Free · ACS Style Guide 2026
Cite a Journal Article in ACS Style
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ACS Journal Article Format
Smith, J. A.; Jones, B. C. Article Title. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146 (3), 1234–1245. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.3c12345.
About This Source Type
Journal articles are the most commonly cited sources in chemistry. The ACS citation format for journal articles requires the author names (surname first, separated by semicolons), the article title, the abbreviated journal name in italics, the year in bold, volume in italics, issue in parentheses, and page numbers — followed by the DOI.
Key Formatting Tips
- 1Use the DOI — it never changes and is preferred over URLs
- 2Year is always bold in ACS journal citations
- 3Volume number is always italic
- 4Separate multiple authors with semicolons, not commas
- 5Use abbreviated journal names (e.g. J. Am. Chem. Soc., not full name)