Overview
The AMA (American Medical Association) referencing style is the most widely used citation system in medicine, public health, nursing, and biomedical sciences.
It follows a numerical superscript system (¹, ², ³) and provides detailed standards for manuscripts, tables, figures, and clinical trial data.
AMA is maintained by the AMA Manual of Style (11ᵗʰ Edition, 2020) and aligns with best practices in ethics, transparency, and reproducibility.
Core Principles
- Citations appear as superscript numbers in the order they occur.
- Full references are listed numerically at the end of the paper.
- Author names are Last Name + Initials (no punctuation).
- Journal titles are abbreviated according to NLM Catalog.
- Include DOIs whenever available.
In-Text Citation Examples
- According to recent studies¹, hypertension is increasing among young adults.
- The data² suggest a positive outcome.
- Previous research¹˒³ confirmed this trend.
Reference List Formats
Journal Article
1. Smith AB, Jones CD. Vitamin D deficiency in urban populations. JAMA. 2022;328(4):412-418. doi:10.1001/jama.2022.12345
Book
2. Green PH. Clinical Nutrition Guidelines. 3rd ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2019.
Book Chapter
3. Brown RL. Cardiac rehabilitation methods. In: Adams RJ, ed. Cardiology Today. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:221-230.
Website
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COVID-19 updates. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus. Published 2024. Accessed August 10, 2024.
Conference Paper
5. Ali M, Nguyen T. AI-assisted diagnosis in oncology. Presented at: IEEE HealthTech 2023 Conference; March 5, 2023; San Francisco, CA.
Thesis/Dissertation
6. Patel R. Nutritional Interventions for Obesity. PhD dissertation. Harvard University; 2021.
Formatting Guidelines
- Numbers as superscripts: ¹, ², ³
- Single-space references; double-space text
- Use abbreviated journal titles from NLM Catalog
- Capitalize only the first word and proper nouns in article titles
- DOIs and URLs must be active
Ethical and Technical Notes
- Disclose conflicts of interest in compliance with ICMJE.
- Register clinical trials on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Include ORCID for each author.
- Ensure data transparency and reproducibility.
Comparison with Other Styles
| Feature | AMA | APA | Harvard | Vancouver |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citation Format | Superscript ¹ | Author–Date | Author–Date | Number [1] |
| Order | Sequential | Alphabetical | Alphabetical | Sequential |
| Field | Medical | Psychology | Social Sciences | Health Sciences |
| Manual | AMA 11ᵗʰ ed. | APA 7ᵗʰ ed. | N/A | ICMJE |
Tools and Resources
- AMA Manual of Style Online: https://www.amamanualofstyle.com
- PubMed Abbreviations: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog/journals
- Reference Managers: Zotero, EndNote, Mendeley (AMA template included)
- Europub Certificate System: https://cms.europub.co.uk
FAQ – AMA Referencing (Extended)
General
Q1: What is AMA style used for?
A: Citing sources in medical, nursing, and biomedical writing.
Q2: How is it different from APA?
A: APA uses author-date; AMA uses numerical superscripts.
Q3: Who publishes AMA style?
A: The American Medical Association.
Q4: Is AMA used outside the US?
A: Yes — international medical journals commonly use it.
In-Text Citations
Q5: Do numbers appear before or after punctuation?
A: After commas and periods.
Q6: How to cite multiple sources?
A: List numbers separated by commas or en dash (¹, ³ or ¹–³).
Q7: Can I reuse citation numbers?
A: Yes — each source keeps its assigned number.
Reference List
Q8: Should I alphabetize references?
A: No — they are numbered in the order cited.
Q9: Are journal abbreviations mandatory?
A: Yes, from NLM Catalog.
Q10: Can URLs be used?
A: Yes, include “Accessed Month Day, Year.”
Special Sources
Q11: How do I cite a dataset?
A: Add “[dataset]” after the title.
Q12: How to cite a press release or news article?
A: Include date and publisher as source.
Q13: Are conference abstracts allowed?
A: Yes — include conference name and date.
Q14: What if no author is given?
A: Start with the title of the work.
Formatting and Mechanics
Q15: Font recommendation? Times New Roman 12 pt.
Q16: Line spacing? Double.
Q17: Margins? 1 inch on all sides.
Q18: Section headings? Use bold title case.
Q19: Tables & Figures? Label as “Table 1,” “Figure 2.”
Q20: Abbreviations? Define at first use.
Ethics and Publication
Q21: How do I avoid plagiarism? Use Turnitin or iThenticate checks.
Q22: Should I include funding acknowledgements? Yes.
Q23: What about conflict of interest statements? Mandatory in AMA.
Q24: Can AMA style be used in theses? Yes, especially medical and nursing programs.
Advanced
Q25: How to cite software tools?
A: Include name, version, publisher, year.
Q26: Can I use DOIs and URLs together? Prefer DOIs if available.
Q27: How to cite preprints? Label as “[preprint]” with repository name.
Q28: Can AI-generated content be cited? Only with clear disclosure of tool and date.
Q29: How to handle secondary citations? Cite the original source whenever possible.
Q30: Does Europub accept AMA style for submissions? Yes — fully supported for health sciences journals.
Key Takeaways
- Numeric, superscript citation system
- Precise journal abbreviations & DOIs required
- Supports global medical publishing standards
- Aligned with ICMJE and COPE guidelines
- Compatible with Europub certificate verification platform
Prepared by: Europub Publishing Company Ltd. UK
Certificate System: https://cms.europub.co.uk
