Referencing using a numbered citation style
- About this resource
- Numbered citation style
- Part 1: In-text citations
- Part 2: Reference list
- A sample reference list in numbered citation style
- Further reading
About this resource
This resource explains some of the more common applications of a numbered citation style. It is based on the Royal Society of Chemistry referencing style and uses examples and explanations from Chapter 4 of the Chemistry Style Manual, rev. edn., 2010, by Professor Kieran Lim of Deakin University.
A numbered citation style of referencing is customary in many of the physical and natural sciences. A range of scientific disciplines, from physics to geology, use a similar referencing style to the system described here, with minor variations. The relevant journals in each field can be checked for details of the appropriate style.
You should always check your unit guide and/or with academic staff (unit chair, lecturer or tutor) to make sure that this is the recommended style for your unit. Note that some units, courses and disciplines use variations of the style described here.
Your assignments will present facts and conclusions based on those facts. It is necessary to reference the sources of your information. This establishes the authority of your work and acknowledges the researchers and writers you have drawn on in your paper.
You must reference all material you use from all sources and acknowledge your sources in the body of your paper each time you use a fact, a conclusion, an idea or a finding from someone's work.
It is necessary to cite your sources each time you:
- reproduce an author's exact words (quote), that is, copy word for word directly from a text
- use your own wording (summarise or paraphrase) to explain or discuss what someone else has said.
If you copy an entire table, chart, diagram or graph or if you take only some of the data contained in such sources, you must provide a reference.
Sources such as journals, books, encyclopedias, computer programs and software, information from the internet, reports, newspapers, interviews, radio and television must be cited in the body of your paper and detailed in a reference list at the end. Information from Deakin study guides and readers must also be acknowledged.
Numbered citation style
The numbered citation style used by the Royal Society of Chemistry consists of the following elements:
- citations in the body of the paper, using consecutive superscript (raised) numbers
- a numbered reference list at the end of the paper giving the details of each source referred to.
Part 1 of this resource deals with citing sources in the body of the paper.
Part 2 deals with how to present reference entries for some of the common types of sources that students are likely to use in their assignments.
Part 1: In-text citations
In-text citations are references provided in the body of a paper to each work cited-books, journal articles, reports, material from the Web and the like. Consecutive superscript numbers are used for the sources cited.
The same number is used for a source throughout a paper. This number is determined by the first citation of the source. So, for example, if a work is the fourth source cited in a paper, it will be referred to by the superscript number 4 throughout that paper.
The superscript number appears immediately (with no space) after the word, phrase or sentence to which it relates. It is placed after the full stop at the end of a sentence and also after other punctuation marks.
The example that follows is an extract from a paper showing in-text citations (superscript numbers). The related reference list entries are provided below it.
When two or more references appear at the same point in the text (as in the following example) the relevant superscript numbers are separated by commas. Three or more consecutive citations are denoted by a range of numbers, e.g.2-4.
| Homonuclear metal cluster complexes have been extensively studied, with the chemistry of the triosmium clusters and organic substrates being the most well-established.1, 2 The synthesis and chemistry of homonuclear metal cluster complexes have been reported. 2, 3 | |
| 1,2 | superscript numbers |
| 2,3 | superscript numbers |
Refererences
1 D. F. Shriver, H. D. Kaesz and R. D. Adams, The Chemistry of Metal Cluster Complexes, VCH Publishers, New York, 1990.
2 K. Burgess, Polyhedron, 1984, 3, 1175-1225.
3 U. Klabunde, Inorg. Synth., 1974, 15, 82-84.
Part 2: Reference list
An important purpose of the reference list is to identify the sources cited in the paper so that readers can locate them. The reference list should appear at the end of the paper and provide the full bibliographic information about the sources cited. The list is arranged in numerical order, so readers can go from the superscript number in the body of the paper to the full details of the source.
- Initials precede the family names of authors and editors, e.g. P. S. Francis, R. A. Russell and N. W. Barnett.
