A Detailed ACS Citation Manual for Scientific Papers

What Is the ACS Citation Format?

Serving as the citation standard for scientific papers, the ACS style was developed by researchers in the chemical field. A different citation format was necessary because chemistry research has a few unique needs.

The ACS style is used for papers, articles, journals, and other works that are related to the field of chemistry. ACS and other styles like APSA, NLM, and IEEE are used by specific fields and are not as widely used as some others.

Being a chemistry student, chances are you’ll find yourself in situations where citing in the ACS format is required. That's why, understanding how to cite according to this style is crucial.

Currently, we follow the ACS Style Guide, 3rd Edition.

Let’s see how one should go about creating references in the ACS style.

How to Create ACS Style References?

To cite your paper according to the ACS format, you need to cite references in-text and list them at the end. Every in-text reference corresponds to the citation list at the end of the paper.

There are some distinct guidelines to follow for both ACS style citations in text and reference lists. We’ll introduce you to them one by one.

In-Text Citation Using ACS Format

The ACS style is a numbered format, meaning that you should cite sources in the text using a number. There are 3 ways you can use ACS in-text citation.

Using Superscript Numbers

This citation method is used for printed versions of ACS-style publications. As superscript numbers are smaller, they don’t distract the reader that much while reading. 

It's your choice whether to include the superscript number at the end or in between the sentences.

Using Numbers in Parenthesis 

Following the ACS style, we use parenthesis with italic numbers in between for online manuscripts and journals. This is because it is easier to click the citation numbers to view the full references.

If you are citing multiple sources at the same time, separate the numbers with commas.

Using Author Name and Year of Publication

Simply use the author's last name and the year of publication in parentheses. 

If you are citing multiple sources in the same sentence, separate the citations with semicolons:

If you are citing a specific page number or figure number, include that information after the year of publication:

Some Tips for In-Text ACS Citation

Follow these tips to avoid any mistakes when you’re citing ACS references in your text:

• Utilize a single in-text citation method and maintain consistency throughout your document.
• Place the reference in a logical context within your text.
• Start numbering references with “1” and maintain consecutive numbering throughout the paper, including references in the main text, tables, or figures.
• Do not assign a new number if a reference is repeated; use the original number.
• When citing multiple references in the same location with one of the numerical systems, list the numbers in ascending order, separated by commas (without spaces in superscript format, and with spaces in line format).
• Example: “…in the literature^{4, 5, 6-8}”
• Example: (inline format): “…in the literature (4, 5, 7-9)”

Now that we’ve covered how you would format your in-text citations, let’s see what are the guidelines for reference lists in ACS style writing.

ACS Citation Referencing for Different Sources

Much like other citation styles, the references list appears at the end of the document in a numerical order. 

For creating a reference list in ACS style format, follow these instructions:

Journal references should contain:

• Author names
  
• Abbreviated journal titles
  
• Year of publication
  
• Volume number
  
• Initial page of the cited article (complete page span is preferable)

Book references should include:

• Author or editor names
  
• Book title
  
• Publisher
  
• City of publication
  
• Year of publication
  

Non-book/journal article materials need clear identification and always end references with periods. You should format author names as initials (with spaces), and last names first. Include all author names and use semicolons for multiple authors.

To know how you should format the references for different sources, take guidance from the below formats with examples.

For Books

Author, A.; Author, B. Book Title, 2nd ed.; Publisher: Location, Year; Volume, pp 100-115.

For A Chapter in Book

Author, A.; Author, B. Title of Chapter. In Title of Book, 2nd ed.; Series Information, Vol. 3; Publisher, Year; pp 100-115. DOI or URL.

For An Edited Book

Title of Book, 3rd ed.; Editor, A.; Editor, B., Eds.; Series Information (if any); Publisher, Year. DOI or URL.

For A Book in Series

Author, C.; Author, D. Title of Chapter. In Title of Book; Editor, X.; Editor, Y., Eds.; ACS Symposium Series 1234; American Chemical Society, 2018; pp 200-215. DOI or URL.

For E-Books

Author, C.; Author, D. Book Title [Online]; Series Information; Publisher: Place of Publication, Year; Volume, Pages Used.
URL (accessed Month Day, Year).

For an Edited E-Book

Author of Part, A. A.; Author of Part, B. B. Title of Chapter or Part. In Title of E-book: Subtitle of E-book; Editor, A. A., Editor, B. B., Eds.; Publisher, Year; pp page numbers. Internet address (accessed Year-Month-Day). Or DOI.

With DOI:

For Magazine or Newspaper Articles

Author, X.; Author, Y. Title of Article. Title of Periodical, Complete Date, pp 20-25.

For Scholarly Journal Article (Accessed from the Internet)

Author 1; Author 2; Author 3; etc. Title of Article. Journal Abbreviation [Online], Year, Volume, Issue, Page Range. DOI or URL (accessed Date).

