What is ACS citation format and when do we use it?

Written by

Jason Kamras

August 10, 2023

6 min read

In the contemporary world of academic writing, you are required to know and use different formatting styles. What style to use will depend on the subject of your paper. Often it depends on the university. If you are going to write a paper on Chemistry or Microbiology you might need to use ASC paper format. This format was created by the American Chemical Society and is extensively used. It is essential to use the format correctly or your paper will be turned down.

You have to use this citation system when you make citations in research papers that will be published in the American Chemistry Society. This citation style is used to make in-text citations and for the list of references. If the sources are used within the paper (in-text citations), this citation style will give their identification information. The list of all sources used in your paper (the reference list) gives detailed bibliographical data for every in-text citation of the paper.

It is of particular importance for you to learn how to use ACS paper format correctly. If you do, your submission paper will be accepted at once. In this article, you will find out the rules of formatting your paper using ACS paper format.

When we speak about using the ACS citation style, we mean formatting in-text citations and a reference list. From this article, you will learn helpful information on how to cite references in your research paper correctly.

How to format pages in ACS citation style?

There is no special layout for a page in ACS paper format. Still, sometimes you ought to consult your teacher for additional explanation. If not specified otherwise, you should use the following formatting:

• Use easy to read fonts such as Arial and Times New Roman in 12 pt size.
• On every side of the paper set margins at 1″.
• Use double-spacing.
• For the works cited page set hanging indent at 0.5″.

How to make in-text citations in ACS format

If you need to use an in-text citation, there are several ways to do that.

• Using the reference number (italics). The development of this process has already been described (1).
• Using Superscript. The development of this process has already been described¹.
• Using Author and Date. The development of this process has already been described (Author, 2020).

In case you need to repeat the reference, you should reuse its number. Don’t give it a new number. When you need to use a citation with two names of the authors, you should mention both (Author A and Author B, 2020). In case there are more than three authors, after the first name you should use “et al.” (Author A et al., 2020).

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How to use ACS citation format in your list of references?

Below you will find out methods of formatting various citations in ACS style which you might need to use in the paper:

• If you need to mention a book with one or more authors:

Sometimes ACS publications need the title of the chapter in the references. If you reference the whole book you don’t need to provide pagination. When there is no author you should begin with the book title.

• If you need to mention a book with editors:

• If you need to mention a journal article:

We always abbreviate journal sources:

• If you need to mention a website citation:

• If you need to mention SciFinder or other databases:

If you retrieve some information from a database, it has to be cited like a website. It should include the CAS Registry Number (RN) or chemical name and the date of accessing the website. Of the data was calculated by a program, mention the software used.

Why might you need to use an automatic ACS citation generator?

Yet, it might be difficult to use different citation styles. To use ACS citation format correctly you might need to use an online ACS citation generator. There are several significant benefits to using it:

• It is easier to manage long lists of references and corresponding in-text citations saving you precious time.
• Such online generators are easy and free to use.
• Online ACS citations generators allow specialists to share their sources of information and significant data with other researches.

There are a lot of online ACS citation style generators. Sometimes, using one of them is a must, especially when you are tight on time. If you use such a generator for your research paper on Chemistry or Microbiology, you will get error-free citations and a reference in no time.

Upon the whole, it’s impossible to underestimate the correct formatting of citations for a contemporary research paper. If you are a student, you know that it’s vital to get the highest grades for your academic papers. That is possible only if your citations are impeccable. If your task is to write a paper on Chemistry or Microbiology, you will have to use ACS citation format in your work and do it correctly. In some cases, if you fail the citing, it will lead to plagiarism in your paper. To avoid plagiarism and format your citations correctly follow the rules of ACS style formatting or order your assignment from essay writing service experts.