Learning guide
How to Cite Sources in ACS Style
The ACS Guide is a digital-first resource that is updated over time. Journal references emphasize author names, article title, journal, year, volume, issue, pages and DOI.
Method
- Identify the source type and complete author list.
- Verify the source title and publication metadata.
- For journal articles, add year, volume, issue and pages or article number.
- Add the DOI when available and review target-journal instructions.
Worked example
Journal references separate authors with semicolons.
Books include author, title, publisher and year.
Notes
- The ACS Guide is continuously updated rather than tied to a single numbered print edition.
- Individual ACS journals can vary in details.
- DOI import reduces typing but not the need for verification.
Continue with the related tools
This guide explains the method; use the calculator or tool pages for your own inputs and scenarios.
- IEEE Citation Generator — Generate numbered IEEE references for journal articles, webpages, books and book chapters using current IEEE reference-guide conventions.
- CSE Citation Generator — Generate CSE Manual 9th edition Citation-Sequence references for scientific journal articles, webpages, books and book chapters.
- AMA Citation Generator — Generate AMA 11 references for journal articles, webpages, books and chapters, with DOI import and PubMed/NLM journal-abbreviation checks.