ama style reference thesis

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AMA Citation Style 11th Edition Guide

• 10th vs. 11th AMA Editions
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citing thesis

Theses and dissertations..

Titles of theses and dissertations are given in italics. References to theses should include the name of the university (or other institution) and year of completion of the thesis. If the thesis has been published, it should be treated as any other book reference (see  3.12.1 , References to Books, Complete Data).

General format for Thesis/Dissertation 

1. Maiti N.  Association Between Bullying Behaviors, Health Characteristics, and Injuries Among Adolescents in the United States.  Dissertation. Palo Alto University; 2010.

2. Ghanbari S.  Integration of the Arts in STEM: A Collective Case Study of Two Interdisciplinary University Programs . Dissertation. University of California; 2014. Accessed October 14, 2016.  http://escholarship.org/uc/item/9wp9x8sj

3. Neel ST.  A Cost-Minimization and Policy Analysis Comparing Immediate Sequential Cataract Surgery and Delayed Sequential Cataract Surgery From Payer, Patient, Physician, and Surgical Facility Perspectives in the United States.  Master’s thesis. London School of Economics and Political Science; 2013.

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AMA 11th Referencing Guide

• AMA: Getting Started
• Authors - numbers, rules and formatting
• Boxes, Tables and Figures
• Sample reference list
• Journal article
• Cochrane Review
• Conference paper
• Book chapter
• Pharmacopoeia, encyclopedia & dictionary entries

Theses and dissertations

• Lecture notes and class handouts
• Pharmacopoeia, encyclopedia & dictionary entries
• ABS and AIHW
• Drug Databases, etc
• Images, figures, tables
• Legislation
• Software and AI
• Long quote?
• I need to use page numbers?
• There is more than one author
• The article is "in press"?
• I don't know the journal abbreviation?
• The URL is really long. Can I shorten it?
• No volume or issue number?
• Other Guides
• AMA and EndNote
• Help and Training

Titles of theses and dissertations are given in italics. References to theses should include the location of the university (or other institution), its name, and year of completion of the thesis. If the thesis has been published, it should be treated as any other book reference. 

• Fenster SD. Cloning and Characterization of Piccolo, a Novel Component of the Presynaptic Cytoskeletal Matrix. Dissertation. University of Alabama; 2000.
• Lienart, GH.  Effects of Temperature and Food Availability on the Antipredator Behaviour of Juvenile Coral Reef Fishes.  Dissertation. James Cook University; 2016. Accessed December 18, 2020. https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/47533/
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• Last Updated: Mar 5, 2024 4:32 PM
• URL: https://libguides.jcu.edu.au/ama

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These resources provide guidance on how to cite sources in the text and on a reference list using American Medical Association (AMA) Manual of Style, 11th Ed., including examples for print and electronic sources. AMA was developed by the American Medical Association for the purpose of writing medical research.

References are found at the end of a manuscript and are titled “References,” and each item should be listed in numerical order (two references should not be combined under a single reference number) as opposed to alphabetically. Additionally, each item should be single-spaced.

Sample Reference

AuthorLastname FirstInitialMiddleInitial. Title in sentence case.  Abbreviated Journal Title in Title Case . Year;volume(Issue#):PP-PP. doi: ##

If you are citing an online article, you should include the day and month of publication as well in the format of Month Day, Year.

Use sentence case for all titles (capitalize only the first word of the title). Abbreviate and italicize names of journals according to the listing in the  National Library of Medicine database .

Author Names

When writing up your references list, be sure to always include the last name and the first and middle initial of the authors  without  punctuation. However, do use a comma to separate more than one author in a single bibliographic group (e.g., Wheeler T, Watkins PJ).

If the author's middle initial isn't available, omit it. The abbreviations "Jr" and "Sr" ("Junior" and "Senior") may follow authors' names when applicable (e.g., Jameson JJ Jr). Use Roman numerals to signify "2nd," "3rd," "4th," and so on (e.g., Doe JF III).

Use all authors’ names unless there are more than 6 authors. In that case, list the names of the initial 3 authors, followed by “et al” in place of the others.

Bibliographic Elements

Each reference is divided with periods into bibliographic groups; each bibliographic group contains bibliographic  elements , which may be separated using the following punctuation marks:

• A comma : if the items are sub-elements of a bibliographic element or a set of closely related elements (e.g., the authors’ names).
• A semicolon:  if the elements in the bibliographic group are different (e.g., between the publisher’s name and the copyright year) or if there are multiple occurrences of logically related elements within a group; also, before volume identification data.
• A colon:  before the publisher’s name, between the title and the subtitle, and after a connective phrase (e.g., “In,” “Presented at”).

See the following examples:

In-Text Citations

Each reference should be cited in the text using superscript arabic numerals. These superscript numbers should be outside periods and commas but inside colons and semicolons . Multiple references may be cited in the same instance. If you are citing sequential references, these should be indicated with a hyphen. Nonsequential references should be separated with commas. There should not be a space between numbers. For example: 

As Smith et al have reported, 1-3,5

Smith et al reported 1-3,5 :

AMA recommends that you do not place a superscript reference citation immediately following a number, and advises that you revise the sentence to prevent any possible confusion with an exponent.

Parenthetical citations should ONLY be used for items that do not occur in the references list, such as unpublished material, personal communications, and news articles. These citations may or may not include a title or author, but should include page numbers and, if possible, a DOI or URL.

AMA Style - 11th Edition

• AMA: Getting Started
• Title Page & Formatting
• Authors - numbers, rules and formatting
• Sample reference list
• In-Text Citations
• How Do I Cite...
• Additional Resources

Standard article pattern (print):

Author AA, Author BB. Title of article.  Journal Abbreviation . Year;volume(issue):pp-pp.

• Chiang HC, Huang V, Cornelius LA. Cancer and itch.  Semin Cutan Med Surg . 2011;30(2):107-112.
• Nejad AG, Kheradmand A. Five rare psychiatric syndromes co-occurring together.  Neurosciences . 2009;14(1):91-3.
• Voigt C, Grasse P, Rex K, Hetz S, Speakman J. Bat breath reveals metabolic substrate use in free-ranging vampires.  J Comp Physiol B . 2008;178(1):9-16.

Standard article pattern (electronic):

Author AA, Author BB. Title of article.  Journal Abbreviation.  Year;volume(issue):pp-pp. Accessed Month DD, YYYY. DOI or URL

• Economopoulos KJ, Brockmeier SF. Rotator cuff tears in overhead athletes.  Clin Sports Med . 2012;31(4):675-692. doi:10.1016/j.csm.2012.07.005
• Finnan RP, Crosby LA. Partial-thickness rotator cuff tears.  J Shoulder Elbow Surg . 2010;19(4):609-616. Accessed April 26, 2012. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1058274609004662
• Ho DTN, Le TPT, Wolbers M, et al. Risk factors of Streptococcus suis infection in Vietnam. A case-control study.  PLoS One . 2011;6(3):e17604. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0017604
• There are no spaces between the year, volume, issue number and page numbers.
• Some online journals do not have page numbers. Use the article number instead. Reference 6 is an example.
• If there is a DOI you should always include it at the end of the reference. 
• You don't need to include a URL if there is a DOI, and you only need to include an Accessed date if you have used a URL.
• There is no full stop after the DOI or URL

What's a DOI?   Read this explanation from Citing Medicine.

Book (Entire Book)

Standard book patterns:

Pay close attention to the punctuation use in these examples – including case, italics, the order of dates and spaces.

Standard book in Print:

Author AA, Author BB, Author CC.  Book Title . Vol no. Nth ed. Publisher; Year.

Edited book:

Editor AA, Editor BB, Editor CC, eds.  Book Title . Vol no. Nth ed. Publisher; Year.

Author AA, Author BB, Author CC.  Book Title . Vol no. Nth ed. Publisher; Year. Accessed Month DD, YYYY. DOI or URL

• Drake RL, Vogl W, Mitchell AWM, Gray H.  Gray's Anatomy for Students.  4th ed. Elsevier; 2020.
• Cameron P, Little M, Mitra B, Deasy C, eds.  Textbook of Adult Emergency Medicine.  5th ed. Elsevier; 2020.
• Vieira AR. Genetic Basis of Oral Health Conditions.  Springer; 2019. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-14485-2
• World Health Organization.  Health Worker Roles in Providing Safe Abortion Care and Post-abortion Contraception . World Health Organization; 2015. Accessed December 9, 2021.   https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/unsafe_abortion/abortion-task-shifting/en/
• Dates follow the American pattern of Month-Day-Year.
• You only use the Accessed date if you are using a URL.
• The author may be an organisation or government body.

What's a DOI?   Read this explanation from Citing Medicine.

Book Chapter

Standard chapter pattern:

Author AA, Author BB. Title of chapter. In: Editor AA, Editor BB, eds.  Book Title . Vol no. Nth ed. Publisher; Year:page numbers. Accessed Month DD, YYYY. DOI or URL

• Karmakar M. Ultrasound-guided central neuraxial blocks. In: Narouze SN, ed.  Atlas of Ultrasound-Guided Procedures in Interventional Pain Management . Springer; 2011:161-178. doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-1681-5_12
• Shaparin N, Shah A, Gritsenko K. Pharmacological agents: opioids. In: Urman RD, Vadivelu N, eds.  Perioperative Pain Management . Oxford University Press; 2013:29-37. Accessed December 16, 2021. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/jcu/detail.action?docID=1274300
• Banasik J. Alterations in cardiac function. In: Copstead L, Banasik J, eds.  Pathophysiology . 4th ed. Saunders Elsevier; 2010:429-460.
• Dog TL. Botanicals in the management of pain. In: Audette JF, Bailey A, eds.  Contemporary Pain Medicine: Integrative Pain Medicine: the Science and Practice of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Pain Management . Humana Press; 2008:447-470.
• Varacallo M, El Bitar Y, Mair SD. Rotator cuff tendonitis. In:  StatPearls . NCBI Bookshelf version. StatPearls Publishing: 2019. Accessed October 24, 2019.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532270/  [example has been updated 04-04-2022]

Brochures and Pamphlets

Brochures and pamphlets should take the following form:

• Eating and drinking with a high output stoma: what you need to know. Patient brochure. Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service. Accessed September 29, 2020.  https://www.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0037/734959/eating-drinking-high-output-stoma.pdf

Class Handouts

If the work was given in class, and you have confirmed that the information has not been copied from a published source (book, journal article, web page etc), treat it as  personal communication .   Do not include it in your reference list , and in text explain the nature of your source in brackets:

According to a diagram distributed by M. Grant (class handout, February 2020)...

