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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.
This resource explains some of the more common applications of a numbered citation style that can be used for chemistry units offered by the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at Deakin. It deals with the Royal Society of Chemistry referencing style and uses examples and explanations from Chapter 4 of the Chemistry Style Manual, 2nd rev. edn., 2006, by Professor Kieran Lim of Deakin University.
Note that students can also use the American Chemical Society referencing style for chemistry assignments and reports. There are minor differences between that style and the Royal Society of Chemistry style that is explained in this resource. The variations are in punctuation, use of italics/bold, and so on. It is important to choose one style for a paper, and be consistent. Do not mix and match styles.
Biomedical science and biochemistry commonly use the Vancouver style of referencing. This system also uses a numbered referencing style, with minor differences from the style described here. Our resource Referencing using Vancouver style provides explanation and examples of this style of referencing.
Biology commonly uses the author-date method of referencing. Our resource Referencing using the author-date (Harvard) system provides explanation and examples of this style of referencing.
A word of warning—you should always check your unit guide and/or with your academic staff (unit chair, lecturer or tutor) to make sure about the referencing requirements for each unit that you are undertaking.
Your paper 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.
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. Similarly, if you copy a passage word for word, or if you rephrase a passage in your own words, you must acknowledge where you obtained it from.
Sources such as journals, books, encyclopedias, computer programs and software, information from the Web, 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.
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.
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 |
| Notes and references 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. |
The 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.
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 |
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,
|
initals and family name of author |
|
Parabola,
|
journal title
|
|
1981,
|
year |
|
17 |
volume |
|
(1)
|
issue |
|
17-23.
|
page numbers |
|
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 |
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).
4 G. H. Aylward and T. J. V. Findlay, S.I. Chemical Data, Wiley, Milton (Qld), 5th edn., 2002. |
|
|
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) |
|
5th
edn.,
|
edition if not first |
|
2002.
|
year |
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 |
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.
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 word 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 |
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 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 |
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:
|
10 Royal Society of Chemistry, Common Journal Abbreviations, <http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/ReSourCe/AuthorGuidelines/AuthoringTools/JournalAbbreviations>, 2006 (accessed 23 January 2006). |
|
| 10
|
number |
| Royal Society of Chemistry,
|
institution |
| Common Journal Abbreviations,
|
document title in italics |
| <http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/ReSourCe/AuthorGuidelines/AuthoringTools/
JournalAbbreviations>,
|
URL |
| 2006
|
year |
| (accessed 23 January 2006).
|
date accessed |
Set out below is a reference list in the Royal Society of Chemistry style, using the examples provided in this resource.
Notes and references
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), 5th edn., 2002.
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>, 2006 (accessed 23 January 2006).
In addition, a select listing of journal titles and abbreviations is available
in The Chemistry Style Manual, Appendix H: Abbreviations of Journal Names.
Chemistry students in their second and third year at Deakin are encouraged to use EndNote. This is a software program that is available for the use of Deakin students and staff. The user builds up a ‘library’ of reference entries in a database by entering the bibliographic details of sources used. In-text citations and a reference list can be produced according to the referencing system the user specifies. (Many are available.)
For more information on using EndNote, see The Chemistry Style Manual, Appendix D: Use of the EndNote Program.
K. F. Lim, The Chemistry Style Manual, Deakin University, Geelong (Vic.), 2nd rev. edn., 2006.
