ACS vs APA Citation Style

Compare ACS chemistry citations with APA social science citations, then generate an ACS reference instantly.

ACS citation style is mainly used in chemistry and related scientific fields, while APA is commonly used in psychology, education, and social sciences.

  • Last reviewed: July 26, 2026
  • Based on the ACS Guide to Scholarly Communication
  • Includes journal articles, patents, books, websites, and preprints
  • Not affiliated with the American Chemical Society
Combine in-text citations

Reference List Citation

Example result previewWhitesides, G. M. The Origins and the Future of Microfluidics. Nature 2006, 442, 368-373. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05058.

In-text Citation

Export settings

RTF opens in Word/Pages; TXT is for quick viewing; BibTeX/RIS are for Zotero, EndNote, Mendeley, and other reference managers.

Citation List

Saved citations will appear here and stay in this browser.

    ACS vs APA: main differences

    ACS is built for chemistry, materials science, pharmacy, environmental science, and related technical fields. APA is built around author-date social science writing. ACS places more emphasis on journal abbreviations, patents, DOI-based retrieval, and numbered in-text citation options.

    When to use ACS

    Use ACS when your chemistry professor, lab report guide, journal, or department asks for ACS style, especially for journal articles, patents, chemical safety pages, preprints, and datasets.

    ACS in-text citation styles

    ACS can use superscript numbers, italic numbers in parentheses, or author-date citations. APA primarily uses author-date citations.

    ACS vs APA reference examples

    ACS journal example: Whitesides, G. M. The Origins and the Future of Microfluidics. Nature 2006, 442, 368-373. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05058.

    Related ACS citation tools

    Use these related ACS citation pages to build a complete chemistry reference list and keep your in-text citations consistent.

    In-text CitationReference ListJournal ArticleExamples

    Chemistry citation workflows

    Use these internal pathways when you are moving from a single source citation to a complete ACS reference list.

    Find the right ACS source typeCompare journal, patent, website, book, preprint, dataset, and in-text citation examples before choosing a generator tab.Import DOI metadataUse DOI details from Crossref when a chemistry article, preprint, or dataset has a persistent identifier.Build a reference listAdd multiple ACS references locally in your browser and export the list as RTF, TXT, BibTeX, or RIS.Check citations before submissionRequest citation-formatting support for ACS references, DOI links, patent fields, and consistency checks.

    ACS citation guides

    These focused guides answer long-tail ACS citation questions and link back to the matching generator when you are ready to format a reference.

    How to cite a patent in ACS styleA step-by-step ACS patent citation guide for inventors, assignees, patent numbers, dates, and URLs.How to cite a website in ACS styleLearn when to include author, page title, website name, URL, and access date for ACS web references.ACS journal article citation formatA focused guide to ACS journal article references, journal abbreviations, volume, pages, and DOI links.ACS DOI citation guideUse DOI metadata carefully for journal articles, datasets, preprints, and chemistry sources.ACS reference list cleanup checklistCheck source types, DOI links, journal abbreviations, patent fields, and in-text citation consistency.

    ACS citation tools

    ACS GeneratorJournal ArticlePatentWebsiteBookConference PaperThesisPreprintDOIIn-text CitationReference ListExamplesACS vs APA

    Sources and method

    Citation examples are maintained from public ACS citation patterns and checked against authoritative identifier and metadata sources. Always follow the final requirements from your instructor, department, or target journal.

    Editorial review

    Last reviewed: July 26, 2026. Chem Citation Tools is an independent educational project for chemistry citation workflows. The site is not affiliated with the American Chemical Society, and generated citations should be reviewed before academic or journal submission.

    FAQ

    What is ACS citation style?
    ACS citation style is a reference format commonly used in chemistry and related scientific fields.
    Does ACS use numbered citations?
    Yes. ACS style can use numbered in-text citations, including superscript numbers or italic numbers in parentheses.
    How do I cite a patent in ACS?
    An ACS patent citation usually includes the inventor, patent title, patent number, assignee, and publication date. See the ACS patent citation generator for the dedicated fields.
    Can this page generate journal article citations?
    Yes. The embedded tool can generate reference list entries and in-text citations.