The Cornell Method template (K. Bartlett, class handout, March 21, 2020) can be used to analyse and compare journal articles.

Class handouts are often copied or taken from other sources.  Endeavour to find the original source, if possible.

Cochrane Review

Cochrane Reviews are supposed to be cited as electronic journal articles.  Articles are given article numbers instead of page numbers. Place the article number (without "Art no") in the place of the page numbers for a normal journal article.  There is no volume number for Cochrane reviews, so skip straight from the year to the issue number.  Always use the doi instead of a URL for Cochrane reviews:

• Shepherd E, Grivell RM. Aspirin (single dose) for perineal pain in the early postpartum period.  Cochrane Database Syst Rev . 2020;(7):CD012129. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD012129.pub3
• Palmer MJ, Henschke N, Villanueva G, et al. Targeted client communication via mobile devices for improving sexual and reproductive health.  Cochrane Database Syst Rev . 2020;(8):CD013680. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD013680
• Palareti L, Melotti G, Cassis F, Nevitt SJ, Iorio A. Psychological interventions for people with hemophilia.  Cochrane Database Syst Rev . 2020;(3):CD010215. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD010215.pub2

Conference Paper, Webinar

Standard conference paper pattern:

Author AA, Author BB. Title of paper. Type of presentation presented at: Name of the Conference. Date of conference; Year; City, Country or State Abbreviation. Accessed Month DD, YYYY. URL. Vidocast/Transcript/Abstract available at: URL

Papers presented at a conference, symposium or meeting, unpublished or only available from the conference website

Maddox S, Hurling J, Stewart E, Edwards A. If mama ain't happy, nobody's happy: the effect of parental depression on mood dysregulation in children. Paper presented at: Southeastern Psychologica Association 62nd Annual Meeting; March 30-April 2, 2016; New Orleans, LA.

Pearson J. Fat talk and its effects on state-based body image in women. Poster presented at: Australian Psychological Society Congress; September 21-30, 2018; Sydney, Australia.

Baydorova I, Collins H, Ait Saadi, I. Matching student and supervisor expectations in Malaysian doctoral education. Paper presented at: Australian Association for Research in Education Conference; November 26-30, 2017; Canberra, Australia. Abstract available at:  https://www.aare.edu.au/publications/aare-conference-papers/show/13007/matching-student-and-supervisor-expectations-in-malaysian-doctoral-education

Published papers

Papers from conferences, symposia and meetings are usually published as part of a special issue of a journal, as a monograph (book) of the conference proceedings, or as a document on a website. Once a presentations is published, use the pattern for the book, journal, or other medium in which they are published.

Morgan R, Meldrum K, Bryan S, et al. Embedding digital literacies in curricula: Australian and Malaysian experiences. In: Teh GB, Choy SC, eds.  Empowering 21st century learners through holistic and enterprising learning: selected papers from Tunku Abdul Rahman University College International Conference 2016 . Springer Singapore; 2017:11-19.

Huang G-M, Huang K-Y, Lee T-Y, Tzu-Ya Weng J. An interpretable rule-based diagnostic classification of diabetic nephropathy among type 2 diabetes patients.  BMC Bioinformatics.  2015;16(suppl 1):S5. Selected articles from the Thirteenth Asia Pacific Bioinformatics Conference (APBC 2015). doi:10.1186/1471-2105-16-S1-S5

(Example 5 shows an article from a special issue of the journal that has been entirely dedicated to publishing papers from the conference). 

Online conferences and webinars

Gunn E, Kendall-Taylor J, Vandenburg B. Taking author instructions to the next level. Council of Science Editors webinar. September 10, 2015. Accessed March 15, 2016.  http://www.councilscienceeditors.org/resource-library/past-presentationswebinars/past-webinars/2015-webinar-3-taking-author-instructions-to-the-next-level/

Drug Databases and Similar Resources

Standard database pattern:

Author AA, Author BB. Title of entry [type of entry, if applicable]. In: Editor AA, Editor BB, eds (if available).  Title of Database . Publisher’s name. Published (or Updated) date (at least year, if available). Accessed date. URL

• Paracetamol. In: Brayfield, A, ed.  Martindale: the Complete Drug Reference . Pharmaceutical Press. Updated October 31, 2014. Accessed February 20, 2015. http://www.medicinescomplete.com
• Paracetamol (Systemic). Drug monograph. In:  AusDI database . Phoenix Medical Publishing. Updated May 28, 2020. Accessed September 1, 2020.  https://ausdi-hcn-com-au.elibrary.jcu.edu.au/productMonograph.hcn?file=0460
• Ginger. In:  Natural Standard: the Authority on Integrative Medicine . Natural Standard. Updated July 10, 2020. Accessed September 1, 2020.  https://naturalmedicines-therapeuticresearch-com.elibrary.jcu.edu.au/databases/food,-herbs-supplements/professional.aspx?productid=961
• Liquid paraffin. In:  Australian Medicines Handbook . Australian Medicines Handbook. Accessed September 1, 2020.  https://amhonline-amh-net-au.elibrary.jcu.edu.au/chapters/gastrointestinal-drugs/laxatives/stool-softeners/liquid-paraffin?menu=vertical
• Prevention of endocarditis. In:  eTG Complete . Therapeutic Guidelines. April, 2019. Updated August 2020. Accessed September 1, 2020.  https://tgldcdp-tg-org-au.elibrary.jcu.edu.au/viewTopic?topicfile=infection-prevention-endocarditis&guidelineName=Antibiotic&topicNavigation=navigateTopic#toc_d1e47
• Prozac (Product info). In:  MIMS Online . MIMS Australia. Updated September, 2020. Accessed September 1, 2020.  https://www-mimsonline-com-au.elibrary.jcu.edu.au/Search/AbbrPI.aspx?ModuleName=Product%20Info&searchKeyword=Prozac+Capsules&PreviousPage=~/Search/QuickSearch.aspx&SearchType=&ID=5050001_2
• Propylthiouracil. In:  DynaMed . EBSCO Information Services. Updated July 22, 2020. Accessed September 30, 2020.  https://www.dynamed.com/drug-monograph/propylthiouracil

Tip : For DynaMed, last date modified (updated) in Drugs A-Z is near the bottom of the page under References.

If you were referring to the database as a whole, rather than an individual entry in the database, you would skip the reference to the authors and title of the entry and begin with the Editors (if there are any) or the title of the database.

• MIMS Online.  MIMS Australia; September 2020. Accessed September 1, 2020.  https://www-mimsonline-com-au.elibrary.jcu.edu.au
• If there are no authors, begin with the title of the entry.

NB:  This pattern is based on a combination of the formats for databases and book chapters, as the AMA manual recommends citing databases as a whole but at JCU it is preferred practice to pinpoint the entry used.

Government/Organization Report

References to reports published by departments or agencies of a government should include the following information, in the order indicated: (1) name of author (if given); (2) title of bulletin; (3) name of issuing bureau, agency, department, or other governmental division (note that in this position, Department should be abbreviated Dept; also note that if the US Government Printing Office is supplied as the publisher, it would be preferable to obtain the name of the issuing bureau, agency, or department); (4) date of publication; (5) page numbers (if specified); (6) publication number (if any); (7) series number (if given); (8) online accessed date (if applicable); and (9) web address (if applicable).

• World Health Statistics 2020: Monitoring Health for the SDGs, Sustainable Development Goals. World Health Organization. 2020. Accessed September 29, 2020. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/332070/9789240005105-eng.pdf?ua=1

Images, Figures and Tables

The way you reference an image depends on where the image was found.

If the image was found in a book, journal article or entry in a database:

Do not cite the image individually but give the citation details for the book/article/etc. Treat it as though it was a direct quote.

If the image was found online, as part of a website, treat it like a  Web Object :

Author AA, Author BB. Title of page or object. Clarifying information if necessary. Title of web site. Published Month DD, YYYY  or  Updated Month DD, YYYY. Accessed Month, DD, YYYY. URL.

• UCF Libraries. Research lifecycle and University of Central FL. Infographic. University of Central Florida. Updated June 23, 2017. Accessed January 11, 2020.  https://library.ucf.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/06/research-life-cycle.png
• California Deparment of Public Health. West Nile Virus transmission cycle. 2018. Image reproduced in: Vector-borne diseases. California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Updloaded February 11, 2019. Accessed January 11, 2020.  https://oehha.ca.gov/epic/impacts-biological-systems/vector-borne-diseases
• Slide 37 - Solvent, nummular eczema. Image. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated April 17, 2001. Accessed September 3, 2020.  https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/skin/occderm-slides/ocderm8.html
• If there is a credit for the image, use this as your author.  If there is no credit for the image, use the authors of the web site if you believe they are responsible for the image.
• If the  "authors" of the site and the name of the site are identical, treat the page as if it has no author and begin with the title of the page  (for example, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention is both the name of the site and the name of the organisation responsible for the information on that site).
• If you are not sure who is responsible for the image, omit the authors and begin with the title of the image.
• If the image does not have a title, give a description of the image (e.g.: Photograph of a boy holding a fish).
• If the image was not created by the authors of the book/article/website/etc, then it needs to be treated as a  secondary citation  (give as much of a full citation for the image as you can, then state the role it plays in your source material, and give the full citation for your source - see example 2).

Lecture Notes

Online Lecture Notes:

If the notes/handouts are available online through LearnJCU, cite them as a  web object . Include details after the title, if it is necessary for clarity.

Author AA, Author BB. Title of page or object. Title of web site. Published Month DD, YYYY. Updated Month DD, YYYY. Accessed Month DD, YYYY. URL.

