When to use AMA
Use AMA when your assignment, department, or journal requires it. Medicine and nursing also use other styles, so the subject alone does not determine the format.
Check the required edition and any local instructions before formatting. The AMA Manual of Style, 11th edition was published February 3, 2020.
A journal may say it follows AMA while modifying details such as citation markers, reference limits, or formatting. Follow the destination journal’s author instructions when they differ from the general manual.
In-text citations: superscripts, placement, ranges
As summarized in East Carolina University Libraries’ in-text citation guidance, assign a superscript Arabic number when you first cite a source. Reuse that number whenever you cite the same work. Do not create a new entry merely because you refer to a different passage.
Place each marker beside the statement it supports. A formatting example is:
The cited source supports this statement.¹
This invented sentence demonstrates placement, not a clinical finding.
Separate nonconsecutive references with commas and no spaces. Two references use a comma, such as 1,2. A consecutive series of more than two uses a hyphen, such as 1-3. A combined marker could read 1-3,6. Apply superscript formatting to the entire marker in the manuscript.
Avoid placing markers immediately after quantities or units where they could resemble exponents. Rewrite the sentence or move the marker to a clear position.
When citing a specific page from a numbered reference, include the page locator with the superscript, for example 1(p23). The source still appears only once in the reference list. Format the entire marker in superscript. The cited page differs from the article’s full page range, which belongs in the reference entry.
Reference list order
Arrange references by first appearance, not alphabetically. The number beside each entry must identify the same source as its matching superscript.
Moving a paragraph can change the order of first citation. After substantial editing, check the manuscript and reference list together. References introduced in tables or figures also need consistent numbering.
Before submission, confirm that:
- Every citation marker has a corresponding entry.
- Repeated citations retain the source’s assigned number.
- Duplicate records have been merged.
- Each entry identifies the publication actually consulted.
The AnswerThis AMA citation generator can retrieve source metadata or accept manual details and generate AMA 11 reference entries. Because AMA numbering depends on where each source first appears in the manuscript, reconcile the generated entries with the final citation order after major edits. An isolated formatted entry cannot determine its position in your document.
Journal articles: format and example with DOI
Collect authors in publication order, article title, abbreviated journal title, publication year, volume, issue, page range or article identifier, and DOI when available.
Use this pattern:
Author AA, Author BB. Article title. Abbreviated Journal Title. Year;volume(issue):pages or article identifier. doi:DOI
The semicolon belongs to the reference format, not ordinary prose. Capitalize the article title in sentence case, retaining proper nouns. Use the journal’s established abbreviation rather than inventing one.
A real example, checked against its PubMed record, is:
Ceraulo AS, Bytomski JR. Infectious mononucleosis management in athletes. Clin Sports Med. 2019;38(4):551-561. doi:10.1016/j.csm.2019.06.002
This example illustrates formatting, not clinical advice. Prefix the entry with its assigned reference number.
Include the DOI when available. For journal articles, use the doi: format required by AMA rather than treating the DOI as a webpage citation, as shown in AMA guidance on electronic articles. A DOI-based reference does not require an access date.
For an online-first article without final issue details, use the applicable online-publication format. Do not invent volume numbers or pagination.
If evaluating an AI research assistant that searches PubMed and supplies AMA references, test retrieval and formatting separately. Open the source record, confirm its identity, and read the passage behind the claim. A valid DOI establishes a route to a publication, not evidentiary support.
Books, websites, guidelines and drug labels
Choose the reference type that matches the material you used. A guideline downloaded as a report is not necessarily cited like a general webpage.
Books
A basic book pattern is:
Author AA. Book Title. [Edition, when applicable]. [Publisher];[year].
AMA 11 book guidance omits the publisher’s location. Do not specify a first edition. For a contributed chapter, identify the chapter author separately from the book editor and include the chapter’s location.
Websites
Following the University of South Carolina’s webpage guidance, record the credited individual or organization, page title, website name where applicable, publication or update information, access date, and URL.
[Author or organization]. [Page title]. [Website name]. [Published or updated date, when available]. Accessed [date]. [URL]
Use the page you consulted, not the organization’s homepage. Use the publication or updated date when available, and include the access date required for webpage references. Do not substitute a site-wide copyright year for the page’s date. Leave unavailable publication information out rather than inferring it.
Clinical guidelines
Determine whether the guideline is a journal article, organizational report, or webpage, then apply that source format. Record its exact title, issuing body, version or update information, and stable identifier. Include access information when required for the source type.
Make sure the cited version contains the recommendation you discuss. Do not replace the document with a general guideline-search page.
Drug labels
Identify the exact product label, responsible organization, revision information, and retrieval location. Different products or label versions can contain different information.
Retain a copy or identifying record when your research depends on a particular version. Cite the label itself, including applicable access information, rather than a general drug-search page.
Author rules: six or fewer list all; seven or more use first three plus et al
List every author when there are six or fewer. With more than six, list the first three in their published order, followed by et al.
Write surnames followed by initials without periods between the initials. Separate authors with commas. Do not alphabetize them or move a senior investigator to the beginning.
Preserve group authorship and consortium information according to the source and applicable guidance. A database’s shortened display is not necessarily the full author list.
Count authors before truncating an imported record.
Journal title abbreviations: NLM Catalog
Use the NLM Catalog to look up a journal by its full title or ISSN and inspect the NLM title abbreviation.
Match the record to the journal that published the article. Similar titles and title changes can lead to the wrong abbreviation.
Do not substitute a logo acronym for the standardized title. Follow destination-specific requirements.
Common mistakes
Renumbering repeated sources: Keep the existing number unless editing changes the order of first citation.
Mixing styles: Remove author-date citations from an AMA manuscript unless they serve another explicit purpose.
Trusting imported metadata: Check authors, article identifiers, issue details, and DOIs against the publication.
Using citations as evidence checks: Read the relevant source. Formatting cannot establish that its findings justify your statement.
Reviewing only the reference list: Check each marker in context so readers can identify which claim it supports.
Related styles: AMA and Vancouver
AMA and Vancouver are both numeric systems, but their formatting rules differ. If your destination specifies Vancouver, use Vancouver rather than substituting AMA. The AnswerThis Vancouver citation generator formats Vancouver references; review its output against your destination’s requirements.
FAQs
How do in-text citations work in AMA style?
AMA uses superscript numbers assigned in the order sources first appear. Reuse the same number for later citations of that work. Place markers outside periods and commas, but inside colons and semicolons. Separate nonconsecutive references with commas and use a hyphen for a consecutive series of more than two references.
How many authors do you list in AMA style?
List all authors when a work has six or fewer. If it has more than six, give the first three followed by et al. Keep their published order and format surnames with initials. Check the complete source record before truncating, because imported metadata may already contain an incomplete author list.
How do you cite a journal article in AMA style?
Give the authors, article title, abbreviated journal title, publication year, volume, issue, and pages or article identifier, followed by the DOI when available. Apply AMA’s author rule and sentence case for the article title. Verify the journal abbreviation and distinguish final issue details from an online-first publication record.
Author bio: Dr. Rajni Garg is Executive Lead, Research & Content Strategy, in the Research & Development Department at AnswerThis, a research platform for students and researchers.
