How to Cite a Book Chapter in ACS (3rd Edition)

This guide explains how to format a book chapter citation in ACS (3rd Edition). Follow the format template below, refer to the real example, and use the step-by-step instructions to build your citation correctly.

Format Template

The general pattern for citing a book chapter in ACS (3rd Edition):

Template

Author, A. A. Title of Chapter. In *Title of Book*; Editor, E. E., Ed.; Publisher: Place, **Year**; pp Pages.

In-Text Citation Example

How the citation appears within the body of your paper:

In-text citation

³ (superscript number)

Reference List Entry Example

The full citation as it appears in your reference list:

Reference list entry

Rivas, M. E. Computational Methods for Reaction Pathways. In *Advances in Computational Chemistry*; Nakamura, T., Ed.; Springer: Berlin, Germany, **2022**; pp 78--112.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Identify the chapter author(s)
List chapter authors using the standard ACS author format with semicolons.
2
Write the chapter title
Use headline-style capitalization. Do not italicize. End with a period.
3
Add the book title and editor
Write "In" followed by the italicized book title, a semicolon, the editor name(s) with ", Ed." or ", Eds.", and another semicolon.
4
Include publisher details
Add the publisher, colon, place, comma, and year in bold.
5
Add page range
Write "; pp" followed by the chapter page range and a period.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Italicizing the chapter title instead of the book title.
Forgetting "In" before the book title.
Omitting ", Ed." or ", Eds." after the editor names.
Using "pp." with periods instead of "pp" without periods in some ACS formats.
Not using semicolons to separate the main bibliographic elements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I italicize the chapter title in ACS?

No. Only the book title is italicized. The chapter title uses headline-style capitalization in plain text.

How do I format multiple editors?

List editors separated by semicolons followed by ", Eds." after the last editor: Editor, A. A.; Editor, B. B., Eds.

What if the chapter is in a multi-volume work?

Include the volume number after the book title: In *Title*; Vol. 3; Editor, E., Ed.; Publisher: Place, Year; pp Pages.

Information You Will Need

Before creating your citation, gather the following information from your book chapter:

Chapter author(s)
Year of publication
Chapter title
Editor(s)
Book title
Edition (if not the first)
Page range
Publisher
DOI or URL

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Step-by-Step Guide

Identify the chapter author(s)

List chapter authors using the standard ACS author format with semicolons.

Write the chapter title

Use headline-style capitalization. Do not italicize. End with a period.

Add the book title and editor

Write "In" followed by the italicized book title, a semicolon, the editor name(s) with ", Ed." or ", Eds.", and another semicolon.

Include publisher details

Add the publisher, colon, place, comma, and year in bold.

Add page range

Write "; pp" followed by the chapter page range and a period.