By number (italics): The synthesis of the compound has been described previously (1).
By superscript: The synthesis of the compound has been described previously.1
By author name and date: The synthesis of the compound has been described previously (Johnson, 1902).
With numerical citations, references should be numbered sequentially. If a reference is repeated, do not give it another number; rather, use the original reference number.
With author name citations, use both names if a reference has two authors (Jones and Smith, 2002). If there are more than two authors, use the first name followed by et al. (Harris et al., 2001).
Creating a Bibliography
Online access to the ACS Style Guide is available via the ACS website. Some examples are also provided below.
BOOKS AND BOOK CHAPTERS
The minimum required information for a book is author or editor, book title, publisher, city of publication, and year of publication. Omit words like “Company,” “Inc.,” “Publisher,” and “Press” in publishers’ names. Some ACS publications include the chapter title in book references, while others do not. Check with the publication itself. Using the word “In” signifies the primary author(s) wrote only part of the book, not the entire book.
Anastas, P. T.; Warner, J. C. Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice; Oxford University Press: Oxford, 1998.
Asmus, K. D. Recent Aspects of Thiyl and Perthiyl Free Radical Chemistry. In Active Oxygens, Lipid Peroxides, and Antioxidants; Yagi K., Ed.; Japan Scientific Societies: Tokyo; CRC: Boca Raton, FL, 1993; pp 57-67.
JOURNAL ARTICLES
This citation, below, is in ACS format. The journal shown in this example has a volume number but not an issue number. If there is an issue number, it is found after the volume number, but before the page number(s).
Evans, D. A.; Fitch, D. M.; Smith, T. E.; Cee, V. J. Application of Complex Aldol Reactions to the Total Synthesis of Phorboxazole B. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2000, 122, 10033-10046.
Note: Journal abbreviation and volume are italicized. However, issue number (if present) is not italicized. Year of publication is bolded. Use CASSI (Chemical Abstracts Service Source Index) to find standard journal abbreviations. Here is an example, below, of an article with an issue number.
Berthod, A.; Ruiz-Angel, M. J.; Carda-Broch, S. Ionic Liquids in Separation Techniques. J. Chromatogr., 2008, 1184 (1-2), 6-18.
An annotated bibliography is a list of citations for various books, articles, and other sources on a topic. The annotated bibliography looks like a Works Cited page but includes an annotation after each source cited. An annotation is a short summary and/or critical evaluation of a source. Annotated bibliographies can be part of a larger research project, or can be a stand-alone report in itself.
Types of Annotations
Journalism at New York University and author of several books and articles, explains how television contradicts five commonly believed ideas. He uses specific examples of events seen on television, such as the assassination of John Kennedy, to illustrate his points. His examples have been selected to contradict such truisms as: “seeing is believing”; “a picture is worth a thousand words”; and “satisfaction is its own reward.” London uses logical arguments to support his ideas which are his personal opinion. He does not refer to any previous works on the topic. London’s style and vocabulary would make the article of interest to any reader. The article clearly illustrates London’s points, but does not explore their implications leaving the reader with many unanswered questions.
Adapted from:
"How to Write Annotated Bibliographies." Memorial University Libraries, www.library.mun.ca/researchtools/guides/writing/annotated_bibl/. Accessed 29 June 2016.