Scholarly Journal Article (Library Database) 

Author, G.; Author, H. Title of Article. Journal Abbreviation [Online], Date, Pages. Database Name. Complete URL of the database (accessed date).

Scholarly Journal Article (Printed)

Author(s). Title of Article. Journal Abbreviation Year, Volume, Page Range.

In case the journal is available in both print and electronic versions, cite the electronic form. If it has not been published in print form yet, then use the below format to cite it.

ACS Citation Format Website

Author or Organization (if any). Title of Site. URL (accessed YYYY-MM-DD).

For an online document, use this format:

Author 1; Author 2; et al. Title of Document. Title of Site or Organization, date. URL (accessed YYYY-MM-DD).

For a blog post, use for format to reference the blog in ACS style: 

Author 1; Author 2; et al. Blog Post Title. Blog Title. Title of Site or Publisher (if any), date. URL (accessed YYYY-MM-DD).

ACS Citation for Multiple Authors

When there are more than two authors, add ‘et al.’ after the first two authors.

For Lab Manual Papers

Author 1; Author 2; etc. Title of Book, Edition Number; Publisher: Location, Year; Volume number, pp Pages Used.

For Print Reference Works

Author, A. A., Author, B. B. Article Title. In Title of Reference Work, Edition Information; Editor, E. E., Eds.; Publisher, Year; Volume, pp Pagination.

For Online Reference Works

Author, A. A., Author, B. B. Article Title. In Title of Reference Work, Edition Information; Editor, E. E., Eds.; Publisher, Year. DOI or URL.

For Thesis Documents

Author. Title of Thesis. Level of Thesis, Degree-Granting University, Location of University, Date of Completion.

For the Patents

Patent Owner 1; Patent Owner 2; etc. Title of Patent. Patent Number, Full Date.

For Meetings and Conferences

When making the full citation for one of the said sources, follow the below format:

Author 1; Author 2; etc. Title of Presentation. In Title of the Collected Work, Proceedings of the Name of the Meeting, Location, Full Date(s); Editor 1, Editor 2, etc., Eds.; Publisher: Place of Publication, Year; Abstract Number, Pagination.

Sometimes the student just wants to cite the abstract of the meeting or the conference. When doing this, follow the below format:

Author 1; Author 2; Author 3; etc. Title of Presentation. Title of the Collected Work, Proceedings of the Name of the Meeting, Location, Full Date(s); Publisher: Place of Publication, Year; Abstract Number, Pagination.

For Bulletins and Technical Reports

Author 1; Author 2; etc. Title of Report or Bulletin; Technical Report or Bulletin Number; Publisher: Location, Date; Pagination.

For a Document Published on an Agency’s Database

Author 1; Author 2; etc. Title of Document, Year. Title of Site. URL (accessed Month Day, Year).

For Computer Programs

Author 1; Author 2; etc. Program Title, version, or edition; Publisher: Location, Year.

ACS Style Example Paper 

With the help of a sample paper, students can better understand how to properly cite papers according to the ACS format. Take a look at the sample paper attached below.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in ACS Style

Quite often, students make some common mistakes while formatting their papers according to the ACS format. Below are some mistakes that you should avoid:

• Incomplete Information: Ensure that all necessary elements (authors, title, journal name, volume, page numbers, publication date, etc.) are included for each citation
• Incorrect Order of Elements: Follow the correct sequence of elements for each citation. For example, in ACS style, the order is Author(s), Title of Article, Journal Abbreviation, Year, Volume, Page Range
• Incorrect Journal Abbreviations: Use the correct abbreviations for journal titles as specified by ACS. Check the official ACS Style Guide or the CASSI (Chemical Abstracts Service Source Index) for accurate abbreviations
• Inconsistency in Formatting: Be consistent with formatting throughout your paper. Pay attention to italicization, bolding, and punctuation in both in-text citations and the bibliography
• Missing DOI or URL: Include DOIs (Digital Object Identifiers) or URLs for online sources when available. This is particularly important for electronic journal articles
• Improper Use of Et al.: Use “et al.” (meaning “and others”) correctly in the list of authors for sources with more than three authors. Do not italicize “et al.”
• Incorrect Use of Superscript Numbers: Place superscript numbers outside of punctuation marks (e.g., after a comma or period) and ensure they are in chronological order
• Misuse of Citation Styles: Differentiate between citation styles for different sources (journal articles, books, websites, etc.) and be consistent in applying the appropriate style

To conclude,

Being a student from a scientific field, you need to understand how the ACS citation style works. You’ll be asked many times to submit papers that conform to the ACS format. 

By following this guide, you’ll have a deeper understanding of how to write in-text ACS citations, and the reference list as well. 

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