LibGuides: CHEM 5100: Introduction to Research: Organize, Write, & Cite

ACS Citation Quick Guides

ACS Style Quick Guide
Rules for creating citations and references, plus dozens of examples.
The ACS Guide to Scholarly Communication
The ACS Guide to Scholarly Communication covers everything from classic journal authoring topics (now completely modernized) such as Organization of Your Article and Peer Review, to styling conventions needed for all scholarly communication, such as Chemical Nomenclature and Effective Writing and Word Usage, to emerging areas of interest in scholarly communication, including Open Access & Open Science, Sharing Data, Communicating Safety Information, and Preprints.

ACS Journal Article Example

Reference Components

Author A. A.; Author B.B.; Author C.C.; etc. Title of article:Subtitle. Journal Year, Volume (issue), Inclusive Pagination. DOI:

Note: You can check how to abbreviate the journal title on the Chemical Abstract Service Source Index.

Reference List Example

Foster, J. C.; Varlas, S.; Couturaud, B.; Coe, J.; O'Reilly, R.K. Getting into shape: Reflections on a new

generation of cylindrical nanostructures' self-assembly using polymer building block. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2019, 141 (7), 2742-2753. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b08648

Reference List Tips

Journal Titles: Journal titles longer than one word can be abbreviated. You'll want to check with your professor to see which they require. You can check the abbreviations using the Chemical Abstract Service Source Index.

In-Text Example:

One author (Axelrod, 2003)
Two Authors: (Shiraiwa and Gerson, 2011)
Two or more authors (Gerson et al., 2001)

What is RefWorks?

RefWorks is a web-based citation manager that allows you to create, organize, and manage your citations. References can be imported from the library catalog OneSearch, online databases, text files, websites, and more. We recommend that if you do not already have an account, you sign up for New RefWorks.

Even with a citation manager, you always want to double-check your citations. Get help with your citations in our Writing and Citing Guide.

RefWorks
A reference management tool that allows users to collect and organize citations to any kind of source, such as articles and books, to link and annotate PDFs, and to create references in Word and Google Docs.

How Can RefWorks Help Me?

You can pull information about articles, books, and other sources right from the library, databases, and websites while you search.
You can upload or link to full documents to easily find later.
You can organize your sources in projects and folders for specific classes and research papers.
You can create in-text citations and bibliographies (reference lists/works cited lists) in Word or copy and paste to Google Docs.
You can use choose from dozens of style that are available, including common styles like MLA, ALA, Chicago, and specialized styles like AMA.

Creating a New Refworks Account

Create a New Refworks Account
Click the “create account” link at the bottom of the page. Fill in your information using your Cal State LA email address, e.g. wsmith@calstatela.edu. Once you have created your account, you'll receive an email with a link to complete the registration process.

Refworks Help

Refworks Tools and Help
Provides an overview of Refworks tools, how to save references, and build a bibliography.

Writing Help Books

Write Like a Chemist: A Guide and Resource

They Say / I Say by Cathy Birkenstein; Gerald Graff
Call Number: PE1431 .G73 2018

ISBN: 9780393631678

Publication Date: 2018-06-11

This book identifies the key rhetorical moves in academic writing. It shows students how to frame their arguments as a response to what others have said and provides templates to help them start making the moves. The fourth edition features many NEW examples from academic writing, a NEW chapter on Entering Online Discussions, and a thoroughly updated chapter on Writing in the Social Sciences. Finally, two NEW readings provide current examples of the rhetorical moves in action.
Successful Scientific Writing by Janice R. Matthews; Robert W. Matthews
Call Number: E-Book

ISBN: 9781316122037

Publication Date: 2014-10-22

Thoroughly revised and updated, the new edition of this acclaimed and best-selling guide offers a rich blend of practical advice and real-life examples. The authors draw on fifty years of experience, providing detailed step-by-step guidance designed to help students and researchers write and present scientific manuscripts more successfully through knowledge, practice, and an efficient approach. Retaining the user-friendly style of the previous editions, this fourth edition has been broadened to include detailed information relevant to today's digital world. It covers all aspects of the writing process, from first drafts, literature retrieval, and authorship to final drafts and electronic publication. A new section provides extensive coverage of ethical issues, from plagiarism and dual publication to honesty in reporting statistics. Both the text and 30 hands-on exercises include abundant examples applicable to a variety of writing contexts, making this a powerful tool for researchers and students across a range of disciplines.
Writing for Science by Robert Goldbort
Call Number: E-Book

ISBN: 9780300115512

Publication Date: 2006-11-01

This exceptional book encompasses the entire range of writing skills that today’s experimental scientist may need to employ. Detailed chapters cover every type of science writing, from routine forms, such as laboratory notes, abstracts, and memoranda, to the more complex writing required in dissertations, journal articles, and grant proposals. Using numerous extended examples, the book offers students and professionals alike the thorough, practical advice they need to optimize the effectiveness of their written communications. Robert Goldbort discusses how best to approach various writing tasks as well as how to deal with the everyday complexities that may get in the way of ideal practice--difficult collaborators, experiments gone wrong, funding rejections. He underscores the importance of an ethical approach to science and scientific communication and insists on the necessity of full disclosure. For working scientists, those seeking employment in the sciences, students taking on writing assignments or oral presentations, and professionals who hope to publish or acquire funding, this volume is an essential resource.
Write Like a Chemist by Marin S. Robinson; Fredricka L. Stoller
Call Number: E-Book

ISBN: 0190098961

Publication Date: 2022-11-04

Write Like a Chemist: A Guide and Resource focuses on four types of writing that are common in chemistry: the journal article, conference abstract, scientific poster, and research proposal. Users of the book will learn to write through a host of exercises, ranging in difficulty from correcting single words and sentences to writing professional-quality papers, abstracts, posters, and proposals. This second edition of Write Like a Chemist has been updated to include new excerpts from the primary literature and other chemistry genres, updated tables and figures that can be consulted for chemistry-specific writing patterns and practices, infographics developed by inChemistry that convey essentials for writing conference abstracts and preparing scientific posters, a scientific poster template and corresponding model poster that can be used for poster creation, and updated exercises and task types. Additional resources for students and instructors have been placed on the Write Like a Chemist companion website, which includes exercises, answer keys, and a separate and secure section with materials for faculty adopting the book for a university course.
Scientific Writing by Jean Luc Lebrun
ISBN: 9789812704733

Publication Date: 2007-06-01

Given that scientific material can be hard to comprehend, sustained attention and memory retention become major reader challenges. Scientific writers must not only present their science, but also work hard to generate and sustain the interest of readers. Attention-getters, sentence progression, expectation-setting, and ''memory offloaders'' are essential devices to keep readers and reviewers engaged. The writer needs to have a clear understanding of the role played by each part of a paper, from its eye-catching title to its eye-opening conclusion. This book walks through the main parts of a paper; that is, those parts which create the critical first impression. The unique approach in this book is its focus on the reader rather than the writer. Senior scientists who supervise staff and postgraduates can use the book to review drafts and to help with the writing as well as the science. Young researchers can find solid guidelines that reduce the confusion all new writers face. Published scientists can finally move from what feels right to what is right, identifying mistakes they thought were acceptable, and fully appreciating their responsibility: to guide the reader along carefully laid-out reading tracks.