I have a little problem with the model5-names bibliography style in the elsarticle document class. Instead of getting
(author, year)
citation call-out I'm having
author (year)
How to get a parenthesis-style citation call-out?
The issue you're experiencing is not related directly to either the elsarticle document class or the model5-names bibliography style. Instead, it is caused by the following twin facts: (a) the elsarticle document class automatically loads the natbib citation management package; (b) if an author-year citation style (as is appropriate for the model5-names bibliography style) is in use, the natbib package treats \cite{...} (though not \cite[]{...}!) as an alias for \citet{...}, or "text-style citation".
What to do if you want to get a "parenthetic-style citation" rather than a "text-style citation"? Just type \citep{...}.
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Point (b) is not entirely accurate.
\citeactually behaves like\citepfor numeric styles and its behaviour for author-year styles depends on the presence (or absence) of the optional argument, compare\cite[]{sigfridsson}and\cite{sigfridsson}. – moewe Feb 11 '19 at 17:04 -
@moewe - I've edited the answer to state explicitly that
\citeis an alias for\citetif theauthoryearoption is passed tonatbib(as should be done for themodel5-namesbibliography style). The fact that the outputs of\cite[]{...}and\citep{...}look the same is, in my opinion, more likely to be a fluke than a conscious design choice. At any rate, if thenatbibpackage is in use -- as is the case if theelsarticledocument class is employed -- one should be purposeful about the citation call-out forms and therefore not use\cite, but only\citepand\citet. – Mico Feb 11 '19 at 17:25
\citet.natbibdiscourages use of the generic\citeand recommends either\citepor\citet. – moewe Feb 11 '19 at 16:04\citepwithpin my comment above. I think you could also try\cite[]{key}, but really using\citepis the better option. – moewe Feb 11 '19 at 17:00