- A list of names is separated by commas with 'and' between the last two names.
- The reference number does not have a full stop after it and the reference list entry is indented from the number, as in the examples that follow.
Journal article
The following information is included for journal articles: author(s), abbreviated journal title, year, volume number, issue number (if applicable), first page of article OR page range.
- Journal titles should be abbreviated and italicised.
- Volume number is indicated using bold font.
- Where possible, cite the range of pages, i.e. the first and last pages of each article.
Continuous pagination
Journals publish varying numbers of issues, making up a single volume. Continuous pagination (used by many journals) continues the sequence of page numbers through all the issues that make up a volume. It is not necessary to indicate issue numbers, as page numbers are sufficient to indicate the location of articles in volumes that use continuous pagination.
| 1 U. Klabunde, Inorg. Synth., 1974, 15, 82-84. | |
| 1 | number |
| U. Klabunde, | initial(s) and family name of author |
| Inorg. Synth., | journal title in italics and abbreviated |
| 1974, | year |
| 15, | volume |
| 82-84. | page numbers |
Separate pagination
Some journals do not number pages continuously through their issues that make up a volume. Each issue begins at page 1.
For such journals the issue number must be included. Page numbers alone are not sufficient to locate articles in a volume that has page numbers repeated.
| 2 K. F. Lim, Parabola, 1981, 17 (1) 17-23. | |
| 2 | number |
| K. F. Lim, | initials and family name of author |
| Parabola, | journal title |
| 1981, | year |
| 17 | volume |
| (1) | issue |
| 17-23. | page numbers |
Volumes numbered by year
Some journals use the year to distinguish each volume without a (separate) volume number. The year indicates the volume for such journals.
| 3 S. J. Davies, J. A. K. Howard, M. U. Pilotti and F. G. A. Stone, J. Chem. Soc. Dalton Trans., 1989, 1855-1863. | |
| 3 | number |
| S. J. Davies, J. A. K. Howard, M. U. Pilotti and F. G. A. Stone, | initials and family names of authors 'and' joins last two names |
| J. Chem. Soc. Dalton Trans., | journal title in italics and abbreviated |
| 1989, | year (also indicates volume) |
| 1855-1863. | page numbers |
Book: one or more authors
The following information is included for a book written by one or more authors: author(s), book title, publisher, city, edition number (if not the first), year, volume number (if applicable).
- Book titles should be italicised and use maximal capitalisation, i.e. all major words in the title should be capitalised.
- If the city of publication is not well known, then the state or the country should also be included.
- Edition number is provided only for second (or later) editions.
- Edition number is placed before the year.
| 4 G. H. Aylward and T. J. V. Findlay, S.I. Chemical Data, Wiley, Milton (Qld), 6th edn., 2008. | |
| 4 | number |
| G. H. Aylward and T. J. V. Findlay, | initials and family names of authors 'and' joins last two names |
| S.I. Chemical Data, | book title in italics with all major words capitalised |
| Milton | city |
| (Qld), | State (for relatively unknown city) |
| 6th edn., | edition if not first |
| 2008. | year |
Edited book
Some books are collections of individual contributions by various authors. The role of the editor is primary when you are referring to the entire book and not to a specific section or chapter by a particular author. In such cases the work is listed under the editor's name. The following information is included: editor(s), book title, publisher, city, edition number (if not the first), year, volume number (if applicable).
The format is the same as for a book, except that the name of the editor is provided in the author position and the abbreviation (ed.) is placed in parentheses after the name of the editor.
| 5 W. H. Miller (ed.), Dynamics of Molecular Collisions, Plenum Press, New York, 1976. | |
| 5 | number |
| W. H. Miller | initials and family name of editor |
| (ed.), | role as editor is indicated |
| Dynamics of Molecular Collisions, | book title in italics with all major words capitalised |
| Plenum Press, | publisher |
| New York, | city |
| 1976. | year |
Book section
When you refer to a specific article, report or chapter in an edited book containing individual contributions by various authors, you need to acknowledge the particular author whose work you are citing. Use a superscript number at the relevant point in your paper, as you would for journal articles, books and other sources.
