How to Cite a PDF in American Chemical Society (ACS)
To cite a PDF in ACS, cite the underlying document, usually a report or technical document, giving the author or organization, the title, the publisher, the year, and the URL with the accessed date. The PDF is a delivery format, not a citation type.
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How to cite a pdf in ACS step by step
- Identify the document type. Decide whether the PDF is a report, technical bulletin, or article, and cite it in that form.
- Name the author or organization. Use the personal author, or the issuing body when no individual is named.
- Give the title. Enter the full document title as printed on the PDF.
- Add publisher and year. Name the publisher or issuing organization and the year, with the year in bold per ACS.
- Add the URL. Give the direct URL to the PDF.
- Record the accessed date. Close with the date you accessed the file.
ACS pdf citation format
An ACS reference to a PDF document runs author or organization, title, publisher, bold year, URL, and accessed date. ACS cites by the nature of the document, not by the file format.
Common pdf citation variations
How do I cite a technical report PDF in ACS?
Use the issuing organization as the author, give the title and any report number, then the publisher, year, URL, and accessed date.
How do I cite a PDF with no author in ACS?
Use the issuing organization as the author. If there is none, begin with the title and keep the year and accessed date.
Do I write PDF in an ACS citation?
No. ACS cites the document as a report or article, and the URL signals it is an online file without labeling it PDF.
How do I cite a journal article downloaded as a PDF in ACS?
Cite it as a journal article with authors, journal, year, volume, pages, and DOI, since the PDF is just a copy of that article.
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PDF citation FAQ
Does ACS have a dedicated PDF citation type?
No. You cite the underlying report or article, and the URL shows it was downloadable.
Do PDFs need a page number in ACS?
Give a specific page only when you quote or reference one part of the document.