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Librarians are always here to help! Never hesitate to ask a question, whether you:
The chemistry field typically uses the ACS (American Chemical Society) style to cite sources used in research papers.
It is important to document your sources so that the reader can locate them, and so that the original author is credited. Citation styles such as ACS ensure that documentation is consistent and easily interpreted by the reader. Not properly documenting your sources is a form of plagiarism.
Other styles include MLA, (Modern Language Association), APA (American Psychological Association) and Chicago. Check with your instructor to see which styles he or she wants you to use.
See the NECC Libraries' Citation Guide for examples of and help with MLA, APA, and Chicago.
You may be asked to use ACS (American Chemical Society) style to cite your sources. This style is often used for research papers in the field of chemistry.
Examples of formatting and citations in ACS style:
The ACS Style Guide by Basic format for a book:
Lastname, Firstname**. Title of Book: Subtitle of Book. Publisher, Year Published.
Everly, George S., Jr., and Jeffrey M. Lating. The Johns Hopkins Guide to Psychological First Aid. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2017.
Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. Penguin Press, 2006.
Siebert, Lee, et al. Volcanoes of the World. Smithsonian Institution, 2010.
Basic format for an eBook:
Author or Editor (if given). Title of Book: Subtitle of Book. e-book ed., Publisher, Publication date. Provider/Database/Container, URL (if available).
Bleeker, Maaike, editor. Anatomy Live: Performance and the Operating Theater. e-book ed., Amsterdam University Press, 2008. Ebook Central, ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/necc-ebooks/detail.action?docID=456860.
Basic format for a book chapter or work in an anthology:
Author of chapter. "Title of Chapter: Subtitle of Chapter." Title of Book: Subtitle of Book, edited by Firstname Lastname, Publisher, Publication date, pp. x-xx.
Vicioso, Sherezada. “The Caribbean, or the Feminine Face of Multiculturalism.” Daring to Write: Contemporary Narratives by Dominican Women, edited by Erika M. Martinez, University of Georgia Press, 2016, pp. 159-163.
*If there are 2 authors use this format: Lastname 1, Firstname 1, and Firstname 2 Lastname 2 (such as in the Everly example above).
**If there are three or more authors only put the primary author's name and follow it with "et al." (such as in the Siebert example above).
Basic format for periodicals:
Lastname, Firstname. "Title of Article: Subtitle of Article." Title of Periodical, vol. #, issue no. #, Publication Date, pages. Database Name*, DOI/URL. Date of Access**.
*Only put the name of the database that an article was found in if it was found in a database. If it was found in print or on the web omit this section.
**You only need to put a date of access if there is not a publication date.
From an academic/scholarly journal:
Overton, Tiffany L., et al. “Distracted Driving: Prevalence, Problems, and Prevention.” International Journal of Injury Control & Safety Promotion, vol. 22, no. 3, Sept. 2015, pp. 187–192. Academic Search Complete, doi:10.1080/17457300.2013.879482.
Smith, Gary, and Margaret Hwang Smith. "Like Mother, Like Daughter? An Economic Comparison of Immigrant Mothers and Their Daughters." International Migration, vol. 51, no. 2, 2013, pp. 181-190.
From a newspaper:
Healy, Melissa. "Opioid Addiction can be Overcome with Mindfulness, Study Suggests." Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2019, www.latimes.com/science/story/2019-10-17/addiction-to-opioids-can-be-overcome-with-mindfulness.
Martin, Naomi. "New Hampshire's Opioid Crisis Looms Over Marijuana Legalization Debate." Boston Globe, 5 Feb. 2019. ProQuest, login.ezproxyness.helmlib.org/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.ezproxyness.helmlib.org/docview/2176030699?accountid=37958.
Max, Arthur. “Blair Begins Mission as Mideast Envoy.” The Boston Globe, 24 July 2007, p. A3.
From a popular magazine:
Ford, Anne. "It's Not Such a Small World After All: Introducing Older Adults to Virtual Reality." American Libraries, vol. 50, no. 3/4, Mar./Apr. 2019, pp. 22-23.
Gugliotta, Guy. “The Maya: Glory and Ruin.” National Geographic, vol. 212, no. 2, Aug. 2007, pp. 68‐73.
Toensmeier, Eric, and Dennis Garrity. “The Biomass Bottleneck.” Scientific American, vol. 323, no. 2, Aug. 2020, pp. 64-71. Academic Search Complete, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=144469972&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
Basic format for web sources:
Author or Editor (if given). "Title of Webpage." Name of Website. Publisher or Sponsor of the website*, Date published or updated, URL/DOI/permalink. Accessed date**.
United States, Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Art Directors." Occupational Outlook Handbook, 8 Aug. 2018, www.bls.gov.ooh/arts-and-design/art-directors/htm.
