| name | academic-citation-formatting |
| description | Format academic citations for journal articles, books, conference proceedings, and other scientific references according to standard bibliographic conventions used in physics and materials science literature |
Academic Citation Formatting
Use this skill when creating, validating, or parsing bibliographic citations in academic writing, reference lists, or literature reviews.
When to Use
- Formatting citations for journal articles, books, or conference proceedings
- Converting raw reference data into standardized citation format
- Validating that citations follow proper academic conventions
- Parsing existing citations to extract bibliographic elements
Core Workflow
1. Identify Reference Type
Examine the citation elements to determine the source type:
- Journal Article: Contains journal name, volume number, and page numbers
- Book: Contains publisher and location, no journal/volume
- Conference Proceeding: Contains 'in' keyword with conference name
- Book Chapter: Contains 'in' keyword with book title and 'ed. by' editor information
2. Gather Required Elements
Collect the following components based on reference type:
- Authors: Full list with initials followed by surnames
- Source: Journal name, book title, or conference name
- Publication Details: Volume, pages, publisher, location, or page numbers
- Year: Publication year in parentheses
3. Apply Format Pattern
Format the citation according to the identified type:
- Separate authors with commas
- Use 'et al.' for extended author lists
- Format volume numbers in bold notation
- Enclose year in parentheses
- Use en-dashes for page ranges (e.g., 291–301)
4. Handle Special Cases
- Multiple works by same author in same year: Add letter suffix (2000a, 2000b)
- Missing information: Use available data or appropriate placeholders
- Abbreviated journal names: Use standard abbreviations (Phys. Rev., J. Appl. Phys.)
Common Formats
Journal Article: Author(s). Journal Name Vol, Page (Year)
Book: Author. Book Title (Publisher, City, Year)
Conference: Author(s), in Conference Name (Year), p. page
Book Chapter: Author(s), in Book Title, ed. by Editor (Publisher, City, Year), pp. range
