If chemistry wasn’t difficult already, referencing every source in your papers indeed makes it an almost insurmountable task. And referencing your paper according to the ACS citation style is no matter of joke since the template changes depending on the type of source. This means that the template to cite a journal in ACS style is entirely different from citing a website. While you can rely partly on ACS citation generators, you should still know the fundamentals of the style to ensure the accuracy of the results.
To simplify the process for you, I have prepared a ready Assignment Expert guide with the essentials of ACS referencing style and templates to cite different sources. Before you learn how to cite sources, let us start with the basics of the ACS referencing style.
What is ACS Referencing? Basics and Rules
Developed by the American Chemical Society, ACS referencing style is used in the field of chemistry to cite sources conveniently so that other researchers and chemists can follow a trail and read more about a topic.
ACS citations consist of two parts – in-text citations and a complete reference list at the end of the paper. You can include in-text citations using italic or superscript numbers within brackets. You can also use the author-date system in the in-text citations, providing the author’s name and year of publication within brackets.
In the reference list, you are required to provide complete bibliographic information for all sources that you’ve used.
The standard template for referencing includes the author(s) name, the title of the source, date of publication, name of the publisher: the place of publication. However, the template may change due to factors like the type of source, edition of a book, printed book or eBook, etc.
When you cite a source with more than one author, you can list the names of the other authors in the same way you did for the first author. However, when the source has more than three authors, include the surname and initial of the first college assignment help author and write et al.
To help you understand better, I have cited a few examples along with the variations in the templates for different sources. Read on to get the garb of using ACS referencing style.
15+ ACS Referencing Templates with Examples
If you don’t want to use an engineering assignment help and do the task all by yourself, I have got you covered. The templates listed along with the examples will help you learn the nitty-gritty of the style.
- To cite a book in ACS style
In-text citation:
Template: using italics or a superscript number for 1
Example:
Organic chemistry is no longer limited to the chemical compounds produced by living organisms. 1
In reference list:
Template:
(1) Author’s surname, Author first name initial. Title of the book; Publisher: City, Publication Year; p. Page numbers used.
Example:
(1) Alpha, B. An Introduction to Organic Chemistry; ABC Publishing House, 2017; p. 23-47.
Note: Since the In-text citations remain the same for all types of sources, I will now show you the templates for providing the complete bibliographic information of a source in the reference list.
- To cite a journal in ACS style
In the reference list:
Template:
(1) Author’ surname, Author’s first name initial. Publication Title: Year of publication, Volume number, Page numbers.
Example:
(1) Alpha B; Delta, C. Chemistry and Us: 2018, 3, 1-51.
- To cite a film or TV show in ACS style
In the reference list:
Template:
(1) Title of the movie/show; Production house: City, Year of release.
Example:
(1) Breaking Bad; AMC Network; Stewart A. Lyons, Dolby Digital: the United States of America, 2008.
- To cite an online image or video in ACS style
In the reference list:
Template:
(1) Creator’s surname, creator’s first name initial. Title of the video/image; Year of publication.
Example:
(1) Alpha, B. The Basics of Organic Nomenclature; 2020
- To cite a website in ACS style
In the reference list:
Template:
(1) Author’s surname, Author’s first name initial. Title; http://Website URL (date when accessed).
Example:
(1) Alpha, B. Chemistry Today http://www.https://www.teknoscienze.com/chemistry-today/ (accessed July 03, 2021).
- To cite a blog in ACS style
In the reference list:
Template:
(1) Author’s surname, Author’s first name initial. Title. Title of publication, Year of publication.
Example:
(1) Alpha, B. The Archives of Organic Chemistry. Chemistry Today, 2018.
- To cite a court case in ACS style
In the reference list:
Template:
(1) Title; Year of publication; Volume number, p. Page numbers used.
Example:
(1) The Barium Chemicals Ltd. vs The Company Law Board; 1966; Vol 3, p 26-47.
- To cite a dictionary entry in ACS style
In the reference list:
Template:
(1) Dictionary Name, Name of Publishers, Place of Publication, Pages Used.
Example:
(1) Oxford Dictionary of Chemistry, Oxford University Press, Oxford: The UK, p 349
9. To cite an E-book or PDF in ACS style
In the reference list:
Template:
(1) Author’s surname, Author’s first name initial. Title; Publisher: City, Year of publication; p. Page numbers used.
Example:
(1) Alpha, B. An Introduction to Organic Chemistry; 2nd ed.; 2018; p. 39.
- To cite an edited book in ACS style
In the reference list:
Template:
(1) Title; Author’s surname, Author’s first name initial., Edition; Publisher name: City, Year of publication; p. Page numbers used.
Example:
(1) An Introduction to Halogens: Revised; Alpha, B; Delta, C. 4th ed.; ABC Publishing House: New York, 2017; p. 26-37.
- To cite an email in ACS style
In the reference list:
Template:
(1) Author’s surname, Author’s first name initial. Title, Year Published. (Date when accessed)
Example:
(1) Alpha, B. Questions and research for organic chemistry report, 2019. (June 29, 2021)
12. To cite an encyclopaedia article in ACS style
In the reference list:
Template:
(1) Title. Publication Title, Name of publisher. Year of publication, Page numbers used.
Example:
(1) The Methodology of Chemistry. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc.2011. p 356
Parting thoughts,
Since the guidelines for ACS referencing style are modified from time to time, keep a check for the updated rules.
Remember all these rules and use the templates given in the blog to cite your paper accurately using the ACS style. Feel free to bookmark this blog for easy access to a ready and comprehensive guide for ACS referencing.
Author Bio: Cleo Brown has a PhD in Chemistry and serves as a guest lecturer in several colleges in the US. He is also associated with the academic brand MyAssignmenthelp.com, where he offers help with ACS citations. In addition, Brown loves to watch sci-fi movies and bake in his free time.
Read more: 4 Reasons Why Students Prefer Online Essay Services
