Does ACS use numbered or author-date citations?

ACS journals most commonly use a numeric style with superscript or parenthetical numbers, but some accept an author-date format. CiteOrbit uses the numeric citation-order variant.

How are author names formatted in ACS references?

In ACS references, author surnames are listed first, followed by initials, without periods between initials. Multiple authors are separated by semicolons.

Are journal names abbreviated in ACS?

Yes. ACS style typically requires abbreviated journal names in italics, following standard chemical-literature abbreviations.

ACS (American Chemical Society) Citation Generator

Generate accurate ACS (American Chemical Society) citations in seconds. Search by title, DOI, ISBN, or URL — or add references manually. Free, instant, and works for books, journal articles, websites, and more.

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What is ACS (American Chemical Society)?

ACS (American Chemical Society) style is a citation style used in chemistry and related sciences. It supports numeric citation-order, numbered alphabetical, and author-date variants, though the numeric citation-order format is most commonly required by ACS journals.

How to cite in ACS (American Chemical Society)

Worked examples generated by CiteOrbit:

Book: (1)Kuhn, T. S. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions; University of Chicago Press: Chicago, 1962.
Journal article: (1)Hilal, N. Anxiety and Depression among Medical Students. European Journal of Medical and Health Sciences 2026, 8 (1), 1–2. https://doi.org/10.24018/ejmed.2026.8.1.1.
Website: (1)CiteOrbit. What is a citation?. CiteOrbit. https://citeorbit.com/citation-generator (accessed 2026-06-20).

ACS (American Chemical Society) FAQ

Does ACS use numbered or author-date citations?: ACS journals most commonly use a numeric style with superscript or parenthetical numbers, but some accept an author-date format. CiteOrbit uses the numeric citation-order variant.
How are author names formatted in ACS references?: In ACS references, author surnames are listed first, followed by initials, without periods between initials. Multiple authors are separated by semicolons.
Are journal names abbreviated in ACS?: Yes. ACS style typically requires abbreviated journal names in italics, following standard chemical-literature abbreviations.