones, Robert. Important Book. (Penguin: 2006).  
[4] Knight, Joe. . . .

I had asked about this earlier and Simon said no, but it could be added. Was  
there a decision on that addition?

Also, Bruce asked if I had ever actually seen a numbered style that also  
uses page numbers, as above. I have now seen it referred to in Cite Right by  
Charles Lipson, though he says inclusion of the page number is rare.

(B) Numeric references where the number indicates order cited in the text  
(used in physics per Lipson, p. 133).

. . . Smith [1] said that Jones [2] was wrong when arguing against Thompson  
[3].

© Numeric cross-reference to the footnote in which the work was first  
cited (used in Bluebook).

See Posner & Vermeule, supra note 99, at 1723.

– John

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**Author:** ![Bruce\_D\_Arcus1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Bruce\_D\_Arcus1](https://discourse.citationstyles.org/u/Bruce_D_Arcus1)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2007, 3:51pm UTC](https://discourse.citationstyles.org/t/how-to-on-numeric-references/312/2 "2007-08-15T15:51:29Z")

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John P. McCaskey wrote:

> Can CSL handle these? If so, what is the coding?
> 
> (A) Numeric references where the numbers indicate order in the  
> bibliography (used in math and computer science).

I have not tested the new schema, but it has always been supported. The  
basic idea is you use what is now called IIRC the “citation-number”  
variable, where that number is drawn from the bibliography. You can  
either sort that bibliography author-date, or “as cited.”

You’d then just add the locator label for the rare cases you’d add a  
page number (it’s rare b/c this style class is not common outside the  
sciences, where they never quote anything!).

Simon, can you confirm we still support this?

Bruce