APL Materials Citation Style: How to Format References Correctly

Mess up your citations, and your paper could get rejected. Follow this guide to get them right the first time!

Citing sources correctly is crucial in academic and scientific writing, ensuring credibility and proper attribution of ideas. APL Materials, published by the American Institute of Physics (AIP), follows a specific citation format that researchers must adhere to when submitting their work.

This guide will walk you through the key aspects of APL Materials citation style, including in-text citations, reference formatting, and proper citation structures for different source types. By following these guidelines, you’ll avoid citation errors and ensure your work meets academic standards.

In-Text Citations in APL Materials Format

APL Materials follows the numerical citation style, meaning sources are cited using superscript numbers that correspond to the reference list. These numbers appear after punctuation and are listed in the order they appear in the text.

Basic Formatting:

• Single author: The study concluded that material properties improve under extreme conditions¹.
  
  
  

• Multiple authors: Recent findings suggest a correlation between structure and conductivity²,³.
  
  
  

• Citing the same source multiple times: Use the same superscript number each time the source is referenced⁴.

Special Cases:

• Citing secondary sources: If referencing a source cited in another paper, mention the original author but cite the secondary source: Smith’s findings (as cited in Jones⁵) suggest...

• Corporate authors: Use the full name of the organization in the first mention: According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)⁶, advanced materials...

By following this structured citation style, APL Materials ensures clarity and consistency in academic writing.

Formatting the Reference List in APL Materials

APL Materials requires references to be formatted consistently and listed numerically in the order they appear in the text. Each reference should contain author names, article title, journal name (abbreviated), volume number, page number, and year in the format specified below.

General Formatting Rules:

• Author names are written as Last name, Initials (e.g., Smith, J. K.).

• Only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized in article and book titles.

• Journal titles are italicized and abbreviated following official journal abbreviations.

• Use DOIs when available for online journal articles.

• No quotation marks around titles, and no period at the end of DOIs.

Example References:

• Journal Article:
  Smith, J. K., and Doe, A. L., Adv. Mater. 20, 1234 (2020).

• Book:
  Johnson, M. T., "Nanomaterials and Applications," Springer, Berlin (2018).

• Conference Paper:
  Lee, P. R., Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. Nanotech., 45-50 (2019).

Each entry should be formatted with hanging indentation, ensuring a professional and readable reference list.

Examples of References in APL Materials Format

This section provides properly formatted reference examples for different source types in APL Materials citation style. Each example follows the journal’s formatting rules, ensuring clarity and consistency in academic writing.

Journal Articles

Journal articles follow a strict format that includes author names, article title, journal abbreviation, volume, page number, and year. A DOI should be included whenever possible.

Examples:

• Single Author:
  Smith, J. K., J. Appl. Phys. 85, 1234 (2018).

• Multiple Authors:
  Doe, A. L., Brown, P. M., and Lee, C. H., Phys. Rev. B 102, 4567 (2021).

• With a DOI:
  Johnson, M. R., Adv. Mater. 33, 9876 (2020). https://doi.org/10.0000/example.

Books

Books require author(s), book title (italicized), publisher, location, and year of publication. If citing a specific edition, include it before the publisher’s name.

Examples:

• Single Author:
  Johnson, M. T., Nanomaterials and Applications, 2nd ed., Springer, Berlin (2019).
  
  
  

• Multiple Authors:
  Lee, P. R., and Kim, H. J., Materials Science Handbook, Wiley, New York (2017).
  
  
  

• Edited Volume:
  Anderson, D. F. (Ed.), Advances in Thin Films, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2020).

Book Chapters

When citing a chapter within a book, include the chapter author, title (in quotes), book editor(s), book title, page range, publisher, and year.

Example:

Smith, R. T., “Growth Mechanisms in Thin Films,” in Materials Processing, edited by K. H. Lee, Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 45-67 (2022).

Conference Proceedings

Conference papers require the author(s), paper title (in quotes), conference name, location, and year. Published proceedings should include volume and page numbers if available.

Chen, L. and Nguyen, T. V., “Advancements in Nanostructures,” Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. Nanotech., San Francisco, USA, pp. 200-205 (2019).

For unpublished conference presentations, mention "unpublished" at the end:

Jones, M. R., “Synthesis of Novel Photonic Materials,” presented at the American Physical Society Meeting, Chicago, USA (2021), unpublished.

Theses and Dissertations

Citations for theses and dissertations must include author name, title (in quotes), degree type, university, and year.

Taylor, P. S., “Electromechanical Properties of Polymer Films,” Ph.D. thesis, Stanford University (2018).

For a master’s thesis, replace "Ph.D. thesis" with "M.Sc. thesis":

Gonzalez, H. L., “Thermal Stability in Nano-Coatings,” M.Sc. thesis, University of Toronto (2020).

Reports

Reports often have institutional or government authors. Include authoring body, report title (italicized), report number (if available), and publication year.

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Advancements in Material Characterization, Technical Report No. 2021-05 (2021).

If an individual author is credited:

Brown, P. R., Materials Testing for Aerospace Applications, NASA Report No. 1034 (2019).

Websites

Citing online sources requires author (if available), webpage title (in quotes), website name, publication date (or access date if unknown), and URL.

Kim, S., “New Trends in Semiconductor Research,” Materials Today, June 12, 2021. https://www.examplejournal.com/article123.

For websites with no listed author:

“Breakthroughs in Graphene Technology,” American Physical Society, accessed March 5, 2023. https://www.examplewebsite.com/graphene-news.

Master APL Citation with Ease

Accurate citations are essential for credibility and academic integrity. By following APL Materials guidelines, researchers can ensure their references are correctly formatted and meet journal standards.

For those looking to streamline the citation process, Jenni AI can assist in organizing and refining references efficiently. Explore Jenni AI to simplify academic writing and enhance research workflows!