Free citation generator
ACS Citation Generator
Paste a DOI or link and get a correct ACS reference plus the in-text citation in seconds. Free for students, with no sign-up needed to try it.
What an ACS reference looks like
ACS style is published by the American Chemical Society and used throughout chemistry. It allows three citation systems (superscript numbers, italic numbers in parentheses, or author–date) and is known for bold years and heavily abbreviated journal titles.
Reference list entry (made-up example article)
Berg, L. Climate Adaptation in Coastal Cities. J. Urban Stud. 2023, 18 (2), 101–118.
In-text citation
superscript ¹ or (1) in citation order
Key ACS rules
- Pick one citation system (superscript, italic numbers or author–date) and use it consistently.
- Journal abbreviations follow CASSI: Journal of Urban Studies → J. Urban Stud.
- The year is set in bold after the italic journal abbreviation, followed by the italic volume, the issue in parentheses and the pages in plain type.
- Article titles are capitalized headline-style in references.
Frequently asked questions
How do you write an in-text citation in ACS?
ACS is a numbered style: instead of the author's name, you put a number in the text that points to the numbered entry in the reference list. It looks like this: superscript ¹ or (1) in citation order
What does an ACS reference look like?
A journal article in ACS style is formatted like this (the article is a made-up example): Berg, L. Climate Adaptation in Coastal Cities. J. Urban Stud. 2023, 18 (2), 101–118.
What are the main formatting rules in ACS?
Pick one citation system (superscript, italic numbers or author–date) and use it consistently. Journal abbreviations follow CASSI: Journal of Urban Studies → J. Urban Stud. The year is set in bold after the italic journal abbreviation, followed by the italic volume, the issue in parentheses and the pages in plain type. Article titles are capitalized headline-style in references.
Which subjects use ACS style?
ACS is most common in chemistry and chemical engineering. Always check your course guide, since departments sometimes use their own variant.
Which ACS edition does CitApp follow?
CitApp follows the ACS Guide to Scholarly Communication (2020).
Is the ACS citation generator free?
Yes. You can generate ACS citations free of charge: paste a DOI or URL above and copy the result. A free account saves unlimited sources to projects, and the full reference list is free for everyone.
Keep every source organized
Save sources to projects, drag them into chapters and export a finished reference list. Free to start, no credit card.