Formatting Citations and References
In this chapter, we introduce you to formatting conventions for citations and references. Writers are obligated to cite others’ works that have significantly influenced or are relevant to their own work. It goes without saying that to include another’s original ideas without proper acknowledgment is plagiarism. Consequently, this stage of the writing process is critical both professionally and ethically. Although citations and references are inextricably linked, for clarity we deal with them separately. By the end of the chapter, you will be able to do the following: ■ Know what information should be cited ■ Know what information need not be cited ■ Use in-text citations appropriately ■ Recognize different reference formats (numerical and alphabetical) ■ Determine the appropriate reference format for your work Two Citing on Your Own tasks will guide you in preparing proper citations and references as you do the following: 17A Finalize citations 17B Compile and format references The seriousness of properly compiling and formatting citations and references is predictably emphasized in Information for Authors documents. The excerpts below serve as vital reminders of the importance of checking relevant guidelines before finalizing citations and references in your written work: Authors should be judicious in citing the literature; unnecessarily long lists of references should be avoided. (Author Information, J. Org. Chem. 2007, 72, 16A) The accuracy and completeness of the references are the authors’ responsibility. (Authors’ Guide, Anal. Chem. 2007, 79, 390 Avoid references to works that have not been peer-reviewed. (Instructions to Authors, Environ. Sci. Technol. 2007, 30) The citation of references in text . . . varies widely from journal to journal and publisher to publisher. . . . Authors are encouraged to check the author guidelines for a specific publication to find information on citing references. (The ACS Style Guide: Coghill and Garson, 2006) Most authors attend to citations and references when their work is nearly complete; useful reminders may be inserted into the text as they write—such as “cite Kopinski here” or “add ref”—but properly formatted citations and references are often added in the last stages of writing.