“The Most Haunted Places in Boston.” Ghosts & Gravestones, www.ghostsandgravestones.com/boston/haunted-places.php. Accessed 8 Apr. 2020
Teitell, Beth. "Why We Turn into Different People When We Fly." Boston Globe, 9 July 2019, www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/07/09/ why-turn-into-different-people-when-ly/sxf7XYIHGpm0FkfVct L26M/story.html.
Many web sources do not always provide all of the above information (such as an individual author, or a publication date). Check the pages under the "more help" tab, or, ask a librarian!
* If the Publisher is the same as the name of the website, omit it. See the Teitell example above
** You do not need to put a date of access if there is a date of publication on the webpage. If there is not a date of publication or date last updated, do not use the copyright date of the website. Use the date you accessed the webpage/website and place it at the end of your citation after the URL/DOI/Permalink. See "The Most Haunted" example above.
Basic format for Twitter:
@Twitter handle. "Insert the entire tweet here." Twitter, DD Mon. YYYY, Time of the post*, URL of tweet.
*to find the time of posting hover over the date of the posting itself.
@BostonGlobe. "Not all potholes are created equal. Some have cost the City of Boston thousands of dollars in payments.
bos.gl/MgY2nvG." Twitter, 2 Apr. 2018, 4:59 a.m., twitter.com/BostonGlobe/status/980776643068399616.
Basic format for Facebook:
Author Last Name, First Name or Account Name. Description of Post*. Facebook, DD Mon. YYYY, Time of Post, URL.
*as Facebook posts can be lengthy, simply write your own short description of the post.
The Boston Globe. Eversource talks about ways to cut down on power outages. Facebook, 1 Apr. 2018, 10:15 p.m., www.facebook.com/globe/.
For more help citing social media using MLA style please check out this page of the Purdue OWL website
Basic format for a webinar:
Lastname, Firstname of presenter. Title of Webinar*. Publisher or organization responsible for the webinar, Date of Webinar, URL (only necessary if watching a recorded webinar). Webinar**.
Gibson, Angela. MLA Style 101. Modern Language Association, 22 Aug. 2017. Webinar.
Gibson, Angela. MLA Style 101. Modern Language Association, 30 Aug. 2017, outreach.mla.org/mla-style.
*Note that the title of the webinar is styled without quotation marks or italics.
**It is optional to add the word "Webinar" after the date of a live webinar, or the URL of a pre-recorded webinar.
Basic format for PowerPoint presentations:
Lastname, Firstname. Title of Presentation. Name of Learning Management System, uploaded by Firstname Lastname*, Date uploaded, URL of the Learning Management System. PowerPoint presentation*.
Carson, Sandy. Introduction to Digital Humanities. Blackboard, uploaded by Carson, 20 Oct. 2019, blackboard.ucla.edu/. PowerPoint presentation.
*It is optional to add the words "PowerPoint presentation" after the URL of the Learning Management System.
Basic format for a work of art:
Artist or username. Title. Date the image was created. Medium. Museum, City. Database name or title of site, URL. Date of access.
Chagall, Marc. Village Street. 1930s. Oil on canvas. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Museum of Fine Arts, www.mfa.org/collections/object/village-street-34267. Accessed 1 Oct. 2014.
An example from a database:
Chagall, Marc.The Yellow Room. 1911. Oil on canvas. Private collection. Artstor, library.artstor.org/library/secure/ViewImages?id=%2FThWdC8hIywtPygxFTx5RngtU3IqeFo%3D&userId=hzZAfDkg&zoomparams=. Accessed 21 Sept. 2016.
Basic format for video(s):
Title of the video. Directed by Name Lastname, Distributor, Year.
Example of a film:
Demolition Man. Directed by Marco Brambilla, Warner Bros. Pictures, 1993.
Examples of a video uploaded on YouTube:
McGonigal, Jane. “Gaming and Productivity.” YouTube, uploaded by Big Think, 3 July 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkdzy9bWW3E.
"Kingston's Warning to the Jericho Appreciation Society is Heard Loud & Clear. AEW Dynamite, 4/27/22." YouTube, uploaded by All Elite Wrestling, 28 April 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1YsiX7j8XU
Example of a television episode on a streaming service:
"Eighteen Years Lost". Making a Murderer, season 1, episode 1, Synthesis Films, 2015. Netflix, https://www.netflix.com/title/80000770
The library offers FREE access to the citation manager NoodleTools. NoodleTools can help you keep track of and organize your citations, and automatically create bibliographies. Click on the image or link below for more information.
Here are some other resources that you may find helpful in learning how to appropriately cite materials using the 8th edition of the Modern Language Association Handbook.
If you need more assistance, please ask a librarian.
