AMA citation style, 11th ed.

This guide provides a basic introduction to the American Medical Association (AMA) citation style. It is based on the 11th edition of the AMA Manual of Style. Below are examples for the most common types of citations used by students.

For additional information and examples, refer to Section 3.0: References of the AMA Manual of Style.

You need to place an in-text citation in each spot where you quote, paraphrase or summarize material from another source.

In AMA style, in-text citation are made with superscript numbers and are placed outside of commas and periods and inside of colons and semi-colons. The numbers used in-text correspond with the complete citation in your reference list at the end of your paper. To avoid confusion, it is recommended that you try not to place in-text citations after numerals in the body of your paper.

Examples:

The study showed a notable reduction in injuries when helmets were worn at both practice and during games.¹

While official statistics were kept on the number of concussions and other head injuries,² his was the first study on the long-term physical effects of multiple concussions suffered by professional athletes.³

Numerous studies of patients with eating disorders found similar possible psychological causes^5,9-11,18: trauma, anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Page numbers

The use of page numbers in in-text citations is recommended for student assignments when you directly quote or paraphrase from another source. However, they are considered optional for formally published materials like journal articles. When in doubt, always check with your professor.

Page numbers appear in parentheses immediately following the in-text citation number in the same superscript.

Examples:

. . . leading to abuse and addiction.^6(p310)

. . . early detection provided the best opportunity for treatments to reverse this outcome.^{22(pp2497-2498)}

. . . the long-tern possible effects on sleep patterns, the cardiovascular system and on mental illness.^{14(pp6,10,13-14)}

Short Quotations

Quotation marks are used when material is cited word-for-word from another source and runs in the body of the text of your paper. The superscript citation number is placed outside the quotation marks.

Example:

Even non-smokers can suffer the effects of carcinogens from tobacco smoke as “exposure to second-hand smoke has been identified as a risk factor for various cancers associated with the respiratory system, especially lung cancers.”^7(p98)

Long quotations

There is no designated length or word number used to determine whether a quote require an indented block quotation without quotation marks. Block quotations are generally used when quoting a paragraph of text from the source, and is preceded in your paper by a colon.

Example:

In their study of the relationship between sleep disorders and eating disorders, insomnia was defined as follows:

Insomnia is a unique manifestation of a disruption in a person’s homoeostatic state, caused by circadian system irregularities, prolonged hyperarousal, and behavioral factors (eg, poor sleep hygiene, high consumption of caffeine and/or alcohol, excessive stress).^11(p37)

Your references should appear at the end of your paper under the heading, "References". Every source that you cite in your paper should have a citation in the reference list, with each source getting its own individual number. The citations should be listed and numbered in the order in which they are cited in your paper, they are not listed alphabetically. 

Author names

Authors names are cited by their last name and initials:

Smith JA.

If there are 6 authors or fewer, list them all separated by a comma and space:

Smith JA, Bellechasse ML, Xu Z, Awad K, Singh D, Kostenko VO.

In cases of more than 6 authors, list the first 3 authors followed by et al.:

Smith JA, Bellechasse ML, Xu Z, et al.

Group or corporate authors are cited by their full name:

Canadian Medical Association.

If a group author is cited with individual author[s], they are cited last after a semi-colon:

Ross K; Canadian Medical Association.

Journal article with DOI

Format:

Author(s). Article title. Abbreviated Journal Name. Year;volume(issue):pages. doi: (no period after the DOI)

Example: 

1. Kassim R, Osei E, Cronin KA. A review of the effects of tobacco smoking on cancer treatment: smoking cessation intervention should be integrated into the cancer care continuum. J Radiother Pract. 2020;19(1):84-92. doi:10.1017/S14603969000360

Journal article without DOI

Format:

Author(s). Article title. Abbreviated Journal Name. Year;volume(issue):pages. Publication date. Updated date. Accessed date. (if dates are available). URL (no period after the URL)

Example: 

2. Tysvaer A, Storli O. Association football injuries to the brain. A preliminary report. Br J Sports Med. 1981;15(3):163-166. Published September, 1981. Accessed December 23, 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1858750/pdf/brjsmed00255-0017.pdf

