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Chemistry: Referencing & Writing

Citing/Referencing and writing in Chemistry

The ACS style is the predominant style used in Chemistry. See our Referencing Guide for more information about the style

There are 3 ACS style conventions for citing references within a paper, so ask your lecturer or supervisor which one to use: author-date, italic numbers in parentheses, or superscript numbers. 
 
ACS Style Quick Guide - is a handy online guide to referencing. It details how to reference journal articles, books, websites, data sets and more in the ACS style.

General citing & referencing

Citing or referencing the ideas and research you use in your essays is a vital part of all academic work because it:

  • acknowledges how others' work has influenced your thinking
  • provides evidence for your arguments; and
  • assists other researchers to locate the sources you use

The University of Otago takes plagiarism seriously. These resources will help you understand what plagiarism is and how to avoid it.

A citation or referencing style is a standardised way of acknowledging sources (e.g. articles, books, websites, etc.) that you use in your academic work.

A citation is used in the main part (body) of an essay, article, or book (chapter).
A reference is found in the list of references (or bibliography) at the end of the essay, article, or book (chapter).

Check with your lecturer or supervisor if you are unsure which style to use. You can find information on other Referencing styles commonly used at Otago.

Options for Managing References

Options for Managing References

Tips on choosing and using citation styles (also called referencing styles) plus using systems such as EndNote, Zotero and Mendeley.