Basic format for a book or eBook*
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication). Title of book: Capital letter for the first word of the subtitle. Publisher Name. DOI or URL
*Use the same formats for both print books and ebooks. For ebooks, the format, platform, or device (e.g., Kindle) is not included in the reference (APA Style Book/EBook References).
Authored book with a DOI
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).
https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596
Brown, L. S. (2018). Feminist therapy (2nd ed.). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000092-000
Authored book without a DOI
Everly, G.S., Jr., & Lating, J. M. (2017). The Johns Hopkins guide to psychological first aid. Johns Hopkins University Press.
Basic format for a book chapter
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication). Title of chapter: Capital letter for the first word of the subtitle. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Title of book: Capital letter for the first word of the subtitle (Edition, Vol. #, pp. x-xx). Publisher Name. DOI or URL
Book chapter
Barreto, A. R., Campos, M. M., Dias, M. C. M., Friedmann, A., Haddad, L., Kishimoto, T. M., & Vitoria, T. (2007). Brazil. In R. S. New & M. Cochran (Eds.), Early childhood education: An international encyclopedia (Vol. 4, pp. 914-970). Praeger.
Work in an anthology
Vicioso, S. (2016). The Caribbean, or the feminine face of multiculturalism. In E. M. Martinez (Ed.), Daring to write: Contemporary narratives by Dominican women (pp. 159-163). University of Georgia Press. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41276-017-0075-x
Use this format for periodicals, magazines, newspapers, blog posts, and other sources that are available in print and on the web. Do not use this for webpages, websites, and digital-only sources such as CNN, BBC News, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Mayo Clinic, etc...
Basic format for a periodical
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication). Title of article: Capital letter for the first word of the subtitle. Title of Periodical, Volume(Issue), page-page. DOI or URL
Do not use copyright or review dates in place of publication dates. If no date of publication or last update is given, use (n.d.).
Article with a DOI
Schwartz, J., Bind, M.-A., & Koutrakis, P. (2017). Estimating causal effects of local air pollution on daily deaths: Effect of low levels. Environmental Health Perspectives, 125(1), 23–29. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP232
Article with a URL (newspaper)
Martin, N. (2019, February 5). New Hampshire’s opioid crisis looms over marijuana legalization debate. The Boston Globe. https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/marijuana/2019/02/05/new-hampshire-opioid-crisis-looms-over-marijuana-legalization-debate/xBoezjtW0FzPbU1oyuS71M/story.html
Article with a URL (magazine)
Sciolino, E. (2020, May). The invention of hiking. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/invention-hiking-1-180974592/
Article with a URL (blog)
McKenna, N. (2020, April 14). The signaling pathways project: A FAIR portal into the cell signaling ‘omics data universe. PLOS Collections. https://blogs.plos.org/collections/the-signaling-pathways-project/
Use this format for webpages, websites, and digital-only sources such as CNN, BBC News, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Mayo Clinic. Do not use this for periodicals, magazines, newspapers, blog posts, and other sources that are available in print and on the web.
Basic format for web sources
Author, A. A. (Date of publication). Title of work: Capital letter for the first word of the subtitle. Title of Website. URL
Do not use copyright or review dates in place of publication dates. If no date of publication or last update is given, use (n.d.).
Webpage on a news website
Shukman, D. (2019, April 2). What does air pollution do to our bodies? BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-47777103
Webpage on a website with a group author
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). About high blood pressure. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/about.htm
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2020, April 10). Recreational therapists. U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/recreational-therapists.htm#tab-1
Webpage on a website with no author
Tuscan white bean pasta. (2018, February 25). Budgetbytes. https://www.budgetbytes.com/tuscan-white-bean-pasta/
Online dictionary, thesaurus, or encyclopedia entry:
Central Intelligence Agency. (2020, March 19). Central America: Haiti. In The world factbook. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/ the-worldfactbook/geos/aa.html
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Equity. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved November 9, 2020, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/equity
Basic format for social media posts
Author, A. A. [@username]. (YYYY, Month DD). Insert the first 20 words of the post here [Description of audiovisuals if necessary] [Type of post]. Name of Site. URL
Author, A. A. (YYYY, Month DD). Insert the first 20 words of the post here [Description of audiovisuals if necessary]. Facebook. URL
National Institute of Mental Health. (2020, May 7). Today is Children's Mental Health Awareness Day. If you’re concerned about your child’s mental health, where do you begin? Start [Image attached]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/nimhgov/posts/10159664588226978