• De Cat S. Introduction to TV1101. PDF lecture notes. LearnJCU. Updated February 18, 2014. Accessed March 2, 2014.  https://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au/bbcswebdav/pid-1447836-dt-content-rid-1294103_1/xid-1294103_1
• TV1101 - week1: syringe and needle handling practical 1. PDF class handout. LearnJCU. Updated February, 2014. Accessed March 2, 2014.  https://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au/bbcswebdav/pid-1447837-dt-content-rid-1294105_1/xid-1294105_1
• Most lecturers would rather you did not cite the lecture notes, but found the relevant information in books, journals or other such resources. Only use lecture notes if you cannot find the information elsewhere.
• Only include the full link to the document if a) you have tested the link and it will work several days after you originally accessed the document, and b) you are confident the person reading your work can access the site. Otherwise, simply include the URL for LearnJCU.
• If there is no attributed author, begin the reference with the title of the document.

Note on URLs for LearnJCU:   Ideally, you use a URL that will get your readers as close as possible to the document.  When writing for someone who has access to the LearnJCU site, include the full URL for the document (copy and paste). Always include the date you last checked to see the URL still worked (the Accessed date).

Legislation

The information given in the AMA Manual of Style regarding citation of legislation is specific to US Bills and Statutes and does not translate easily to Australian legislation. As the manual recommends using the Blue Book for State Legislation (the Blue Book is the standard form of legal citation used in the US) we recommend using the AGLC for Australian legislation (which is the standard form of legal citation use in Australia).

However, in keeping with the requirements of AMA in general, if the legislation was accessed online, you will also need to include an accessed date and the URL. If the document you are citing has an updated or compiled date on it, include that as well.

For example:

• Biosecurity Act 2014  (Qld) ch 7 pt 2 div 4 s 169. Accessed April 22, 2021.  https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-2014-007#sec.169 .
• National Health Act 1953  (Cth) pt 4 s 84AA. Compiled December 16, 2020. Accessed April 22, 2021.  https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2016Q00048 .

More details can be found in the AGLC, but a brief summary of the pattern is as follows:

The name of the Act including the Year  (Jurisdiction) section details. Accessed date. URL.

See page 68 of the AGLC for the jurisdiction abbreviations, and page 69-70 to see how to lay out the section details (AGLC calls it a pinpoint).

Use this for citing US legislative materials

You can find a link to the complete AGLC here.

Newspaper Article

Standard news article pattern (print):

Author AA, Author BB. Article title.  Newspaper name . Month DD, year:pp-pp.

Tourne R. Townsville Hospital in poor health: hospital troubles persist.  Townsville Bulletin . February 26, 2011:5.

Packham B. Australian-made vaccine available 'within months'.  The Australian.  September 7, 2020:5.

Standard news article pattern (online):

Author AA, Author BB. Article title.  Newspaper name . Month day, year:pp-pp. Accessed Month DD, YYYY. URL

Scott M. More than 60 treated in hospital after Townsville music festival.  The Australian.  May 7, 2019. Accessed September 7, 2020.  https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/more-than-60-treated-in-hospital-after-townsville-music-festival/news-story/f4b6a403939ed34b0c18d426becb9533

Ikonomou T. Townsville’s rising obesity numbers among shocking health statistics. Townsville Bulletin. November, 14, 2018. Accessed September 9, 2020.  https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/townsville/townsvilles-rising-obesity-numbers-among-shocking-health-statistics/news-story/47c5f163d537ba20353e0572901ea19e

• Newspaper names are not abbreviated.
• If a city name is not part of the newspaper name, it may be added to the official name for clarity.

News Release

News and media releases take the following format:

• Examining how common depression symptoms are in adults before, during COVID-19 pandemic. News release. JAMA For the Media. September 2, 2020. Accessed September 7, 2020.  https://media-jamanetwork-com.elibrary.jcu.edu.au/news-item/examining-how-common-depression-symptoms-are-in-adults-before-during-covid-19-pandemic/
• Teleheath, e-prescribing arrangements must be extended. News release. Australian Medical Association. September 3, 2020. Accessed September 7, 2020.  https://ama.com.au/media/telehealth-e-prescribing-arrangements-must-be-extended

Online Conference Proceedings

These are treated much the same as a “presented at” reference (see above), with the addition of the accessed date and the URL.

Morales M, Zhou X. Health practices of immigrant women: indigenous knowledge in an urban environment. Paper presented at: 78th Association for Information Science and Technology Annual Meeting; November 6-10, 2015; St Louis, MO. Accessed March 15, 2016.  https://dl-acm-org.elibrary.jcu.edu.au/doi/10.5555/2857070.2857108

Botkin J, Menikoff J. Opening remarks presented at: Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Human Research Protections Meeting; December 4, 2015; Rockville, MD.  http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/sachrp/mtgings/2015%20Dec%20Mtg/december3-4,2015sachrpmeeting.html . Accessed March 15, 2016. Videocast available at:  https://videocast-nih-gov.elibrary.jcu.edu.au/

The presentation in example 2 did not have a title; hence, the “title” field and the “presented at” field were combined. In addition, a webcast of the meeting is available for the presentation in example 2, and that information is also included in the reference. See example 3 below for how to cite a videocast.

Labor, Health and Human Services Subcommittee Hearing. National Institutes of Health: Investing in a Healthier Future. October 7, 2015. Accessed March 15, 2016. Videocast available at:  http://www.appropriations.senate.gov/hearings/labor-hhs-subcommittee-hearing-national-institutes-of-health-investing-in-a-healthier-future

A transcript from a teleconference is cited as follows:

Volkow N, Botticelli M, Johnston LD, Miech RA. Monitoring the Future: Teleconference 2015. December 16, 2015. Accessed March 15, 2016. Transcript available at:  https://www.drugabuse.gov/news-events/podcasts/2015/12/monitoring-future-teleconference-2015#content-area

A webinar is cited as follows:

Published work

If you are citing work that has previously been published, you cite it exactly how you would cite any other work (e.g., if it was a journal article, cite a journal article).

Previous assignments

If you are citing work that you submitted in a previous assignment, it is considered an unpublished manuscript, but you would site it the same way you would cite an  unpublished dissertation .

• Smith J.  Multidisciplinary Care Teams in Rural Communities . Assignment submitted for HS1155. James Cook University; 2021.

N.B.  Only use one of your own assignments as a source for your work if your lecturer has told you it is okay to to so.

Images and figures

If you are creating an original figure for an assignment, you do not need to cite yourself - you only need to cite information or work that was taken from other sources.

If you are using a photograph or artwork you have created yourself, and it has been "published" online (for example, Flickr or a personal website), you will need to cite it as you would any other image taken from an online source. You would need to include this in your reference list as you would any other cited source.

If you have not previously made the image public, or produced it specifically for this assignment, it does not require citations - but you can put "Own work" as part of the caption for the image if you believe it is necessary for clarity (for example, if you are also using similar images from other sources). You would not include this in your reference list.

Figure 4 . Wound dressing following removal of stitches

Image shows multiple adhesive dressings used together. Own work.

Pharmacopoeia, Encyclopedias & Dictionary Entries

Pharmacopoeia entry (also used for encyclopedia and dictionary entries)

Author AA, Author BB. Title of entry. In: Editor AA, Editor BB, eds.  Title of Pharmacopoeia . Vol no. Nth ed. Publisher; Year:page numbers. Accessed Month DD, YYYY. DOI or URL

• Ceylon cinnamon bark oil. In:  British Pharmacopoeia 2013 . Vol 5. The Stationery Office; 2012:3659-3660.
• Carbamazepine tablets. In:  The Pharmocopeia of the United States of America.  Vol 2. 31st  ed. The United States Pharmocopeial Convention; 2007:1631.
• Antihistamines. In Andrews A, Boden E eds.  Black's Veterinary Dictionary . Bloomsbury; 2015. Accessed July 20, 2015. http://search.credoreference.com.elibrary.jcu.edu.au/content/entry/acbvet/antihistamines/0
• Authors for the entry or editors for the book may not be available.
• Contributors to encyclopedia and dictionaries are sometimes indicated by initials at the end of the entries - always try to find an author rather than assuming there isn't one simply because you cannot see a name in an obvious location.
• Online books may not have page numbers.

Titles of theses and dissertations are given in italics. References to theses should include the location of the university (or other institution), its name, and year of completion of the thesis. If the thesis has been published, it should be treated as any other book reference. 

• Fenster SD.  Cloning and Characterization of Piccolo, a Novel Component of the Presynaptic Cytoskeletal Matrix.  Dissertation. University of Alabama; 2000.
• Lienart, GH.  Effects of Temperature and Food Availability on the Antipredator Behaviour of Juvenile Coral Reef Fishes.  Dissertation. James Cook University; 2016. Accessed December 18, 2020.  https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/47533/

Web Content

Standard Web content pattern:

• Pharmacy ownership in Queensland. Queensland Health. Updated September 1, 2021. Accessed January 10, 2022.   https://www.health.qld.gov.au/system-governance/licences/pharmacy/pharmacy-ownership/queensland
• Department of Health & Human Services. Anaphylaxis. Better Health Channel. Updated August, 2014. Accessed August 31, 2020.  https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/ConditionsAndTreatments/anaphylaxis
• Food allergy or intolerance? Allergy and Anapylaxis Australia. Updated January 2017. Accessed August 31, 2020.  https://allergyfacts.org.au/allergy-anaphylaxis/food-allergy-or-intolerance
• Zika virus. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. January 26, 2016. Updated November 20, 2019. Accessed September 8, 2020.  https://www.cdc.gov/zika/
• University of California Television. Ketogenesis and Fasting: Fuel for the Brain. YouTube. August 14, 2020. Accessed August 31, 2020.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H33vuQLIiXE&feature=emb_logo
• For web pages in which there is no listed author for the information on that page, and the  "authors" of the site and the name of the site are identical, treat the page as if it has no author and begin with the title of the page  (for example, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention is both the name of the site and the name of the organisation responsible for the information on that site).
• If the name of the site and the name of the corporate author is different then list the name of the corporate author in the author position and the name of the site in the Site title position (for example, Better Health Channel is the name of the site, but the Department of Health & Human Services is responsible for the information on that site).