In the reference list entry you need to first give the name of the author you cited plus information about the book in which the work appears. The following information is included: author cited, title of the book in which the work appears, editor(s), publisher, city, year, volume number (if applicable), page numbers or chapter number.
- The title of the book section or chapter is not identified but the word 'in' is used to indicate that the cited work is part of an edited collection.
- The first page of the chapter (or first page of the article) has to be identified. Where possible, cite the range of pages, i.e. give the first and last pages of the article.
- Note that the letter p. for 'page' or pp. for 'pages' is used with the page number(s) of articles or chapters in books. Journal articles do not use p. or pp. with page numbers.
| 6 P. C. Jurs, in Reviews in Computational Chemistry, ed. K. B. Lipkowitz and D. B. Boyd, VCH Publishers, New York, 1990, vol. 1, pp. 169-212. | |
| 6 | number |
| P. C. Jurs, | initials and family name of author |
| in | 'in' introduces book in which work appears |
| Reviews in Computational Chemistry, | book title in italics with all major words capitalised |
| ed. K. B. Lipkowitz and D. B. Boyd, | editors |
| VCH Publishers, | publisher |
| New York, | city |
| 1990, | year |
| vol. 1, | volume |
| pp. 169-212. | page numbers |
Encyclopedia article
It is not recommended to use articles from general encyclopedias like Microsoft Encarta or the Encyclopaedia Britannica. They usually give a general overview and are not appropriate to cite in university assignments, which should refer to specialist sources.
You may want to get an overview from a general encyclopedia article before you read/study/research a complex and difficult topic, but do not cite such a source in your assignment. Locate and use subject specific sources for citing information.
If you use an article from a specialist encyclopedia, cite it as you would a book section, that is, like an article or chapter in an edited book.
| 7 P. Corradini and G. Guerra, in Macmillan Encyclopedia of Chemistry, ed. J. J. Lagowski, Simon & Schuster Macmillan, New York, 1997, vol. 4, pp. 1538-1543. | |
| 7 | number |
| P. Corradini and G. Guerra, | initial(s) and family names of authors 'and' joins names |
| in | 'in' introduces encyclopedia |
| Macmillan Encyclopedia of Chemistry, | encyclopedia title |
| ed. J. J. Lagowski, | editor |
| Simon & Schuster Macmillan, | publisher |
| New York, | city |
| 1997, | year |
| vol. 4, | volume |
| pp. 1538-1543. | page numbers |
Computer programs and software
Computer programs that are released through a program library, e.g. the Quantum Chemistry Program Exchange or the Computer Physics Communications Library, are referenced as journal articles based on the announcement of the program's release.
| 8 W. L. Hase, R. J. Duchovic, X. Hu, A. Komornicki, K. F. Lim, D.-H. Lu, G. H. Peslherbe, K. N. Swamy, S. R. Vande Linde, A. Varandas, H. Wang and R. J. Wolf, Quantum Chem. Program Exchange Bull., 1996, 16(4), 43. | |
| 8 | number |
| W. L. Hase, R. J. Duchovic, X. Hu, A. Komornicki, K. F. Lim, D.-H. Lu, G. H. Peslherbe, K. N. Swamy, S. R. Vande Linde, A. Varandas, H. Wang and R. J. Wolf, | initials and family names of authors 'and' joins last two names |
| Quantum Chem. Program Exchange Bull., | title in italics and abbreviated |
| 1996, | year |
| 16 | volume |
| (4), | issue |
| 43. | page number |
Computer programs that are released through an institution or a commercial publisher should be referenced like a book, except that the title of the computer program is not italicised.
| 9 R. G. Gilbert, M. J. T. Jordan and S. C. Smith, Program package UNIMOL: Calculation of rate coefficients for unimolecular and recombination reactions, University of Sydney, 1990. | |
| 9 | number |
| R. G. Gilbert, M. J. T. Jordan and S. C. Smith | initials and family names of authors 'and' joins last two names |
| Program package UNIMOL: Calculation of rate coefficients for unimolecular and recombination reactions, | title of computer program (no italics) |
| University of Sydney, | institution |
| 1990. | year |
Web material
Material from the web must be checked for reliability, accuracy and appropriateness. For guidelines on evaluating materials from the web, see The Chemistry Style Manual, Appendix G: Reliability of World Wide Web Reference Materials.