Journal title abbreviations

In your citations, you must use the proper journal abbreviation name in italics. These are the same journal abbreviations that are used in PubMed. You can also look up the journal abbreviation in the National Library of Medicine (NLM) Catalog. 

eBook

Format:

Author(s). Book Title. Edition number (do not indicate 1st edition). Publisher’s name; most recent copyright year. Accessed date. URL (no period after the URL)

Example: 

3. Iedema R, Mesman J, Carroll K. Visualising Health Care Practice Improvement: Innovation from Within. CRC Press; 2022. Accessed December 21, 2023. https://concordiauniversity.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1301430737

eBook chapter (from an edited book)

Format:

Author(s) of chapter. Chapter title. In: editor(s), ed. Book Title. Edition number (do not indicate 1st edition). Publisher name; most recent copyright year:pages of chapter. Accessed date. URL (no period after the URL)

Example: 

4. Lingford-Hughes A, Vale A. Diagnosis of alcohol use disorder and identification of unhealthy alcohol consumption. In: Muller S, Heilig M, eds. Alcohol and Alcohol-related Diseases. Springer; 2023:163-181. Accessed December 21, 2023. https://link-springer-com.lib-ezproxy.concordia.ca/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-32483-3_12

Print book

Format:

Author(s). Book Title. Edition number (do not indicate 1st edition). Publisher name; most recent copyright year.

Example:

5. Potteiger JA. ACSM’s Introduction to Exercise Science. 3^rd ed. Wolters Kluwer; 2023.

Print book chapter (from an edited book)

Format:

Author(s) of chapter. Chapter title. In: editor(s), ed. Book Title. Edition number (do not indicate 1st edition). Publisher name; most recent copyright year:pages of chapter.

Example: 

6. Kemper HCG, Neimeyer C. The importance of a physically active lifestyle during youth for peak bone mass. In: Blimkie CJR, Bar-Or O, eds. New Horizons in Pediatric Exercise Science. Human Kenetics; 1995: 77-95.

Not every professor allows you to cite class lecture or powerpoints in your papers. If you are unsure, always check with your professor first. AMA does not provide formatting instruction for class lectures and slides. The following formats have been adapted from sections 3.13.8 Conference proceedings online, webinars, and other presentations and 3.13.9 Meeting presentations and other unpublished material.

Lectures

Format:

Professor last name first initial(s). Title of presentation. Lecture presented at: Course Code: Name of Class(fully written out); Month day, year; Concordia University, Montreal. 

Example:

Teel E. Research Design Overview. Lecture presented at: EXCI 310: Research Methods; January 19, 2023; Concordia University, Montreal.

Course slides or notes

Format:

Professor last name first initial(s). Title of presentation. PowerPoint presented at: Course Code: Name of Class(fully written out); Month day, year; Concordia University, Montreal. 

Example:

Hall K. Library Session #2. PowerPoint presented at: EXCI 310: Research Methods; January 30, 2024; Concordia University, Montreal.

Format:

Author(s). Title of specific item cited (or, if unavailable, give the name of the organization responsible for the site). Name of Web Site. Publication date. Updated date.  Accessed date. (if these dates are available). URL (no period after the URL)

Examples: 

7. Mulcahey M. Sprains, strains, and other soft-tissue injuries. OrthoInfo. June 2020. Accessed December 21, 2023. https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/sprains-strains-and-other-soft-tissue-injuries/

8. BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit. Ice Hockey. Active & Safe Central. 2023. Accessed December 21, 2023. https://activesafe.ca/ice-hockey/

JAMA does not recognize AI generated content as valid authorship and therefore AMA has no citation guidelines for it. JAMA's position on generative AI is available on their website.

If you are using a Generative AI tool in your work, a description of how it was used should be included in the body or Methods section of your paper and the AI tool is cited as software.

Format:

Software Name. Version no. Publisher; Year. Accessed Date. URL

Examples:

9. Elicit: The AI Research Assistant. Version Elicit Basic. Elicit Research, PBC; Accessed March 7 2024. https://elicit.com/

• How to cite using AMA in the Health Sciences from the University of Manitoba
• AMA Style: The Basics for Pharmacy Writing from the University of Waterloo
• AMA Style from the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)