Author, A. A. [@username]. (YYYY, Month DD). Insert the first 20 words of the post here [Description of audiovisuals]. Instagram. URL
Smithsonian Libraries [@silibraries]. (2020, May 14). Alpine Flowers Tales (Alpenblumenmärchen) is a 1922 illustrated storybook that describes the woodland adventures of two acorn children who get [Watercolor illustration]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CALfxZ1A6ck/
Author, A. A. [@username]. (YYYY, Month DD). Insert the first 20 words of the post here [Description of audiovisuals if necessary] [Tweet]. Twitter. URL
National Geographic [@NatGeo]. (2020, April 12). Harpy eagles—the largest of all the eagles—may look like something from a fantasy book, but in the wild [Thumbnail with link attached] [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/NatGeo/status/1249400149731934208?s=20
Basic format for visual media
Author, A. A. & Author, B. B. (Role of authors). (Date of publication). Title of media: Capitalize the first letter of a subtitle [Description of media]. Publisher/Production Company. URL
Citing an infographic
Creator of Infographic. (date of publication). Title of the infographic: Capitalize the first letter of the subtitle [Infographic]. URL
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Data sharing [Infographic]. https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/ data-sharing-infographic.pdf
Citing artwork in a museum or on a museum website
Artist, A. A. (Date of creation). Title of artwork: Capitalize the first word of a subtitle [Description of artwork]. Museum Name, Museum Location. URL
Murakami, T. (2002). If the double helix wakes up... [Painting]. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA. https://collections.mfa.org/objects/354616/if-the-double-helix-wakes-up?ctx=14b9a41f-1230-490c-9bf9-3b00357e070e&idx=1
Rostgaard, A. (1967). Cancion protesta [Song protest] [Silkscreen]. Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY. https://www.moma.org/collection/works/7913
Citing artwork from a database
The following examples were found in various databases, however, note that APA 7 discourages the use of Database names in citations. Additionally, even though the works of art are retrieved from databases, the database states where the images are held. You would cite that as the location instead of the database itself.
Artist, A. A. (Date of creation). Title of artwork: Capitalize the first word of a subtitle [Description of artwork]. Database Name. Database URL (do not use a permalink to the piece of art if it requires the user to log in. If that is the case simply put the URL of the database itself)
Helicobacter pylori bacterium [Photograph]. (n.d.). Science Photo Library. https://www.sciencephoto.com/
Homer, W. (1909). Right & left [Oil on canvas]. The Granger Collection. https://www.granger.com
Miró, J. (1918). Portrait of Juanita Obrador [Oil on canvas]. Art Institute of Chicago. https://www.artic.edu/
Basic format for visual media
Author, A. A. & Author, B. B. (Role of authors). (Date of publication). Title of media: Capitalize the first letter of a subtitle [Description of media]. Publisher/Production Company. URL
Citing a webinar or PowerPoint
Author, A. A. & Author, B. B. (Date of publication). Title of webinar or PowerPoint: Capitalize the first letter of a subtitle [Webinar/PowerPoint slides]. Publisher. URL
Goldberg, J. F. (2018) Evaluating adverse drug effects [Webinar]. American Psychiatric Association. https://education.psychiatry.org/Users/ProductDetails.aspx?ActivityID=6172
Jones, J. (2016, March 23). Guided reading: Making the most of it [PowerPoint slides]. SlideShare. https://www.slideshare.net/hellojenjones/guided-reading-making-the-most-of-it
Citing a film or tv series
Producer, A. A. & Producer, B. B. (Producers). (Year). Title of film or series: Capitalize the first letter of a subtitle [Description]. Production Company A; Production Company B. URL.
Jackson, P. (Director). (2001). The lord of the rings: The fellowship of the ring [Film; four-disc special extended ed. on DVD]. WingNut Films; The Saul Zaentz Company.
Ricciardi, L., & Demos, M. (Directors). (2015). Making a murderer [Television series]. Synthesis Films; Netflix. https://www.netflix.com/title/80000770
Citing an online video (YouTube, Vimeo, etc...)
Uploader, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of work: Capitalize the first word of a subtitle [Description of work]. Publisher. URL
TED. (2011, May 2). Beware online “filter bubbles” [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/B8ofWFx525s
University of Oxford. (2018, December 6). How do geckos walk on water? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm1xGfOZJc8
What is a DOI?
Why use a DOI and not a URL or Permalink?
How do I find the DOI?
What if the DOI isn't on the article or book?
For further information on using DOIs in APA Style references:
Click the image or link below to search Crossref.org for a DOI.
The library offers FREE access to the citation manager NoodleTools. NoodleTools can help you keep track of and organize your citations, and automatically create bibliographies. Click on the image or link below for more information.
Here are some other resources that you may find helpful in learning how to appropriately cite materials using the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
If you need more assistance, please ask a librarian.
To cite this LibGuide use the following templates:
APA: Northern Essex Community College Library. (Date updated). Title of page. Title of LibGuide. URL
MLA: Northern Essex Community College Library. "Title of Page." Title of LibGuide, Date updated, URL.
