ACS Citations - How to Prepare Bibliographic Citations: ACS (American Chemical Society) - Reference Lists

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Ben

ACS Citations provides practical guidance for preparing bibliographic citations in accordance with the ACS Style Guide. It explains how reference lists or bibliographies relate to sources cited in research papers, then supplies the essential “basic format” templates for common source types. Covered examples include books, edited volumes, authored chapters, encyclopedia entries, journal articles (including online access), magazine/newspaper pieces, theses, patents, conference proceedings, technical reports, and material safety data sheets.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

How to Prepare Bibliographic Citations: ACS (American Chemical Society)

Reference Lists

Book with Author (s)

Book with Editor(s)

Authored Chapters in a Book with Editor(s)

Encyclopedia Article

Journal Articles

Journal article found online

Article from a popular/non-scientific magazine or newspaper

Theses

Patents

Conference/Meetings

Technical Report or Bulletin

Material Safety Data Sheets

ACS Citations Revised by Kathy Banas-Marti July 2019 How to Prepare Bibliographic Citations: ACS (American Chemical Society) SOURCE: Coghill, Anne M. , Garson, Lorrin R. , Eds. The ACS Style Guide : Effective Communication of Scientific Information, 3rd Ed. ; American Chemical Society: Washington , DC, 2006. Babbidge Library/Plaza Level iDesk/Permanent Reserve QD 8.5 A25 2006 Online access is also available via the ACS website [http://pubs.acs.org/isbn/9780841239999](http://pubs.acs.org/isbn/9780841239999) . Reference Lists The Reference list or bibliography is the list of sources cited in the text of the research paper and appears atthe end of the paper. The following are some common examples. Book with Author (s) Basic Format: Author, A. A.; Author, B. B. Book Title (italics), Edition (if any); Publisher: Place of Publication, Year; Pagination. Morris, R. The Last Sorcerers: The Path from Alchemy to the Periodic Table; Joseph Henry Press: Washington, DC, 2003; pp 145-158 Le Couteur, P. ;Burreson, J. Napoleon’s Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History; Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam: New York, 2003; pp 32-47. Book with Editor(s) Basic Format: Editor, A. A., Editor, B. B., Editor, C. C., Eds. Book Title (italics); Series Information (if any, including series number); Publisher: Place of Publication, Year. Richey, H.G. , Ed. Grignard Reagents: New Developments; John Wiley & Sons: Chichester, U. K. , 2000. Authored Chapters in a Book with Editor(s) Basic Format: Author, A. A.; Author, B. B. Chapter Title. In Book Title (italics); Editor, A. A., Editor, B. B., Eds.; Series Information (if any, including series number); Publisher: Place of Publication, Year; Volume number (if any), Pagination. Almlof, J. ; Gropen, O. Relativistic Effects in Chemistry. In Reviews in Computational Chemistry; Lipkowitz, K. B. , Boyd, D. B. , Eds. ;VCH:New York, 1996; Vol.8,pp 206-210. Encyclopedia Article Basic Format: Article Title. Encyclopedia Name (italics), Edition number; Publisher: Place of Publication, Year; Volume Number, Pagination. Chocolate and Cocoa, Flavor and Quality. Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 5thed. ; Wiley: New York, 2004 ; Vol.12 , pp 1-19. Journal Articles Basic Format: Author, A. A; Author, B. B; Author, C. C. Title of Article. Journal Abbreviation (italics) [Online if online] Year (boldface), Volume (italics), Pagination. Klingler, J. Influence of Pretreatment on Sodium Powder. Chem. Mater. 2005, 17, 2755-2768. Journal article found online: Author, A. A; Author, B. B; Author, C. C. Title of Article. Journal Abbreviation (italics) [Online if online] Year (boldface), Volume (italics), Pagination. URL (Date Accessed) . Fine, L. Einstein Revisited. J Chem. Educ. [Online] 2005, 82, 1601-1610. [http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/Journal/Issues/2005/Nov/abs1601.html](http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/Journal/Issues/2005/Nov/abs1601.html) (accessed Oct 19, 2016) . Article from a popular/non-scientific magazine or newspaper: Basic Format: Author, A.A.; Author, B.B; Article Title. Title of Periodical (italics), Complete Date, Pagination. Squires, S. Falling Short on Nutrients. The Washington Post, Oct 4, 2005, p H1 . Theses Basic Format: Author, A.A. Title of Thesis. Level of Thesis, Degree-Granting University, Location of University, Date of Completion. Ambroselli, M. Physical Interaction-Process Driven Investigation of Quantum Mechanics. Ph. D. Thesis, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 2016. Patents Basic Format: Patent Owner 1; Patent Owner 2; etc. Title of Patent. Patent Number, Date. Sheem, S. K. Low-Cost Fiber Optic Pressure Sensor. U.S. Patent 6,738,537, May 18, 2004. Conference/Meetings References to work presented at conferences and meetings must be treated on a case-by case basis. 1. Full citations of published abstracts and proceedings. The format resembles that of a book citation. Basic Format: Author 1; Author 2; Autho

FAQs

What is the purpose of a reference list in an ACS-style research paper?

The reference list or bibliography is the set of sources cited in the text of the research paper and it appears at the end of the paper.

What is the basic citation format for a book with an author in ACS style?

Use: Author, A. A.; Author, B. B. Book Title (italics), Edition (if any); Publisher: Place of Publication, Year; Pagination.

How should journal articles that are found online be cited?

Use the journal-article basic format and include the URL (and date accessed) in the ACS online citation form.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Ben