What citation style should you use for a science paper? In this post, we explore the most frequently used citation styles for science. We cover APA, IEEE, ACS, and others and provide examples of each style.
#1 APA
APA (American Psychological Association) style is a citation format used in the social sciences, education, and engineering, as well as in the sciences. APA consists of two elements: in-text citations and a reference list.
It uses an author-date system, in which the author’s last name and year of publication are put in parentheses (e.g. Smith 2003). These parenthetical citations refer the reader to a list at the end of the paper, which includes information about each source.
APA style resources
🌐 Official APA style guidelines
APA style examples
Here is an example of an in-text citation in APA style:
In recent years, much debate has been stirred regarding volcanic soil (Avşar et al., 2018).
Here is a bibliography entry in APA style:
. (2015). On the Difficulties of Geotechnical Sampling and practical Estimates of the Strength of a weakly bonded Volcanic Soil. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment, 74(4), 1375–1394. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-014-0710-9
#2 Chicago
Chicago style is another form of citation used for science papers and journals. It has two formats: a notes and bibliography system and an author-date system.
The notes and bibliography system is mostly used for the humanities, whereas the author-date system is used in science and business. The latter uses in-text citations formed by the author's last name and date of publication. A bibliography at the end of the paper lists the full information for all references.
Chicago style resources
🌐 Official Chicago style guidelines
Chicago style examples
Here is an in-text citation in Chicago style:
However, a research proved this theory right (Hofman and Rick 2018, 65-115).
Here is a bibliography entry in Chicago style:
. “Ancient Biological Invasions and Island Ecosystems: Tracking Translocations of Wild Plants and Animals.” Journal of Archaeological Research 26, no. 1 (2018): 65–115. doi.org/10.1007/s10814-017-9105-3.
#3 CSE
CSE style is the standard format used in the physical and life sciences. This style features three types of citation systems: citation-sequence, name-year, and citation-name.
• Name-Year: In-text citations of this type feature the author’s last name and the year of publication in brackets. A bibliography at the end lists all references in full.
• Citation-Sequence: Every source is assigned a superscript number that is used as an in-text reference. The bibliography at the end lists all numbers with their references in the order in which they appeared in the text.
• Citation-Name: The reference list is organized alphabetically by authors’ last names; each name is assigned a number which can be placed in superscript as an in-text reference.
CSE style resources
🌐 Official CSE style guidelines
CSE style examples
Here is an example of an in-text citation in CSE name-year style:
Therefore, the translocation of wild plants was tracked (Hofman and Rick 2018).
Here is a bibliography entry in CSE name-year style:
Hofman CA, Rick TC. 2018. Ancient Biological Invasions and Island Ecosystems: Tracking Translocations of Wild Plants and Animals. J. Archaeol. [accessed 2019 Mar 11]; 26(1): 65–11. doi.org/10.1007/s10814-017-9105-3.
#4 AIP
AIP style, as its title suggests, is commonly applied in physics and astronomy papers. This style has a numbered citation system, which uses superscript numbers to show in-text citations. These numbers correspond to a list of sources at the end of the paper.
AIP style resources
🌐 Official AIP style guidelines
AIP style examples
Here is an in-text citation in AIP style:
A similar study was carried out in 2015¹.
Here is a bibliography entry in AIP style:
¹ H.D. Young and R.A. Freedman, Sears & Zemansky's University Physics (Addison-Wesley, San Francisco, CA, 2015) p. 160
#5 ACS
ACS style is the standard citation style for chemistry. This style uses both numeric and author-date citations systems. The numbered in-text citations can have either a superscript number or a number in italics. Full references for each source are listed at the end of the paper.
ACS style resources
🌐 Official ACS style guidelines
ACS style examples
Here is an in-text citation in ACS author-date style:
The opposing side was given first (Brown et al., 2017).
Here is a bibliography entry in ACS author-date style:
Brown, T.E.; LeMay H.E.; Bursten, B.E.; Murphy, C.; Woodward, P.; Stoltzfus M.E. Chemistry: The Central Science in SI Units. Pearson: New York, 2017.
#6 IEEE
IEEE style is used for engineering and science papers. This style uses a numeric, in-text citation format, with a number in square brackets. This number corresponds to a reference list entry at the end of the paper.
IEEE style resources
🌐 Official IEEE style guidelines
IEEE style examples
Here is an example of an in-text citation in IEEE style:
As seen in a multi-camera study [1]...
Here is a bibliography entry in IEEE style:
[1] E. Nuger and B. Benhabib, “Multi-Camera Active-Vision for Markerless Shape Recovery of Unknown Deforming Objects,” J. Intell. Rob. Syst., vol. 92, no. 2, pp. 223–264, Oct. 2018.
Frequently Asked Questions about citation styles used in science
🧫 What is the most frequently used citation style used in science?
The most frequently used citation style in the sciences is APA (American Psychological Association) style.
🔬 What citation system is the best to use for science?
There are two major types of citation systems you can use: author-date or numeric. Numeric citation styles tend to be preferred for science disciplines.
💾 Do you have to add a bibliography in science papers?
Yes, you have to add a bibliography or reference list citing all sources mentioned in your scientific paper.
📊 What are the most known science journals?
Some of the most popular scientific journals are: Science Magazine, Nature, and The Lancet.
📇 How do you format a title page for a science paper?
Title pages for science papers must follow the format of the citation style that you’re using. For example, in APA style you need to include a title, running head, a name, and other details. Visit our guide on title pages to learn more.
