When you research, keep a detailed note of the publication details of every source you use. If you don't, you'll waste lots of time trying to relocate the source when you write your references section. Using a source without citing it in the reference section will leave you open to charges of plagiarism (i.e. passing off other people's work or ideas as your own). This is a very serious charge. To avoid sleepless nights, see the 'plagiarism' section of this website and always be meticulous.
1. Referencing within your text
There are several ways to cite references in your text, but always number your references consecutively. If you find yourself citing consecutive references from the same source, use numbers and letters, e.g. 15a, 15b. The numbers you use for references in your text must tally with the corresponding numbered citation in your references section.
Note that in your text, the reference number comes after the final punctuation mark in a sentence, e.g. after the full stop or question mark. The corresponding citation in the references section for the examples below can be found in 2.
- Annual growth demand of high density polyethylene is expected to be 4% in the next five years.1
- According to Bock and Goode, addiction is a socially defined constraint.2
- Several studies found that increasing patch strength has little or no effect on quit rates,3 whilst other studies found that specifying time limits on packets, for example 'use for a maximum of three months', sows doubts in people's minds as to whether it is safe to use patches at all.4
2. References section:
As appropriate for the particular source, you'll need, in this order:
- author(s) (initials first) The names and initials of all authors are always given in the reference section, even though you don't have to list all the authors in the text. e.g. R. Singh, D. Pantarotto, L. Lacerda, G. Pastrin, C. Klumpp, M. Prato, A. Bianco, K. Kostarelos ... In a reference section, never use 'et al'.
- editor(s) (initials first) e.g. N. C. Seemen (ed.)
- title of book/journal/report (in italics - journal titles are often abbreviated) e.g. Agnew Chem.
- name of publisher (for book) e.g. Elevier, H.M.S.O., Cambridge University Press
- place of publication e.g. Amsterdam
- year of publication e.g. 1977
- volume/edition/report number (in bold) e.g. 9
- page span of chapter or article e.g. 659-821
- full url with date of access e.g. http://www.hydrogenasfuel/doc/ent [accessed 04.03.2011]
Here are the references section entries for the in text reference examples in 1. above:
1 http://www.icis.com/b2/chemicals/9076152/polyethylene-high-density/uses.html [accessed 12.11.10]
2 G. Bocke and J. Goode, Understanding Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester 2006, pp. 204-214
3 P. Paoletti, E. Fornai and F. Maggiorelli, Eur. Respir. J., 1996, 9, 643-651
4 Nicoquit box of 12 patches, Megadrug Inc., on general sale in UK in 2010
Footnotes: footnotes can be used to expand on material in the text which, though necessary for the reader to know, would disrupt the flow of the text. Footnotes expanding particular points should not be muddled with the appendix section, which is where raw data belongs. In Chemistry essays, footnotes can be allocated symbols (see the RSC website link below) in the text, which correspond to symbols at the bottom of the page. You can also use numbers, but be careful not to muddle up your footnote numbers and the numbers you are using for references . You may prefer footnotes to appear not at the bottom of the page, but as endnotes at the end of the text. If so, the endnote section should come before the references section. Never run an endnote section and the references section together.
For more information, go to the RSC website: www.rsc.org\Publishing\Journals\guidelines\AuthorGuidelines\index.asp), or use as a model the references section of an article in any reputable chemistry journal.