Standard YouTube pattern:

Author AA, Author BB. Title of page or object. YouTube video. Published Month DD, YYYY. Updated Month DD, YYYY. Accessed Month DD, YYYY. URL.

• JCU Library. Launch of Mabo Interpretive Wall. YouTube video. December 1, 2020. Accessed December 22, 2020. https://youtu.be/dnonEJ-ZpuA
• The Two Ronnies - Sweet Shop Sketch. YouTube video. October 30, 2011. Accessed December 22, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbGMS5jQFcs
• Only provide the author if you are sure that person created the video. Do not list the person posting the video online as the author. If you are unsure, treat the citation as having no author.
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AMA Style Guide: Home

Created by health science librarians.

Formatting Authors in References

Dissertations, government or agency reports, audiovisual materials, mobile apps, drug databases, drug inserts, conference/meeting proceedings, material accepted for publication but not yet published, material submitted for publication but not yet accepted, comments on a journal article, legal documents, personal communications, social media.

• Reference Managers

For help, you can

• Ask a Librarian
• Visit the Purdue OWL AMA Style Guide for a quick and easy guide
• Read the AMA Manual of Style at HSL
• View the AMA Manual of Style Online  

This guide goes over how to cite sources in AMA style. The reference citation varies depending on the material you are citing. You can use this guide to find the type of material you are citing and see how to format a reference for that material. For additional information on AMA Style or for source types not included in this guide, you can look at the online AMA Manual of Style .

In AMA, when you are referencing material in the body of your text:

• References should be cited using superscript Arabic numerals (e.g.  1 )
• References should be cited in the order they appear in the text, figures, tables, or boxes
• Citations should occur outside periods and commas and inside colons and semi-colons (e.g. These results were found 1-3 : or One finding was this, 2,4 )
• Use hyphens to connect more than 2 consecutive references, using commas with no space to connect more than 2 non-consecutive references (e.g.  1-3  or  2,4 )
• Citations should not be placed immediately after numbers or measurements to avoid confusion
• Material that has not been accepted for publication or personal communication can be referenced in the text, but should not be numbered, and should not be included in the reference list

You should list the references you cited in the text at the end of the document. References should be listed numerically in the order they were cited in the text. You can see information on how to format the references in the guide below. 

General Guidance

• Authors should be identified by surname followed by initials with no periods.
• Do not put "and" between author names

Number of Authors

• No individual author, group author, or editor: do not include author in the reference, continue with the rest of the reference as usual
• 6 or fewer authors: list all authors, with commas between names
• More than 6 authors: list the first three authors followed by "et al"

Type of Authors

• Anonymous author: use Anonymous in place of author
• Group and individual author(s): list authors followed by a semi-colon and then the group name
• Group, no individual authors: put the group name in place of author
• Editor with no authors: list editors followed by "eds." after the last editor

Journal Article Reference Components:

• DOI/URL: only include URL if there is no DOI
• Accessed Date: only include the accessed date if including a URL
• Article Title: capitalize the first letter of the first word and proper nouns

Formatted Journal Article Examples:

With doi and pages:.

Younan D, Petkus AJ, Widaman KF, et al. Particulate matter and episodic memory decline mediated by early neuroanatomic biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease.  Brain.  2019;143(1):289-302. doi:10.1093/brain/awz348

With DOI and e-locator:

Scarneo-Miller SE, Swartz EE, Register-Mihalik JK, Coleman KA, Emrich CM, DiStefano LJ. Spinal cord injury management policies in high school sports as reported by athletic administrators.  Transl J Am Coll Sports Med.  2024;9(1):e000239. doi:10.1249/tjx.0000000000000239

With URL but no DOI:

Posner EA, Sunstein CR. Should greenhouse gas permits be allocated on a per capita basis?  Calif Law Rev.  2009;97(51):59-93. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/journal_articles/1760/

With no URL or DOI:

Posner EA, Sunstein CR. Should greenhouse gas permits be allocated on a per capita basis?  Calif Law Rev.  2009;97(51):59-93.

News Article Reference Components:

Formatted news article example:.

Lovitt L. UNC library brings together students and seeds at second-annual launch. The Daily Tar Heel.  March 2, 2023. Accessed March 8, 2024. https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2023/03/university-seed-library-launch-2023-kenan-science-library

Book Reference Components:

• Edition: do not include edition information in reference if first edition
• Format: specify format if you need technology to access book, such as if the book is and audiobook on CD-ROM or Audiocassette tape
• Accessed Date: only include the accessed date if you accessed the book online with a URL
• Book Title: capitalize first letter of every word other than articles, prepositions and conjunctions

Formatted Book Examples:

Print book with edition:.

Harvey RA, Ferrier DR, eds.  Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews: Biochemistry.  5th ed. Wolters Kluwer Health; 2011.

Print book with volume and edition:

Oberlander J, Buchbinder M, Churchill LR, et al, eds. The Social Medicine Reader: Ethics and Cultures of Biomedicine.  Vol 1. 3rd ed. Duke University Press; 2019.

E-book with URL:

Oberlander J, Buchbinder M, Churchill LR, et al, eds. The Social Medicine Reader: Ethics and Cultures of Biomedicine.  Vol 1. 3rd ed. Duke University Press; 2019. Accessed March 8, 2024. https://www-jstor-org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/stable/j.ctv1220m7g

Strom D.  Instrument . Audiocassette tape. Fonograf Editions; 2020.

Book Chapter Reference Components:

Formatted book chapter example:.

Bloom A. Silver Water. In: Oberlander J, Buchbinder M, Churchill LR, et al, eds. The Social Medicine Reader: Ethics and Cultures of Biomedicine.  Vol 1. 3rd ed. Duke University Press; 2019.

Webpage Reference Components:

• Title: include the title of the page cited, if given. Capitalize the first letter of the first word and proper nouns. When there is no title, put the name of the organization that created the website in place of the title.
• Date Published and Date Updated: include information if present on the page

Formatted Webpage Example:

Symptoms of COVID-19. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated March 15, 2024. Accessed March 21, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html

Dissertation Reference Components:

• Published Dissertation: if the dissertation has been published, it should be cited like a book.
• Accessed Date: only include the accessed date if you accessed the dissertation online with a URL
• Dissertation Title: capitalize first letter of every word other than articles, prepositions and conjunctions

Formatted Dissertation Example:

Sperger J. Experimental Designs for Precision Health & Medicine.  Dissertation. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; 2023. Accessed March 11, 2023. https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/concern/dissertations/mp48sq25p?locale=en

Thesis Reference Components:

• Published Thesis: if the dissertation has been published, it should be cited like a book.
• Accessed Date: only include the accessed date if you accessed the thesis online with a URL
• Thesis Title: capitalize first letter of every word other than articles, prepositions and conjunctions

Formatted Thesis Example:

Spielvogel E.  HIV-2 Envelope Entry Dynamics into Host Cell Types.  Master's thesis. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; 2023. Accessed March 11, 2023. https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/concern/dissertations/mc87q272f?locale=en

Report Reference Components:

• Accessed Date: only include the accessed date if you accessed the report online with a URL
• Report Title: capitalize first letter of every word other than articles, prepositions and conjunctions
• Only include pages, publication number, and series number if specified

Formatted Report Example:

Example with URL:

World Health Statistics 2023: Monitoring Health for the SDGs, Sustainable Development Goals.  World Health Organization; 2023. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240074323

DVD Reference Components:

Formatted dvd reference:.

Jenkins B, Hogan VK.  Health Disparities: Why We Need New Approaches.  DVD. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health; 2004.

YouTube Video Reference Components:

Formatted youtube video reference example:.

Citation Analysis Using Scopus.  YouTube. April 5, 2022. Accessed March 22, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWsDzo11h78

Podcast Reference Components with Example:

Formatted podcast reference example:.

Glass I, Kestenbaum D, Ballout D.  This American Life.  All the King's Horses. March 22, 2024. Accessed March 25, 2024. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/827/all-the-kings-horses

Mobile App Reference Components:

Formatted mobile app reference example:.

Micromedex Drug Interactions app. Version 3.0.4. Merative. Updated September 26, 2023.

Drug Database Reference Components:

Formatted drug database reference example:.

Facts and Comparisons: Drug Referential Resource. Wolters Kluwer; 2024. Accessed March 25, 2024. https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/solutions/uptodate/enterprise/lexidrug-facts-and-comparisons

Package Insert Reference Components:

Formatted package insert example:.

Lamictal. Package insert. GlaxoSmithKline; 2009.

Conference Presentation Reference Components:

• Published Presentation: once the presentation has been published, you should cite the published material rather than the conference material (e.g. the published journal article or book)
• Presentation Title: capitalize the first letter of the first word and proper nouns
• Presentation Format: examples include abstract, paper, opening remarks, or poster
• For more examples, including online conference proceedings and webinars, see sections 3.13.8 and 3.13.9 in the online AMA Manual of Style

Formatted Conference Presentation Example:

Moreton E, Ottosen T, Burrows H, Nachman S, Barron L, Jones E. Translation of systematic review LibGuide content using plain language and scientific writing best practices. Paper presented at: Medical Library Association Annual Conference; May 16-19, 2023; Detroit, MI.

Upcoming Publication Reference Components:

To format the citation, complete the citation as usual (e.g. book or article citation) and add 'Forthcoming' before the publication year.

You typically should not include journal articles that have not yet been published in your reference list. If you do so, you should ensure the article has been  accepted  rather than just  submitted .

Formatted Forthcoming Publication Example:

Harvey RA, Ferrier DR, eds.  Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews: Biochemistry.  5th ed. Wolters Kluwer Health; Forthcoming 2025.

Submitted Material Reference Components:

Material that has not yet been accepted should not be included in the list of references. You can reference it in the text as "unpublished data."

