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A Guide To...Chemistry: Citng Sources

Research guide for chemistry

American Chemical Society Style (ACS)

A note on in-text citations:  ACS Style's preferred method for in-text citation is to reference sources by number.  The final reference list (bibliography) is numbered, and listed in the order that sources first appear.

If the first source referenced your paper is Gaito's book below, that is source 1 in the References list. In text, Gaito will then be referenced with (1) or 1 each time it is cited. Page numbers are not included in the in-text citation. 

Book with a single author

1. Gaito, J. Molecular Psychobiology: A Chemical Approach to Learning and Other Behavior; Thomas, 1966. 

Journal article from an online database

2. Basu, A.C.; Hill, A.S.; Isaacs, A.K.; Mondoux, M.A.; Mruczek, R.E.; Narita, T. “Integrative STEM education for Undergraduate Neuroscience: Design and Implementation.” Neurosci. Lett., 2021, 746, 135660. DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.135660. 

Citing in Journal Styles

For most classes, you will probably use one of the major style manuals listed on the previous pages to format any citations or papers. 

However, some professors may ask you to instead use the style of a specific journal (for example, CELL or NEURON). These journal styles are often based on another established style, but contain specific variations which reflect the preferences of that specific journal and its editors. Because the style is unique to each journal, you will rarely find a published citation manual like you might come across for, e.g., APA or MLA style. 

So how do you follow a journal style? 

Journal styles are designed for the use of authors publishing in the journal and their editors. Therefore, the best place to find style guidance will be on the individual journal's website.  Most journals will have an area on their website dedicated to prospective authors, which will be titled something like Information for Authors (NEURON), For Authors or Author Instructions (CELL). You will typically find the information you need in a section with a title like "Manuscript Preparation," "Preparation of Specific Sections" or "Article Specifications."  Feel free to ask for help if you are unable to locate the appropriate style information. 

Be sure to pay attention to all of the details of the style guidelines. In addition to citation examples, this section of the website will usually include information about general rules for things like capitalization, handling sources with a large number of authors, properly executing in-text citations, etc. 

Citation Managers 

Once you are comfortable using a specific style format, you can also use a Citation Manager like RefWorks to cite in journal style. Most reference managers include the styles of many major (and some not-so-major) journals among the options available to you. 

Academic Honesty & Academic Integrity

Academic Honesty means being honest and ethical about the way that you do academic work. This includes citing and acknowledging when you borrow from the work of others. As Holy Cross students, you are required to follow the College's Academic Honesty policy. 

Excerpt from the College policy: 

"It is the responsibility of students, independent of the faculty’s responsibility, to understand the proper methods of using and quoting from source materials (as explained in standard handbooks such as The Little Brown Handbook and the Harbrace College Handbook), and to take credit only for work they have completed through their own individual efforts within the guidelines established by the faculty."

 

For more information and guidelines on Academic Honesty, visit the
 Academic Honesty & Academic Integrity Research Guide. 

Always cite...

  • Exact quotations from another source; 
  • Information summarized or paraphrased from another source [even websites]
  • Information received from other people, for example during an interview or oral history; 
  • Graphs, illustrations, or other visual information created by someone else  [even from a website]
  • Video and audio recordings created by someone else [even from a website]

In general, you should always cite facts, ideas or words that you did not create yourself. 

You usually don't have to cite... 

  • Your personal life experiences; 
  • Ideas that are entirely your own; 
  • Results from lab or field experiments that you conducted yourself;  
  • Images, music or other media that you created yourself; 
  • Information that is considered “common knowledge” (facts or ideas that most people will know, and that you can find in many places without a citation). 

When in doubt, it's always better to cite. 

'"Should I Cite This?' A Visual Guide from the Purdue OWL." Purdue Online Writing Lab,
 owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/using_research/documents/20200617ShouldICiteChart.jpg. Accessed 9 Aug 2024.

 

Practicing good research hygiene helps prevent accidental academic dishonesty! 
 

Take good notes. 

  • Before writing a note, read the original text until you understand what it is saying. It's okay if you have to read it several times! 
  • Use quotation marks whenever you copy exact phrasing. 
  • Record the source for each quotation or piece of information (including page numbers) as you go. 

Make sure that you... 

  • Keep track of which quotes and information came from which source; 
  • Note page numbers and other detailed directions so that you can find the information again later; 
  • Record all of the information you need to cite each source that you consult, even if you're not sure yet if you'll use it. 


Use a variety of sources in your research. 

This helps make sure you aren't relying too much on one author's ideas and writing. 
If you are having trouble finding enough different sources, ask a librarian for helphttp://libguides.holycross.edu/ask! 


Be careful when using AI generators. 

In many cases, using language written for you by an AI generator like ChatGPT -- even if you've only asked ChatGPT to edit your own writing -- can be considered academic dishonesty. Some professors will allow you to use AI generators in certain approved ways, and others will forbid it entirely. Make sure you are familiar with the individual professor's policies on AI, and ask for clarification if needed. 


Leave enough time to do your research and writing. 

If you are rushing to finish your paper, you are more likely to accidentally plagiarize or forget a citation. In most cases, it's far better to ask your professor if they will consider an extension. 


To the extent possible, cite as you write. 

It's okay to leave your full bibliography for later in the process - but as you are writing, make sure that you are noting when you include information that needs to be fully cited later. At the very least, try to create a temporary citation with author and page number so that you can go back later. 

Don't assume you will be able to remember which words are your own and which are paraphrased or quoted -- it's easy to lose track! 

RefWorks


 
RefWorks is a service called a citation manager.  It is designed to allow you to collect and organize references for all of your research, and then to compile those references into bibliographies. You can use RefWorks to import references from Holy Cross databases, or to input your own.  RefWorks is a product to which the College subscribes, so it is higher-quality and has more tools than most of the 'free' citation programs you will find on the web.  
Unlike most of our databases, you can continue to use and access RefWorks even after you graduate! 
 
For help using RefWorks, check out the guides linked below: 

Zotero