Information on the web is constantly changing. Hence, there must be sufficient information in your bibliographic description for readers to retrieve the document and to compare the version that they are reading with the version that you are citing.
It is important to maintain as much style consistency as possible between the referencing of paper-based and online materials.
Take note of the following points regarding reference list entries for material from the web:
- A web citation should provide author(s), title of document, the URL (web address), the date of the document and the date the material was accessed.
- If there is no identifiable author, list the institution providing the document on their web site. (See the example that follows.)
- The title of the document should be italicised and all major words capitalised.
- Copy URLs directly from the browser address window and paste into your document. (Discrepancies in punctuation and capitalisation can make a web address incorrect.)
- If you have to break a web address across a line, do so after a slash or before a full stop. Do not add a hyphen at the line break.
- It is very important to give the date on which you accessed the document as material on the Web is constantly changing, and the URL can also change.
| 10 Royal Society of Chemistry, Common Journal Abbreviations, ‹http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/ReSourCe/AuthorGuidelines/AuthoringTools/JournalAbbreviations›, 2010 (accessed 3 September 2010). | |
| 10 | number |
| Royal Society of Chemistry, | institution |
| Common Journal Abbreviations, | document title in italics |
| ‹http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/ReSourCe/AuthorGuidelines/AuthoringTools/JournalAbbreviations›, | URL |
| 2010 | year |
| (accessed 3 September 2010). | date accessed |
A sample reference list in numbered citation style
1 U. Klabunde, Inorg. Synth., 1974, 15, 82-84.
2 K. F. Lim, Parabola, 1981, 17 (1) 17-23.
3 S. J. Davies, J. A. K. Howard, M. U. Pilotti and F. G. A. Stone, J. Chem. Soc. Dalton Trans., 1989, 1855-1863.
4 G. H. Aylward and T. J. V. Findlay, S.I. Chemical Data, Wiley, Milton (Qld), 6th edn., 2008.
5 W. H. Miller (ed.), Dynamics of Molecular Collisions, Plenum Press, New York, 1976.
6 P. C. Jurs, in Reviews in Computational Chemistry, ed. K. B. Lipkowitz and D. B. Boyd, VCH Publishers, New York, 1990, vol. 1, pp. 169-212.
7 P. Corradini and G. Guerra, in Macmillan Encyclopedia of Chemistry, ed. J. J. Lagowski, Simon & Schuster Macmillan, New York, 1997, vol. 4, pp. 1538-1543.
8 W. L. Hase, R. J. Duchovic, X. Hu, A. Komornicki, K. F. Lim, D.-H. Lu, G. H. Peslherbe, K. N. Swamy, S. R. Vande Linde, A. Varandas, H. Wang and R. J. Wolf, Quantum Chem. Program Exchange Bull., 1996, 16(4), 43.
9 R. G. Gilbert, M. J. T. Jordan and S. C. Smith, Program package UNIMOL: Calculation of rate coefficients for unimolecular and recombination reactions, University of Sydney, 1990.
10 Royal Society of Chemistry, Common Journal Abbreviations, ‹http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/ReSourCe/AuthorGuidelines/AuthoringTools/JournalAbbreviations›, 2010 (accessed 3 September 2010).
Further reading
Details of all referencing styles used at Deakin can be accessed at www.deakin.edu.au/referencing and in printed form from the Division of Student Life.
K. F. Lim, The Chemistry Style Manual, Deakin University, Geelong (Vic.), rev. edn., 2010.