Examples of In-Text References to Submitted (not Accepted) Material:

Similar results have been found by E.P. Jones (unpublished data, 2024).

These results have been verified (E.P. Jones, unpublished data, February 2024).

Journal Article Comment Reference Components:

Formatted journal article reference example:, comment without title:.

Quinn MJ. Re: Prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in China, 2004-18: findings from six rounds of national survey. Rapid Response.  BMJ.  January 14, 2023. Accessed March 25, 2024. https://www.bmj.com/content/380/bmj-2022-071952/rr

Comment with Title:

Quinn MJ. Lifelong hypertension in China?  BMJ.  January 14, 2023. Accessed March 25, 2024. https://www.bmj.com/content/380/bmj-2022-071952/rr

Dictionary Reference Components:

Formatted dictionary reference example:.

Concise Medical Dictionary.  9th ed. Oxford University Press; 2015.

There is a wide variation in references for legal documents depending on the type of document (e.g cases, statutes, regulations, or hearings). To cite legal documentation, you should refer to the online AMA Manual of Style .

For US Legal References see 3.16

For Non-US Legal References see 3.17

Personal Communication Reference Components:

You should not include personal communications in the reference list. However, you can reference personal communication in text.

Examples of In-Text References to Personal Communications:

Similar results have been found by E.P. Jones (email, 2024).

Similar results have been found by E.P. Jones (written communication, 2024).

It is recommended to find citations other than social media, as access to social media sites can vary, and the posts themselves are fluid. For some examples of how to cite social media posts, see section 3.15.4 in the online AMA Manual of Style .

See section 4.2 in the  online AMA Manual of Style  for information on how to format and organize figures in APA.

If you are reproducing or modifying a figure from another source, see section 4.2.9 in the  online AMA Manual of Style  for information on attributing the figure to another source.

See section 4.1 in the online AMA Manual of Style for information on how to format and organize tables in APA.

If you are reproducing or modifying a table from another source, you should indicate the source in a footnote below the table. See section 4.1.4.10 in the online AMA Manual of Style for more information on footnotes.

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AMA Citation Style: AMA

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What is AMA Manual of Style?

AMA Manual of Style is a writing resource is for the medical, social sciences and scientific publishing community.

• AMA MANUAL OF STYLE "Written by an expert committee of JAMA Network editors, this 11th edition thoroughly covers ethical and legal issues, authorship, conflicts of interest, scientific misconduct, and intellectual property, in addition to preparation of articles for publication, style, terminology, measurement, and quantification."
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Guides online.

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Writing and Citing Help at UR

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What's a DOI Number?

A DOI (short for D igital O bject I dentifier) is a unique number assigned to any digital object like an article , a data set , image , etc.  The doi starts with the number 10 and might contain numbers, letters, and often slashes and periods.  

The doi number is 10.1037/0003-066x.55.1.68

How to cite an article with a DOI: AMA (American Psychological Association) Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. Am. Psychol. 2000;55:1. doi:68-78. doi: 10.1037/0003-066x.55.1.68 ​

For more information on DOIs, visit  https://www.doi.org/ 

Annotated Bibliographies

• Developing a thesis statement (UW-Madison)
• Examples of Annotated Bibliography entries in APA citation style (UNC Chapel Hill)

Annotated bibliographies differ from abstracts or summaries of articles. Annotated bibliographies are a list of sources (journal or news articles, books, websites, datasets, etc.) on a particular topic. The list is usually in alphabetical order by author and employs a single citation style . The propose of an annotated bibliography is:

• To prove you have done some valid research to back up your argument and claims
• To explain the content of your sources, assess their usefulness, and share this information with others who may be less familiar with them

Some questions to help with your analysis of a source might include:

• What’s the main point or thesis of this source?
• Does the author seem to have particular biases or are they trying to reach a particular audience?
• How does this source relate to your own research and ideas?
• How does this source relate to other sources you have read? Do they have aspects of the same argument or opposing views?

Here are a few links to help you better understand and construct an annotated bibliography.

• Annotated Bibliography with examples (UW-Madison)
• How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography (Cornell)

Graphic Organizers to help you build an annotated bibliography:

• Annotated Bibliography Note-taking Worksheet
• Making Connections - Web Organizer

AMA Citations*

• Basics of AMA
• Journal Articles
• Books & Ebooks
• Unpublished Material
• Other Formats
• Secondary Citations
• Images, Tables & Figures

In-text Citations

In-text citations are superscript and  numbered in consecutive order  in the text, tables, or figures of the work. If a reference is used multiple times in one paper, use the same number throughout. 

The Superscript number is inserted:

• Immediately next to the fact, idea or quotation being cited.    Ex. This drug is used to treat hepatitis. 1
• Outside periods and commas.   Ex. Storing latex at high heat may cause degradation,  2,3-5,7   but it is difficult to keep materials cool in a desert environment.
• Inside colons and semi-colons.  Ex. Some physicians choose to store prescription pads in locked cabinets  8 ; others keep them in their coats at all times.  9
• When more than 2 references are cited at a given place in the manuscript, use hyphens to join the first and last numbers of a closed series; use commas without space to separate other parts of a multiple citation.    Ex. As reported previously, 1,4-7,19,24

You may use author names in your text, as long as these mentions are accompanied by numbered citations. Use last names only.  For items with one or two authors, include both names. For items with 3 or more authors, include the first author's surname and then 'et al' or 'and colleagues'. 

• Ex. Smith and Jones 2  reported on the questionnaire. Ex. Hammersmith et al 3  reported on the survey.

Reference List

At the end of the document, include a reference list with full citations to each item. Name it References. Order citations as they appear in your paper (not alphabetically!). The following tabs in this guide provide formatting information for common reference types.

*  Adapted from https://guides.lib.uw.edu/hsl/ama and AMA Manual of Style

How to Format References from Journal Articles

• The title of the journal article is in sentence case (only the first letter is capitalized).
• Abbreviate and italicize names of journals according to the listing in the  National Library of Medicine database . 
• References that have six authors or less should include all authors names (last name, initial(s). References with more than 7 authors should include the first three authors followed by "et al."
• Provide the DOI   for online journal articles. If there is no DOI listed, include the most direct url possible and the date the article was accessed. It is not necessary to include the access date if the article has a DOI.

Author AA. Title of journal article. Abbreviated Name of Journal . Year;Volume(Issue):Page Information. DOI (or URL & Accessed Date if no DOI is assigned.)

Ex.  Online journal without volume and page information (and with DOI)

Mast CT,  DeMuro-Mercon  C, Kelly CM, Floyd LE,  Ealter  EB. The impact of rotavirus gastroenteritis on the family.  BMC Pediatrics . 2009;9:11. doi:10.1186/1471-2431-9-11

Ex.  O nline journals with volume and page information (and without DOI, but with URL & accessed date)

Kapur  VK,  Obstructive sleep apnea: diagnosis, epidemiology, and economics.  Respir Care . 2010;55(9):1155-1167.  Accessed Nove mber 8, 2011.  http://www.rcjo urnal.com/co ntents/09.10/09.10.1155.pdf

Ex. Print journal

Raux H, Coulon P, Lafay F, Flamand A. Monoclonal antibodies which recognize the acidic configuration of the rabies glycoprotein at the surface of the virion can be neutralizing.  Virology.  1995;210(2):400-408.

How to Format Reference from Books and Ebooks

• The title of a  book is capitalized per  title case rules 
• The title of a  book chapter (if applicable) is in   sentence case   (only the first letter is capitalized)
• References that have  six authors or less  should include all authors names (last name, initial(s). References with  more than 7  authors should include the first three authors followed by "et al."
• For ebooks,  include the most direct url possible and the date the article was accessed

Basic Format - General

Author AA. Title of Book. Edition number. Location: Publisher; Year published. 

Basic Format - Edited Book (chapters with different authors)

Author AA. Chapter title. Editor, AA. Title of Book . Place of publication: Publisher; Year published: Page numbers.

Ex. Single Author Print Book

Herr J. Creative Resources for the Early Childhood Classroom. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth & Cengage Learning; 2013.

Ex. Chapter in a Print Book

Yagyu S, Iehara T. MYCN nonamplified neuroblastoma: Detection of tumor-derived cell-free DNA in serum for predicting prognosis of neuroblastoma. In Hayat MA, ed.  Pediatric Cancer Diagnosis, Therapy, and Prognosis . Dordrecht, NY: Springer; 2013:11-17.

Ex. Part of a Monographic Series Print Book

Davidoff RA.  Migraine: Manifestations, Pathogenesis, and Management . Philadelphia, Pa: FA Davis; 1995. Contemporary Neurology Series; No 42.

Ex. Online Book

Neinstein L, ed.  Adolescent Health Care . 5th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott W&W; 2008.  Accessed November 9, 2011. http://www.r2library.com/marc_frame.aspx?ResourceID=931

Ex. Chapter in an Online Book

Kohn LT. Creating safety systems in health care organizations. In: Kohn, LT, Corrigan, JM, and Donaldson MS, eds.  To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System . Washington, DC: Committee on Quality of Health Care in America, Institute of Medicine; 2000. Accessed November 1, 2011. http://www.nap.edu/openbook.ptp?record_id=9728&page=155

Personal Communication -  References to material not yet accepted for publication or to personal communications (oral, written, and electronic) are not acceptable as listed references and instead should be included parenthetically in the text. The author should provide the date of the communication, as well as the form (oral or written). Highest academic degree to date should also be mentioned. 

Ex.  In a conversation with Bart Simpson, Ph.D., (November 2004)...

Ex.  According to an e-mail from Bull Winkle, Esq, (B. Winkle [[email protected]], e-mail, November 6, 2004)... 

Preprint (Ahead of Print)

Ex. van der Hoek L, Pyrc K, Jebbink MF, et al. Identification of a new human coronavirus [published online ahead of print March 21, 2004]. Nat Med

Material accepted for publication but not yet published

Ex . Carrau RI. The impact of laryngopharyngeal reflux on patient-reported QOL. Laryngoscope . In press. 

