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CHS 3501 - Introduction to Forensic Science

CItation Management & Scientific Writing

Writing Assistance:

How to Write Scientifically

Scientific writing is technical writing by a scientist, with an audience of peers- and is used to refer to reports of original research in journals. It is also used in the following: review articles (which summarize and synthesize previous research), annotated bibliographies (which aid others in performing research), abstracts (which summarize experiments or studies), and grant proposals (which seek funding for research). Scientific writing should be precise, clear and objective.

Resources on ACS Style

How to Locate ACS Journal Abbreviations

Click on the link below to be taken to the ACS official website for journal abbreviations:

https://cassi.cas.org/search.jsp

To locate non-ACS journal abbreviations, do the following: 

  • Run a Google search for ISO4 abbreviation and the name of your journal. 
  • For example: "iso4 abbreviation for journal of forensic science."
  • Locate a reliable source from the search results. One that comes from a reputable site like the journal publisher is best.
  • Use the journal abbreviation provided in the Google search, J. Forensic Sci. in your ACS citation. 

Article IDs & Inclusive Page Numbers in ACS Style

Journals with Article IDs

With the new update to ACS Style, journal articles are utilizing an Article ID rather than including inclusive page numbers. The below image provides an example of a journal article with the Article ID number circled in green. 

If an article you come across in your research has an Article ID, use only the ID in your ACS citation instead of inclusive page numbers.

Journals with Inclusive Page Numbers

When a journal article has inclusive page numbers instead of an Article ID, as the following example shows with the set of page numbers circled in red, make sure to include them in your citation. 

When you come across a journal in your research that has page numbers and not an Article ID, include only the page numbers in your ACS citation. 

DOIs in ACS Style

A DOI is the unique object identifier of a given journal article. Whenever a DOI is listed, use it in your ACS citation. 

Below is an example of an article with the DOI circled in blue. 

The Specifics of a DOI

In looking at the specifics of a DOI for an ACS journal, this article: https://axial.acs.org/2016/04/21/where-doi-come-from/ provides a thorough explanation. 

See the image below for further details