What is the AIP Citation Format?

AIP style is the citation format developed by the American Institute of Physics, used across physics journals, conference proceedings, and research publications. As the dominant citation system in physics, understanding AIP style is essential for anyone publishing in journals like Physical Review, Applied Physics Letters, or Journal of Applied Physics.

The AIP Style Guide (4th Edition) establishes the core rules, though many physics writers use LaTeX with BibTeX to handle citation formatting automatically. If you're writing in Word or need to format citations manually, this guide covers everything you need.

Quick Overview: AIP Citation Format

AIP uses a numbered citation system where references are numbered in the order they first appear in your text. The same number is used for all subsequent citations of the same source. Key characteristics include:

• Superscript or bracketed numbers for in-text citations

• Journal titles abbreviated per ISO 4 standards

• Article titles typically omitted (though some journals include them)

• Volume numbers in bold

• Year in parentheses at the end

In-Text Citations in AIP

AIP offers two options for marking citations within your text. Choose one and use it consistently:

Superscript Numbers

The quantum Hall effect demonstrates remarkable precision in resistance measurements.¹ These calculations agree with previous studies.²

For multiple citations: ...as shown in prior work.¹,² or ...established by several groups.³⁻⁵

Author Name with Superscript

As demonstrated by Roberts,² these calculations confirm the theoretical predictions. The original framework was established by Feynman.¹

When citing the same source multiple times, always use the original reference number—don't assign a new number.

Reference List Format

Journal Articles

The standard format excludes article titles:

With optional issue number:

For four or more authors, use "et al." after the first author:

Books

Include publisher, location, year, and page numbers as applicable:

For edited volumes:

Conference Papers

Websites

The AIP Style Manual doesn't provide detailed guidance for web sources, but the following format is commonly accepted:

Preprints (arXiv)

Datasets

AIP Journal Abbreviations

Physics journals follow ISO 4 abbreviation standards. Common examples:

For a comprehensive list, consult Appendix G of the AIP Style Manual or the CASSI database.

Common AIP Mistakes to Avoid

Including article titles unnecessarily: Most AIP journals omit article titles from references. Check your target journal's specific requirements.

Forgetting bold volume numbers: Volume numbers should be in bold or set off clearly from issue numbers.

Incorrect author formatting: Use initials before surnames (J. Smith, not Smith J.).

Wrong journal abbreviations: Always verify abbreviations—using incorrect forms is a common rejection reason.

Inconsistent citation numbering: If you cite source [3] again later, use [3] again—don't create a new reference entry.

AIP Citation Tools

For physics writing, LaTeX with BibTeX is the standard approach. Overleaf provides AIP journal templates with preconfigured citation styles.

Reference managers like Zotero include AIP style sheets. When using these tools, always verify the output against your target journal's requirements.

For literature discovery and organization in physics research, Wonders AI can help you build comprehensive reference lists while maintaining proper attribution.

References

• American Institute of Physics. AIP Style Manual. 4th ed. New York: AIP; 1990.

• University of Southern California Libraries. American Institute of Physics (AIP) Citation Style [Internet]. Los Angeles: USC; [cited 2025 Jan 2]. Available from: https://libguides.usc.edu/c.php?g=974981&p=7048534

• University of Sheffield Library. AIP Referencing [Internet]. Sheffield: University of Sheffield; [cited 2025 Jan 2]. Available from: https://librarydevelopment.group.shef.ac.uk/referencing/aip.html

• Wikipedia contributors. AIP style. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia; 2024 May 18 [cited 2025 Jan 2]. Available from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIP_style