Theses or Dissertations

Ex.  MacKenzie MA.  Comparing Heart Failure and Cancer Caregiver Satisfaction with Hospice Care.  [dissertation]. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania; 2014.

Government or Agency Bulletins - References to bulletins published by departments or agencies of a government should include the following information, in the order indicated:

(1) name of author (if given); (2) title of bulletin; (3) place of publication; (4) name of issuing bureau, agency, department, or other governmental division (not that in this position, Department should be abbreviated Dept; also not that if an author supplies US Government Printing Office as the publisher, it would be preferable to obtain the name of the issuing bureau, agency, or department, if possible); (5) date of publication; (6) page numbers, if specified; (7) publication number, if any; and (8) series number if given.

Ex.  American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.  ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 75: Management of alloimmunization during pregnancy . Bethesda, MD: The National Center for Biotechnology Information; 2006. 457-464.

Online Reference 

Ex. Amoxicillin. In: DRUGDEX System  (Micromedex 2.0). Greenwood Village, CO: Truven Health Analytics; c1974-2013. Accessed October 22, 2013. http://www.micromedexsolutions.com/micromedex2/librarian#

Package Inserts -  Package inserts (the printed material about the use and effects of the product contained in the package) may be cited as follows:

Ex.  BioThrax [package insert]. Lansing, MI: Emergent BioSolutions; 2012

Ex. MacKenzie MA.  Comparing Heart Failure and Cancer Caregiver Satisfaction with Hospice Care.  [dissertation]. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania; 2014.

Websites -  When citing data from a Website, include the following elements, if available, in the order shown below:

Author(s), if given (often, no authors are given). Title of the specific item cited (if none is given, use the name of the organization responsible for the site). Name of the Website. Published [date]. Updated [date]. Accessed [date]. URL [provide URL and verify that the link still works as close as possible to publication]

Ex. Living With Type 1 Diabetes. Diabetes.org. Published February 9, 2015. Accessed April 7, 2015. http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/recently-diagnosed/living-with-type-1-diabetes.html

Secondary Citations:

 The AMA Manual. section 3.13.10 Secondary citations, states:  Reference may be made to one author’s citation of, or quotation from, another’s work. Distinguish between citation and quotation (ie, between work mentioned and words actually quoted). In the text, the name of the original author, rather than the secondary source, should be mentioned. (See also 3.11.12, References to Print Journals, Discussants.) As with citation of an abstract of an article rather than citation of the original document (see 3.11.9, References to Print Journals, Abstracts and Other Material Taken From Another Source), citation of the original document is preferred unless it is not readily available.  Only items actually consulted should be listed.      Ex.  Cauley JA, Lui L-Y, Ensrud KE, et al. Osteoporosis and fracture risk in women of different ethnic groups. JAMA. 2005;293(17):2102-2108. Cited by: Acheson LS. Bone density and the risk of fractures: should treatment thresholds vary by race [editorial]? JAMA. 2005;293(17):2151-2154.

If you (student) are going to recreate/reproduce an image, table or figure from another source and insert it verbatim (exactly as is) into you assignment paper, you do not have to obtain copyright permission from the copyright holder; however, you still have to cite the source. If you are submitting the paper for publications and recreate/reproduce the table or figure, you would need to obtain copyright permissions first.

Images, tables or figures from books or journal articles: Do not cite the image individually but give the citation details for the book/article/etc. Treat it as though it was a direct quote. See 3.11 References to Journal Articles in the AMA Style Guide and the AMA Style blog " How to cite a photograph or illustration ."

Ex. Table 14.14-12. Antigens and antibodies of hepatitis B virus. In: Christiansen S, Iverson C, Flanagin A, et al.  AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors . 11th ed. Oxford University Press; 2020. Accessed August 20, 2020. https://www.amamanualofstyle.com/view/ 10.1093/jama/9780190246556.001.0001/med-9780190246556 -chapter-14-div2-2090

Images, tables or figures found online: cite them as a web object: Author AA, Author BB. Title of page or object. Clarifying information if necessary. Title of web site. Published Month DD, YYYY or Updated Month DD, YYYY. Accessed Month, DD, YYYY. URL. See 3.15.3 Websites in the AMA Style Guide.

If there is a credit for the image found online, use this as your author.  If there is no credit for the image, use the authors of the web site if you believe they are responsible for the image.

Ex. AU Libraries. Data Life Cycle Models. Infographic. University of Alabama. Accessed September 29, 2021.  https://www.lib. ua.edu/wiki/sura/index.php/Data_Life_Cycle_Models

Citation Managers

Citation managers like RefWorks, EndNote, Mendeley and Zotero help you track and organize your citations, so that when you're writing your paper, you can easily cite your sources. Citation managers also help you insert citations, create endnotes and bibliographies. 

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Guidelines for the American Medical Association (AMA) Style

We use citations and reference lists to guide the reader/viewer/audience to the sources used to create our paper, video, presentation, etc. It is common for individuals who want to learn more about a topic to use the sources in a reference list. Citing is a recognition of other people's work.

The American Medical Association (AMA) style was created by editors of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). AMA style specifies writing and citation styles for scholarly works in medicine and related health science fields.

Basic Reference Structure

AMA Style references should contain at least these four base elements:

• author/creator name (who wrote, made, produced, filmed, etc.)
• title of the work
• date of publication (when was the item published, made, produced, filmed, etc.)
• publication information (publishing company information, edition, volume and issue numbers, online location)

The source format and type impacts what is and isn't included in the reference. Consult the Example pages for specific formatting of in-text citations and references.

Formatting Your Paper

Using a specific style is not just in-text citing and a list of references. It also includes the formatting of your paper. While AMA does not provide a specific paper formatting structure, use these general guidelines as a starting point. If you are formatting your thesis or dissertation, contact the Graduate School to discuss alternative's to the School's required templates .

• 1-inch margins on all sides
• Double spacing of all text on all pages, including the References list.
• Each paragraph begins with a First Line indent of .5 inches.
• References are a numbered list in the order they were cited. Do not use a Hanging indent.
• Font should be a serif font like Times New Roman, and set to 12pt.
• Page numbers in the upper right corner on each page, accompanied by your last name.

Note: If your professor provides alternative formatting, follow their guidelines.

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AMA Referencing | Quick Guide & Examples

The American Medical Association (AMA) provides guidance for a citation style called AMA referencing format .

AMA is a common citation style in the field of medicine. It’s required when you’re submitting to a journal published by the American Medical Association.

AMA citation format includes:

• Numerical in-text citations, written in superscript
• A numbered reference list giving full source information

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Table of contents

Ama in-text citation, ama references, ama formatting, frequently asked questions about ama referencing.

An AMA in-text citation is just a superscript number (like this: 7) that appears at the point in the text where information from another source is included. The number points the reader to the relevant entry on your reference page.

The superscript number should be placed so that it’s clear what information is being cited. For example, you can place it after you mention the author’s name, or after a quotation. The number appears after any commas, periods, or quotation marks, not before them.

To cite multiple sources at the same point, you can include a range using an en dash (to cite two or more sources with consecutive numbering: 1–3 ) or a list using commas (to cite sources that are not consecutive: 1,4,8 ). In either case, there’s no space between the numbers.

To include page numbers (for example, when you’re quoting), present them in parentheses after the citation number, again without any spacing. A single page number is preceded by “p,” a range or list of page numbers by “pp.”

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On the reference page at the end of your paper, you list references containing full information about each of the sources you used. References are numbered in the order they were first cited in the text. Each source is included only once on your reference page – if you need to cite a source repeatedly in the text, you use the same number each time.

A reference typically includes the author’s last name and initials, the source title, information about the publisher or larger publication in which it was included, and the publication date. The exact information and format vary by source type, as shown in the tabs below.

AMA also provides some general formatting guidelines for presenting your paper and your reference page (though they’re not too specific about the details).

• Apply a commonly used font such as Times New Roman, in size 12.
• Add page numbers in the upper right corner of each page (starting with the title page).
• Use 1-inch margins and indent the first lines of paragraphs by ½ inch.
• Double-space the text.
• Use consistent styling (such as bolding, centring, or a different font) for each level of heading in the text.
• Spell out acronyms the first time they are used.

Your references appear on a separate page at the end of your text. The heading “References” appears at the top of the page. The references are formatted as a numbered list. Don’t apply any special indent to a reference that runs over onto a second line.

AMA citation format is a citation style designed by the American Medical Association. It’s frequently used in the field of medicine.

You may be told to use AMA style for your student papers. You will also have to follow this style if you’re submitting a paper to a journal published by the AMA.

An AMA in-text citation consists of the number of the relevant reference on your AMA reference page , written in superscript 1 at the point in the text where the source is used.

It may also include the page number or range of the relevant material in the source (e.g., the part you quoted 2(p46) ). Multiple sources can be cited at one point, presented as a range or list (with no spaces 3,5–9 ).

An AMA reference usually includes the author’s last name and initials, the title of the source, information about the publisher or the publication it’s contained in, and the publication date. The specific details included, and the formatting, depend on the source type.

References in AMA style are presented in numerical order (numbered by the order in which they were first cited in the text) on your reference page. A source that’s cited repeatedly in the text still only appears once on the reference page.

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• AMA Book Citation | Guide with Examples
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• AMA Website Citation | Guide with Examples

• Writing and Citation Style Guides and Tools
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Online AMA Manual of Style Resources

AMA Manual of Style Online

• The 11 th edition of the AMA Manual of Style brings this definitive manual into the 21 st century with a broadened international perspective and expanded electronic guidelines. Ethical and legal issues receive increased attention, with detailed guidelines on authorship, conflicts of interest, scientific misconduct, intellectual property, and the protection of individuals' rights in scientific research and publication.

