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ACS - Journal Articles

ACS Journal Citation Generator for Chemistry Articles

Format chemistry journal articles in ACS style with numbered references, CASSI journal abbreviations, DOI support, and chemistry-friendly author formatting.

How to cite a journal article in ACS

1

Search for the journal article

Paste a DOI, URL, ISBN, title, or author name to find the exact source record.

2

Check the ACS formatting fields

Verify author, year, title, container, and publication details before copying the final citation.

3

Copy the formatted result

Get the complete ACS citation plus the matching in-text citation or footnote format.

ACS Journal Article Citation Format

Journal Article:

Author 1; Author 2. Article Title. Journal Abbrev. Year, Volume (Issue), page range. DOI if available.

ACS Journal Article Citation Examples

Journal Article with DOI

Smith, A. B.; Johnson, C. D. Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Chiral Amines. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, 1234-1245. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2024.00001

In-text: 1

Journal Article without DOI

Williams, E. F. Advances in Polymer Characterization. Macromolecules 2023, 56, 4521-4530.

In-text: 2

Article with Multiple Authors

Garcia, R. L.; Lee, S. K.; Thompson, K. M.; Brown, M. J. Metal-Organic Frameworks for Gas Storage. Chem. Rev. 2024, 124, 890-945. DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2024.00001

In-text: 3

Communication / Letter

Chen, L.; Park, S. Rapid Synthesis of Fluorinated Heterocycles. Org. Lett. 2024, 26, 234-238. DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.2024.00001

In-text: 4

Review Article

Davis, M. R.; Patel, N. K. Recent Advances in Photocatalysis. Chem. Soc. Rev. 2024, 53, 1120-1195. DOI: 10.1039/D4CS00001A

In-text: 5

Examples formatted in ACS style

Handling Special Cases

CASSI Journal Abbreviations

ACS references use Chemical Abstracts Service Source Index abbreviations for journal names. Keep the standard abbreviation used by the journal or database.

J. Am. Chem. Soc., Anal. Chem., J. Org. Chem.

DOI-First Discovery

Chemistry papers are often best found and cited through DOI metadata. If a DOI is available, it is usually the fastest route to a complete ACS citation.

DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.5b01234

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I format a DOI in ACS style?

In ACS format, include the DOI at the end of the reference preceded by "DOI:" — for example, DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2024.00001. Some journals prefer the full URL format: https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.2024.00001. Always include DOIs when available as they provide permanent links.

How do I abbreviate journal names in ACS?

ACS uses CASSI (CAS Source Index) abbreviations for journal names, which differ from NLM abbreviations used in AMA. For example, "Journal of the American Chemical Society" becomes "J. Am. Chem. Soc." and "Angewandte Chemie International Edition" becomes "Angew. Chem., Int. Ed."

How do I format author names in ACS journal citations?

Use last name followed by a comma and initials with periods: Smith, A. B. Separate multiple authors with semicolons: Smith, A. B.; Johnson, C. D.; Williams, E. F. This differs from AMA, which omits periods, and APA, which uses an ampersand before the last author.

How do I format volume and page numbers in ACS?

The year is bold, the volume is italicized, and pages follow after a comma. Example: J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, 1234-1245. Note the comma between volume and pages, and no issue number in parentheses unlike AMA.

Do I include the issue number in ACS journal citations?

ACS journal citations typically do not include the issue number — only the volume and page range. The format is: Year, Volume, Pages. This is a key difference from AMA format, which includes the issue number in parentheses.

How do I cite an article with many authors in ACS?

The ACS Style Guide generally requires listing all authors. However, some ACS journals allow abbreviation after a certain number of authors. When in doubt, list all authors separated by semicolons. Check specific journal guidelines for their policy.

Cite Other Source Types in ACS

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