How to Cite Sources in AMA Style
AMA references are numbered in the order they appear and use compact author, title and publication details. Accuracy matters because a correctly formatted reference can still be wrong if the underlying metadata is incomplete.
Method
- Identify the source type before formatting the reference.
- For journal articles, verify author names, article title, PubMed/NLM journal abbreviation, year, volume, issue, pages or article number and DOI.
- List all authors when there are 6 or fewer; when there are more than 6, list the first 3 followed by et al.
- Prefer a DOI over a journal-article URL when a DOI is available, and verify every imported field against the source.
Worked example
Journal pattern: Author(s). Article title. Abbreviated Journal Name. Year;volume(issue):pages. doi:DOI
Book pattern: Author(s). Book Title. Edition when not first. Publisher; Year.
Notes
- JAMA instructions state that authors are responsible for reference accuracy and completeness.
- Journal names should use the PubMed/NLM abbreviation when available.
- DOI and URL strings do not receive a final period in the generated reference.
Start with the source type before applying AMA punctuation
AMA references are numbered, but the reference still has to be built from the correct source structure. A journal article needs authors, article title, abbreviated journal title, publication year, volume, issue when available, pages or article number, and DOI when appropriate. A webpage, book or chapter uses a different pattern, so identifying the source type is the first formatting decision.
Do not copy a citation from another style and merely change the order of a few fields. AMA author presentation, journal abbreviation and punctuation follow their own rules, and a source that looks acceptable in APA or Vancouver can still be wrong in AMA.
Verify journal metadata and the numbered citation sequence
Journal abbreviations deserve a separate check. Biomedical publications commonly use NLM-style abbreviations rather than an improvised shortened title. DOI metadata can help populate fields, but compare the journal name, author order and publication details with the article itself before finalizing the reference.
In the paper, citation numbers should correspond consistently with the numbered reference list. If a source is cited again, reuse the same reference number instead of creating a duplicate entry. The exact superscript or inline presentation can depend on the journal or instructor, so local requirements still matter.
Authoritative references
Primary or authoritative references for the external standard, scoring rule or identifier convention used on this page.
Editorial review and limitations
Continue with the related tools
Use the linked tools for your own inputs and scenarios.
- MLA Citation Generator — Generate MLA Handbook 9th edition Works Cited entries and matching parenthetical in-text citations for journal articles, webpages, books and book chapters.
- APA Citation Generator — Generate APA 7 reference-list entries for journals, webpages, books and chapters, plus a matching parenthetical in-text citation.
- IEEE Citation Generator — Generate numbered IEEE references for journal articles, webpages, books and book chapters using current IEEE reference-guide conventions.