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AMA Citation Style Guide: AMA Examples - Online and Electronic

• In-text Citations
• AMA Examples - Print
• AMA Examples - Online and Electronic
• AMA Examples - Images, Video, and Audio
• Citation Resources and Guidelines

eBooks and Audiobooks

• Volume number is only needed if there is more than one volume. Additionally, the Edition number is only needed if it is not the first edition of the book. 
• The Accessed date is only needed if you are using a URL
• The Format is included for other book versions including e-readers, audiobooks, and books on CD.
• Vieira AR.  Genetic Basis of Oral Health Conditions.  Springer International Publishing; 2019. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-14485-2
• World Health Organization.  Health Worker Roles in Providing Safe Abortion Care and Post-abortion Contraception . World Health Organization; 2015. Accessed August 12, 2020.  https://srhr.org/safeabortion/
• Skloot R.  The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.  Audiobook. Random House Audio; 2010.

AMA Manual, Section 3.12.11

• Chapter in an Edited Book
• Sudarsky L. Gait and balance disorders. In: Kasper DL, Fauci AS, Longo DL, Hauser SL, Jameson JL, Loscalzo J, eds.  Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine.  19th ed. McGraw-Hill; 2015;chap 32. Accessed February 10, 2016. http://www.harrisonsim.com/index.php
• Articles in Scholarly Journals

**Some online journals do not have page numbers. Use the article number instead. Reference 3 is an example. Examples:

• Economopoulos KJ, Brockmeier SF. Rotator cuff tears in overhead athletes.  Clin Sports Med . 2012;31(4):675-692. doi:10.1016/j.csm.2012.07.005
• Finnan RP, Crosby LA. Partial-thickness rotator cuff tears.  J Shoulder Elbow Surg . 2010;19(4):609-616. Accessed April 26, 2012. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1058274609004662
• Ho DTN, Le TPT, Wolbers M, et al. Risk factors of Streptococcus suis infection in Vietnam. A case-control study.  PLoS One . 2011;6(3):e17604. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0017604

AMA Manual, Section 3.11

• Theses and Dissertations

*If a thesis has been published, it should be written in the format of a book. 

• Ghanbari S. Integration of the Arts in STEM: A Collective Case Study of Two Interdisciplinary University Programs.  Dissertation. University of California; 2014. Accessed October 14, 2016. http://escholarship.org/uc/item/9wp9x8sj

AMA Manual, Section 3.13.4

Newspaper Articles/News Releases

Scott M. More than 60 treated in hospital after Townsville music festival.  The Australian.  May 7, 2019. Accessed September 7, 2020. https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/more-than-60-treated-in-hospital-after-townsville-music-festival/news-story/f4b6a403939ed34b0c18d426becb9533

Ikonomou T. Townsville’s rising obesity numbers among shocking health statistics. Townsville Bulletin. November, 14, 2018. Accessed September 9, 2020. https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/townsville/townsvilles-rising-obesity-numbers-among-shocking-health-statistics/news-story/47c5f163d537ba20353e0572901ea19e

News and media releases take the following format:

• Examining how common depression symptoms are in adults before, during COVID-19 pandemic. News release. JAMA For the Media. September 2, 2020. Accessed September 7, 2020. https://media-jamanetwork-com.elibrary.jcu.edu.au/news-item/examining-how-common-depression-symptoms-are-in-adults-before-during-covid-19-pandemic/
• Teleheath, e-prescribing arrangements must be extended. News release. Australian Medical Association. September 3, 2020. Accessed September 7, 2020. https://ama.com.au/media/telehealth-e-prescribing-arrangements-must-be-extended

AMA Manual, Sections 3.13.1 and 3.15.10

• Encyclopedia Entries

*If no author is available, start with the entry title. Only include edition and volume information within the citation if it is available. 

• Uretsky S. Antihistamines. In: Blanchfield DS, Longe JL, eds.  The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine . Vol 1. 2nd ed. Gale; 2002. Accessed October 4, 2021. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3405600130/GVRL?u=muohio_gvrl&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=2de5d5f0
• Government Reports
• National Cancer Institute. Taking time: Support for people with cancer.   U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. 2019. NIH Publication 18-2059.  Accessed October 4, 2021. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/patient-education/takingtime.pdf

AMA Manual, Section 3.13.2

Creating a Reference List Page

In AMA style your bibliography should be called Reference List.

Within your Reference List, your references should be listed in numerical order (two references should not be combined under a single reference number) as opposed to alphabetically. The numerical order is based on the order in which the sources were first cited in the document.

Do not begin the reference list on a new page, but place it at the end of your document, after a space or a line. It follows any article information or acknowledgments. Put the word "References" in all caps, and in line with the left-hand margin. Format the numbers as per normal numbering style, single spaced.

Online vs Print References

In AMA style, online and print references are formatted largely the same. All references generally include the author, title, source, and date, with the source element showing the difference between online and print. Online source elements will include their corresponding DOI and URL when available. 

Reference Examples

• Newspaper Articles

Images, Video, and Audio

• Images/Visual Works
• YouTube or Streaming Video
• Podcasts and Other Audio
• Computer Software, Mobile Apps, and Equipment
• If no author is available, start with the title of the work.
• If an updated date is available, note it between the publication date and access date.
• International Society for Infectious Diseases. ProMED-mail. Accessed February 10, 2016. http://www.promedmail.org
• Charlton G. Internal linking for SEO: examples and best practices. SearchEngineWatch. Accessed February 10, 2016. https://searchenginewatch.com/sew/how-to/2428041/internal-linking-for-seo-examples-and-best-practices
• Zika travel information. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. January 26, 2016. Updated August 11, 2016. Accessed June 18, 2019. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/zika-travel-information

AMA Manual, Section 3.15.3

Tweets and Facebook Updates

If the tweet or status update includes an image, a video, a poll, or a thumbnail image with a link, indicate that in brackets after the title: [Image attached], [Video attached], [Thumbnail with link attached].

Tweet  Example:

• @BarackObama. (2012, February 9). Today President Obama announced a landmark  foreclosure settlement with major banks to help struggling homeowners . February 9, 2012. Accessed February 15, 2012.  https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/167690595870052352

Facebook Post  Example:

• Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Facebook page. #RotatorCuff tears are among the most common shoulder injuries, particularly in individuals who engage in activities that require repetitive arm motions. Discover the possible treatment options for a torn rotator cuff: https://mayocl.in?2H6AR3P. Accessed March 4, 2019. https://facebook.com/mayoclinicsportsmedicine

AMA Manual, Section 3.15.4

Conference Sessions and Presentations

Type of contribution is flexible (e.g., “Conference session,” “Paper presentation,” “Poster session,” “Keynote address”) .

Papers presented at a conference, symposium or meeting, unpublished or only available from the conference website

Maddox S, Hurling J, Stewart E, Edwards A. If mama ain't happy, nobody's happy: the effect of parental depression on mood dysregulation in children. Paper presented at: Southeastern Psychologica Association 62nd Annual Meeting; March 30-April 2, 2016; New Orleans, LA.

Pearson J. Fat talk and its effects on state-based body image in women. Poster presented at: Australian Psychological Society Congress; September 21-30, 2018; Sydney, Australia.

Baydorova I, Collins H, Ait Saadi, I. Matching student and supervisor expectations in Malaysian doctoral education. Paper presented at: Australian Association for Research in Education Conference; November 26-30, 2017; Canberra, Australia. Abstract available at:  https://www.aare.edu.au/publications/aare-conference-papers/show/13007/matching-student-and-supervisor-expectations-in-malaysian-doctoral-education

Published papers

Papers from conferences, symposia and meetings are usually published as part of a special issue of a journal, as a monograph (book) of the conference proceedings, or as a document on a website. Once a presentation is published, use the pattern for the book, journal, or other medium in which they are published.

Morgan R, Meldrum K, Bryan S, et al. Embedding digital literacies in curricula: Australian and Malaysian experiences. In: Teh GB, Choy SC, eds.  Empowering 21st century learners through holistic and enterprising learning: selected papers from Tunku Abdul Rahman University College International Conference 2016 . Springer Singapore; 2017:11-19.

Huang G-M, Huang K-Y, Lee T-Y, Tzu-Ya Weng J. An interpretable rule-based diagnostic classification of diabetic nephropathy among type 2 diabetes patients.  BMC Bioinformatics.  2015;16(suppl 1):S5. Selected articles from the Thirteenth Asia Pacific Bioinformatics Conference (APBC 2015). doi:10.1186/1471-2105-16-S1-S5

(Example 5 shows an article from a special issue of the journal that has been entirely dedicated to publishing papers from the conference). 

Online conferences and webinars

• Gunn E, Kendall-Taylor J, Vandenburg B. Taking author instructions to the next level. Council of Science Editors webinar. September 10, 2015. Accessed March 15, 2016.  http://www.councilscienceeditors.org/resource-library/past-presentationswebinars/past-webinars/2015-webinar-3-taking-author-instructions-to-the-next-level/

AMA Manual, Sections 3.13.8 and 3.13.9

• Gray T. Advice after mischief is like medicine after death.  AMA Style Insider  blog. February 11, 2019. Accessed March 10, 2019. https://amastyleinsider.com/2019/02/11/advice-after-mischief-is-like-medicine-after-death/
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Citation Styles

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Using Zotero?

Adding AMA style into Zotero

• Go to the Zotero Style Repository and search for: American Medical Association
• Click and Install
• Go to your Zotero window and click on Actions and then Preferences
• Ensure that in your Export, American Medical Association is selected as your Default Output Format
• Click OK and you are all set!

What is AMA Style?

This style primarily used in medical and healthcare-related fields.

In Text Citation and Style Notes

• Your references are listed as they are cited in your work (1, 2, 3, etc.)
• You make note of your references in-text by using a superscript at the end of your sentence or quote
• When expressing value, all numbers should be in # form unless: the number is the first word of a sentence or less than 10
• For information about proper quoting and paraphrasing, see the Plagiarism Information & Tutorial Page

Reference Lists

• If you have more than six authors, you include the first three authors in your reference followed by et al.
• Always include the DOI number of the article, if available; you can also include the PubMed Identification number (PMID) instead or the URL
• Journal titles should be abbreviated according to the National Library of Medicine (NLM)
• NLM Journal Abbreviation Search
• Fact Sheet: Construction of the NLM Title Abbreviations
• List of Journal Abbreviations, Outside of NLM
• AMA Manual of Style (Ohio U Login Required) An complete online version of the manual - 11th edition
• AMA Manual of Style Website Includes a blog with lots of useful tips
• Style Quiz From the AMA Manual of Style Website
• SI Conversion Calculator From the AMA Manual of Style Website
• @AMAManual on Twitter

Some Examples

• Book, Chapter, and eBook
• Dissertation / Thesis
• Journal or Magazine Article (online)
• Newspaper Article (online)
• Video (online)

Gutierrez K. A Quick, No-Nonsense Guide to Basic Instructional Design Theory [internet]. Shift Disruptive Elearning . May 15, 2014. Available at: http://info.shiftelearning.com/blog/bid/345615/A-Quick-No-Nonsense-Guide-to-Basic-Instructional-Design-Theory/. Accessed June 28, 2016.

