JABSOM Library: AMA Citation &amp; Reference Style: Journals

Citation Tips

What is a DOI? A DOI (digital object identifier) is a unique alphanumeric string assigned by a registration agency (the International DOI Foundation) to identify content and provide a persistent link to its location on the internet. Used for both print and electronic sources.

Use DOI instead of the URL link (see 3.11.4): When possible, use the DOI instead of the URL.

Year, Volume, Issue, Location (Page Numbers), and Dates (see 3.11.3): No spaces in between

Example: Quiroz YT, Schultz AP, Chen K, et all. Brain imaging and blood biomarker abnormalities in children with autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease: a cross-sectional study. JAMA Neurol. 2015;72(8):912-919. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2015.1099

References to Journal Articles (see 3.11)

AMA Citation Style for Journal Articles

Citation format for online journal articles:

Author(s) surnames and initials (list all 6 authors, otherwise list first 3 followed by "et al")
Article title and subtitle, if any
Abbreviated name of journal (italicize)
Year of publication (followed by a semi-colon)
Volume number
Issue number
Inclusive page number(s)
Accessed [date]
URL [You do not need to include “URL:” preceding it] or DOI (if supplied)

Note: 11th ed. specifies NO period after the DOI/URL.

Type of Entry

Reference List

Article from Journal - Basic Format

Author. Article Title: subtitle (if any). Abbreviated name of Journal. Year; Volume number(Issue number):Page range. Accessed [date]. URL

Marreiros HF, Loff C, Calado E. Osteoporosis in paediatric patients with spina bifida. J Spinal Cord Med. 2012; 35(1):9-21. Accessed March 28, 2012. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22330186

Article from Journal - with DOI

Author(s). Article Title: subtitle (if any). Abbreviated name of Journal. Year; Volume number(Issue number):Page range. DOI

Markowitz JT, & Laffel LM. Transitions in care: support group for young adults with Type 1 diabetes. Diabet Med. 2012;29(4):522-525. doi:10.1111/j.1464-5491.2011.03537.x

Citation format for preprint journal articles (sometimes called "ePub Ahead of Print"):

Author(s) surnames and initials (list all 6 authors, otherwise list first 3 followed by "et al")
Article title and subtitle, if any
Abbreviated name of journal (italicize)
Preprint.
Posted online [date]
bioRxiv number (if available)
DOI (if available)
URL [only include the URL if the bioRxiv number and DOI are unavailable]

Note: 11th ed. specifies NO period after the DOI/URL.

Type of Entry

Reference List

Preprints

Author(s). Article Title: subtitle (if any). Preprint. Posted online [date]. bioRxiv [number] (if available). DOI

Bloss CS, Wineinger NE, Peters M, et al. A prospective randomized trial examining health care utilization in individuals using multiple smartphone-enabled biosensors. Preprint. Posted online October 28, 2015. bioRxiv 029983. doi:10.1101/029983

Citation format for print journal articles:

Author(s) surnames and initials (list all 6 authors, otherwise list first 3 followed by "et al")
Article title and subtitle, if any
Abbreviated name of journal (italicize)
Year of publication (followed by a semi-colon)
Volume number
Issue number
Part or supplement number (when applicable)
Inclusive page number(s)

Type of Entry

Reference List

Article from Journal - single author

Author. Article Title: subtitle (if any). Abbreviated name of Journal. Year; Volume number(Issue number):Page range

Obama B. United States health care reform: progress to date and next steps. JAMA. 2016;316(5):525-532.

Article from Journal - more than one author

(list all authors if 6 or less, otherwise list the first 3 followed by "et al")

Author(s). Article Title: subtitle (if any). Abbreviated name of Journal. Year; Volume number(Issue number):Page range

Serlachius A, Northam E, Frydenberg E, Cameron, F. Adapting a generic coping skills programme for adolescents with type 1 diabetes: A qualitative study. J Health Psychol. 2012;17(3):313-323.

Thanks to the George Washington University Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library for the content of this guide, which is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.