ACS style guide
by
Citing Sources
As a scholar, you need to cite the sources that you use in your research. Your discipline determines the citation style you use. Anthropology uses Chicago Style citation. Citations are important because they:
In-Text Citation
There are three ways to format an in-text citation using ACS. It is important to pick one and use it throughout your paper. The formats are as follows:
If you use either of the numbered formats, the citations should be numbered sequentially in your paper. The reference section of your paper should be in numerical order, so that "2" in the body of your paper corresponds to "2" in your reference list. If you use the author name and year format, the citations in your reference section should be alphabetized by authors' last names.
(Note: This guide is based off of the West Virginia University Libraries ACS Guide)
Reference List
The reference list is located at the end of a document under the heading "Reference," "Cited References," Literature Cited," or "Bibliography." It alphabetically lists and matches the sources cited within the text, including tables and figures.
Articles (Print)
Both print and online journals have official abbreviations for their titles, which can be found here. If you cannot find the abbreviation for the journal you are citing, write out the full journal title.
Munakata, S.; Ishimori, K.; Kitamura, N.; Ishikawa, S.; Takanami, Y.; Ito, S. Regul. Toxico. Pharmacol. 2018, 99, 122-128.
Articles (From Internet)
Both print and online journals have official abbreviations for their titles, which can be found here. If you cannot find the abbreviation for the journal you are citing, write out the full journal title.
Gashaw, A.; Teshita, A.; Getachew, T. Environmental tobacco smoke exposure and its health impacts: a review. Int. J. Biol. Chem. Sci. [Online] 2018, 10, 1370-1381. SciFinder Scholar. https://scifinder.cas.org/scifinder/view/link_v1/reference.html?l=BmxxGlm8wGowyyQH6ZcT0DxwCp8OEtvYZbKLqEZUnsOeDd4IMteM3w (accessed October 9, 2018).
Article (Nonscientific Magazine & Newspapers)
Sullivan, W. The Chemistry Of Hibernation: Hibernation Chemistry. New York Times [Online], January 29, 1985, p. C1. Proquest Historical Newspapers: New York Times. https://search.proquest.com/docview/111102231?accountid=2837 (accessed October 9, 2018).
Palmer, K. Taming Crispr. Wired, Oct 2018, p 108.
Government Publications
Government publications can take a lot of different formats and the information provided to create a citation varies from document to document. For example, sometimes there are authors, other times there are not. If an item doesn't have a piece of information, such as an author, simply skip it. However, always include as much information as possible.
Hutto, W. H.; Bussman, R. W. Juice Grapes Lodi district Origin. A Brief Review of the 1951 Lodi Tokay Grape Season; U.S. Department of Agriculture; Lodi, CA, 1952; 10.
Print Book
Faraday, M. Chemical History of a Candle. Oxford University Press: Oxford, 2011.
Online Book
Marsden, J. O.; House, I. C. Chemistry of Gold Extraction [Online]; SME: Southfield, MI, 2006. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/wvu/detail.action?docID=464583# (accessed October 10, 2018).
Book Chapters
Backes, C.; Hirsch, A. Noncovalent Functionalization of Carbon Nanotubes. In Chemistry of Nanocarbons; Akasaka, T; Wudl, F.; Nagase, S., Eds.; Wiley: Chichester, 2010, pp 1-48.
Online Book Chapters
Aguilar, G.; Mazzamaro, G.; Rasberger, M. Oxidative Degradation and Stabilisation of Mineral Oil-Based Lubricants. In Chemistry and Technology of Lubricants [Online]; Mortier, R. M.; Fox, M. F.; Stefan, O. T., Eds; Springer: Dordrecht, 2010, 107-152. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1023/b105569_4 (accessed October 10, 2018).
Technical Reports
Similar to Government publications, technical reports or bulletins can take a lot of different formats and the information provided to create a citation varies from document to document. For example, sometimes there are authors, other times there are not. If an item doesn't have a piece of information, such as an author, simply skip it. However, always include as much information as possible.
Krotulski, A.J.; Papsun, D.M.; et al. Potent Synthetic Opioid -Isotonitazene -Recently Identified in the Midwestern United States; Public Bulletin for the Center for Forensic Science Research and Education: Willow Grove, PA, November 2019.
Theses and Dissertations
Duis, J. M. Acid/base chemistry and related organic chemistry conceptions of undergraduate organic chemistry students. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, 2008.
Patents
Phillips, A.; Heben, M.; Podraza, N.; Yorde, R.; Anderson, R. Organic Substrates Having Improved Weatherability and Mar Resistance. U.S. Patent WO 2018184000, October 4, 2018.
About the ACS Style Guide
The ACS Style Guide is written by the American Chemical Society and generally used by all fields of chemistry. The examples have been adapted from this manual and demonstrate how to document common source materials.
Check our print copy for more examples or ask a librarian for help. The print copy is located on a wooden stand next to the reference collection on the first floor of the Hatfield Library.
ACS style guide
by