Note: Include the writer’s name, title/subject of the post, title of the blog, date of post, “Available at:” URL; followed by “Accessed” and the date you looked at it.

Physical Book

Modlin J, Jenkins O. Decision Analysis in Planning for a Polio Outbreak in the United States . San Francisco, CA: Pediatric Academic Societies; 2004.

Book Chapter

Solensky R. Drug allergy: desensitization and treatment of reactions to antibiotics and aspirin. In: Lockey, P, ed. Allergens and Allergen Immunotherapy . 3rd ed. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker; 2004:585-606.

Note: Begin with the chapter author name, not with the name of the author of the entire book. Then give the title of the chapter; followed by “in” then name of the author/editor of the entire book; followed by “ed.” for Edited by; the title of the book; the publication information; year of publication; and the inclusive page numbers of the chapter.

Fatemi SH, Clayton PJ, eds. The Medical Basis of Psychiatry . 3rd ed. Totowa ,NJ: Humana Press, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/ebooks/ebc/9781597452526. Accessed June 28, 2016.

Fenster SD. Cloning and Characterization of Piccolo, a Novel Component of the Presynaptic Cytoskeletal Matrix [dissertation]. Birmingham: University of Alabama; 2000.

Si L, Zhuang X, Xing W, Guo W. The cultivation of scientific data specialists: Development of LIS education oriented to e-science service requirements. Greenberg, Library Hi Tech . 2013;31(4):700-724. doi:10.1108/LHT-06-2013-0070.

Note : If there is no DOI, list the URL and when you accessed the article.

Si L, Zhuang X, Xing W, Guo W. The cultivation of scientific data specialists: Development of LIS education oriented to e-science service requirements. Greenberg, Library Hi Tech . 2013;31(4):700-724. http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/full/10.1108/LHT-06-2013-0070/. Accessed June 28, 2016.

Note: Sometimes there are no page numbers, volume numbers, etc. for online journal articles. If there are page numbers, list as seen below. If not, make note of how many pages the article makes up, so for this article it would look like–>  2013:e24.

Weis R. The promise of precision prescriptions. Washington Post . June 24, 2000:A1. http://www.washingtonpost.com. Accessed June 28, 2016.

Takayma-Ogawa J., Willette J. What is information literacy. [Video].  YouTube   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeopJX5jJV8. Published March 14, 2007. Accessed April 30, 2010.

Note: If you are unsure, treat the citation as having no author.

Slingshot fun. [Video]. YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCmZYce0J2E. Published January 29, 2007. Accessed April 30, 2010.

Note: Provide the author/creator only if you are sure that person/account created the video. Do not list the person/account posting the video.

Areas with Zitka. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site. http://www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/index.html. Updated June 22, 2016. Accessed June 28, 2016.

Note: Not all websites are structured the same, so list as many of the following as possible: author; name of the webpage/web article; name of the whole website; URL; date published; date updated; and the date you accessed the content.

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• AMA In-Text Citation | Guidelines & Examples

AMA In-Text Citation | Guidelines & Examples

Published on September 9, 2022 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on June 1, 2023.

In AMA citation format , an in-text citation consists of a superscript number in the text that points the reader to the relevant reference on your numbered AMA reference page . You can also mention the author’s name in your sentence, but this is optional.

AMA references contain full information about each source, and they are numbered in the order you first cite them in the text. Each source has only one entry, so if you cite the same source repeatedly, you’ll use the same number each time.

Table of contents

Where to place ama in-text citations, page numbers in in-text citations, citing multiple sources in one place, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions.

In-text citations should be placed in the sentence where you refer to the source in question. They’re usually placed at the end of a clause or at the end of the whole sentence. They can also be placed directly after the author’s name or after a quotation if this is clearer in context.

The citation number should follow the preceding word or punctuation mark immediately, with no space in between. There are also specific rules about placing in-text citations relative to punctuation. A citation number appears:

• After a comma , period, question mark , exclamation mark, or quotation mark
• Before a colon , semicolon , em dash , or closing parenthesis (as long as the citation applies to something within the parentheses )

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When you need to indicate a specific part of a source (e.g., when you quote or paraphrase a specific passage), include page numbers in parentheses directly after the citation number. These are also written in superscript and written without any spaces.

If you’re citing a single page, the page number is preceded by “p.”

If you’re citing multiple pages, they are preceded by “pp.” You can cite a range of consecutive pages using an en dash (–) or a list of non-consecutive pages using commas (also with no spaces). Or you can cite a combination of the two, as in the example below.

You may sometimes need to cite more than one source at the same point in the text—for example, when you’re summarizing the literature on a topic in a literature review or theoretical framework .

Multiple superscript in-text citations can be placed at the same point, separated by commas (with no spaces). To cite a range of three or more consecutively numbered sources, you can use an en dash (–).

If necessary, this can be combined with the inclusion of page numbers . Make sure the page numbers are enclosed in parentheses, the citation numbers and the commas separating them outside the parentheses.

If you want to know more about ChatGPT , AI tools , citation , and plagiarism , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• ChatGPT vs human editor
• ChatGPT citations
• Is ChatGPT trustworthy?
• Using ChatGPT for your studies
• What is ChatGPT?

 Working with sources

• Paraphrasing
• Critical thinking
• Boolean operators
• Synthesizing sources

 Plagiarism

• Types of plagiarism
• Self-plagiarism
• Avoiding plagiarism
• Academic integrity
• Consequences of plagiarism
• Common knowledge

An AMA in-text citation consists of the number of the relevant reference on your AMA reference page , written in superscript 1 at the point in the text where the source is used.

It may also include the page number or range of the relevant material in the source (e.g., the part you quoted 2(p46) ). Multiple sources can be cited at one point, presented as a range or list (with no spaces 3,5–9 ).

In AMA citation format , if you cite the same source more than once in your paper, it still only has one entry on your AMA reference page , numbered based on the first time you cite it.

This means you’ll always use the same number for the AMA in-text citation for that source, not a different number each time. You can add different page numbers to the citations to talk about specific parts of the source in each case, e.g. 1 (pp13–15)

An AMA in-text citation just consists of the number of the relevant entry on your AMA reference page , written in superscript at the point in the text where the source is referred to.

You don’t need to mention the author of the source in your sentence, but you can do so if you want. It’s not an official part of the citation, but it can be useful as part of a signal phrase introducing the source.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2023, June 01). AMA In-Text Citation | Guidelines & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved March 25, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/ama/ama-in-text-citation/

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Citation guides

All you need to know about citations

How to cite an undergraduate thesis in AMA

To cite an undergraduate thesis in a reference entry in AMA style 11st edition include the following elements:

• Author(s) of the thesis: Give the last name, and initials of up to six authors (e.g. Watson J). For more authors only the first three are listed, followed by et al.
• Title of the undergraduate thesis: Italicize the title and capitalize the first letter of each major word.
• Location: Give the name of the city in which the publishing entity was located at the time of publication.
• Name of the degree awarding institution: Give the name of the institution.
• Year of publication: Give the year of publication.

Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of an undergraduate thesis in AMA style 11st edition:

Author(s) of the thesis . Title of the undergraduate thesis . [Undergraduate thesis]. Location : Name of the degree awarding institution ; Year of publication .

Take a look at our reference list examples that demonstrate the AMA style guidelines in action:

An undergraduate thesis with one author

Baslow W . The applicability of the Qualitative System Analysis as decision-making tool in public administration by the example of the municipality Ludwigsburg . [ Undergraduate thesis ]. Lüneburg, Germany : Leuphana University of Lüneburg ; 2015 .

Plana ASJ . Noncooperative game theory: General overview and its application to the study of cooperation . [ Undergraduate thesis ]. Barcelona, Spain : University of Barcelona ; 2015 .

This citation style guide is based on the AMA Manual of Style (11 th edition).

More useful guides

• Citation Help for AMA: Master's Thesis or Project
• AMA Manual of Style: Theses and Dissertations

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Citation Help for AMA: Home

• eBook from NetLibrary
• Encyclopedia
• Full Text Article from Database
• Journal Article
• Master's Thesis or Project
• Table in Statistical Abstract of US
• Formatting Your Paper
• In-text Citations
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AMA Resources

• AMA Style AMA website
• AMA Citation Style Guide AMA citation style guide from Regis University Library.

AMA Overview

This LibGuide is to help you use the  American Medical Association (AMA) style used by the health sciences. Here at St. Scholastica, it is primarily used in the Physical Therapy and Athletic Training departments. This guide can help you with the more fundamental tasks including: 1. Reference Formats - examples and explanations for citing your sources in the various formats for your References list 2. Formatting Your Paper - how to set up your paper including the margins, font, and your References list 3. In-text citations - also known as parenthetical notation - how to cite your references in the text of your paper 4. EndNote - bibliographic citation software, which can help format your citations and is freely available for download to CSS faculty, staff, and students  5. Avoiding Plagiarism - information on the College's academic honesty policy and turnitin, an online tool to detect where sources need to be cited Note: This guide is in no way a replacement for the actual manual, which is several hundred pages long, and can be found in the Library on reserve or at a bookstore near you. Please consult the AMA 10th edition manual for authoritative information in greater detail. Also feel free to talk with a librarian for more help.

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• Last Updated: Feb 19, 2024 2:51 PM
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