Skip to Main Content

Citation and Bibliographies

Learn how to cite and format your papers.

AMA Citation Style

The EXSC and DPT programs at Harrisburg University use the 11th edition of the AMA Manual of Style for citation and bibliography. The AMA Style comes from the American Medical Association.

This page contains some resources to help you to learn more about this formatting method and includes some tools to help you to check your knowledge.

If you are interested in learning to use citation managers such as Zotero, see the Citation Managers guide.

Below is a video that gives a thorough overview of AMA style.
 

:

This page provides general rules and samples for in-text citations in the AMA Style

Page Contents:

Order of References

References are numbered in consecutive order by means of superscript Arabic numerals in the text, tables, or figures.

It is acceptable for a reference to be cited only in a figure, table, or box and not in the text if it is in sequence with references cited in the text.

For example, if Table 2 contains reference 13, which does not appear in the text, this is acceptable as long as the last reference cited (for the first time) before the first text citation of Table 2 is reference 12.

Superscripts 

In AMA (American Medical Association) style, superscripts are a fundamental part of in-text citations. They serve as numerical pointers that direct readers to the corresponding full citation in your reference list.

Make a Superscript in Word:

  • Select the number you want to designate as a superscript: 
  • From the Home menu, click the icon with an x and a superscripted 2 next to it. Alternatively, you can hold down the CTRL, SHIFT and + keys for the same effect:

Click image to enlarge.

  • The selected number will become superscripted.

 

Numbering and Order:

  • Consecutive Order: Sources are cited in the text in the order they first appear. The first source you cite will be assigned the superscript "1," the second "2," and so on.
  • Re-use the Same Number: If you cite the same source multiple times throughout your paper, you always use the original superscript number assigned to that source. You don't give it a new number each time.

Placement of Superscripts:

After the Cited Information: The superscript numeral is placed immediately after the fact, concept, quotation, or idea being cited.

Punctuation Rules:

  • Outside Periods and Commas: The superscript goes after periods and commas.

    • Example: "The study showed significant results,¹ but further research is needed."

  • Inside Semicolons and Colons: The superscript goes before semicolons and colons.

  • Example: "Previous research indicated a correlation²; however, these findings are new."

After Quotation Marks: The superscript goes after quotation marks.

  • Example: "Researchers stated that 'this is a critical finding'."¹

Citing Multiple Sources at One Point:

Non-Consecutive Sources: If you're citing multiple sources that are not consecutive in your reference list, separate the superscript numbers with commas, with no spaces in between.

  • Example: "Several studies have explored this phenomenon.¹,⁴,⁸"

Consecutive Sources: If you're citing three or more consecutive sources, use a hyphen to indicate the range.

  • Example: "Research shows decreased mortality due to renal failure in the last 10 years.¹⁻⁷"

Combining Consecutive and Non-Consecutive: You can combine these methods.

  • Example: "As reported previously,¹,⁴⁻⁷,¹⁹"

 Including Page Numbers (for direct quotes or specific information):

  • When you need to refer to a specific page or range of pages within a source (especially for direct quotations), place the page number(s) in parentheses immediately after the superscript numeral, without a space.

  • Use "p" for a single page and "pp" for a page range.

  • Example: "According to Smith,¹(p35) "loss of verbal fluency can be an early sign of Alzheimer's."
  • Example: "These findings were consistent across studies.²(pp10-12)"

 Avoiding Ambiguity:

  • Avoid placing a superscript immediately after a number or abbreviated unit of measure to prevent confusion with an exponent. Reword the sentence if necessary.

  • Avoid: "The 2 largest studies to date included 26² and 18³ patients."
  • Better: "The 2 largest studies to date included 26 patients² and 18 patients.³"

 Author Names in Text:

  • While AMA primarily uses numerical superscripts, you can also mention author names in your text. If you do, the superscript number still accompanies the mention.

  • Example: "Smith and Jones² reported on the questionnaire."
  • For three or more authors, use the first author's surname followed by "et al."
  • Example: "Hammersmith et al³ reported on the survey."

 

Using Author Names in the Text

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'.

Two author Example: 

  • Smith and Jones2 reported on the questionnaire.

More than two authors:

  • Hammersmith et al.3 reported on the survey.

The format for authors in in-text citations is different than what is required of listed references. In the list of references all authors should be given unless there are more than 6, in which case the names of the first 3 authors are used followed by “et al.

This page provides general rules and samples for the APA style reference list. 

Page Contents:

Formatting the Reference List

Your reference list should begin on a new page following the text of your paper. Here, you will include complete citations for the resources used in your writing. 

Key things to remember about the AMA Reference List:

  • New Page: Always starts on a new page after the main body of your document.

  • Title: "References" (centered or left-aligned, often bolded).

  • Numbered List: Entries are numbered consecutively in the order they were first cited in your text.

  • No Alphabetical Order: Unlike some other styles, AMA does not alphabetize the reference list.

  • Single-spaced entries with double space between entries.

  • No indentation for individual entries.

  • Journal titles abbreviated according to PubMed abbreviations and italicized.

  • Authors:

    • List authors with the last name first followed by the first and middle initials without periods. (E.g.: Skinner, BF)

    • Up to 6 author names should be listed.  With more than 6 authors, list only the first 3, followed by "et al." 

  • Capitalization:

    • Journal Titles: Capitalize the first letter of all major words.

    • Book Titles: Capitalize the first letter of all major words.

    • Article Titles: Capitalize only the first letter of the first word, proper nouns and abbreviations. 

  • Links:

    • For online journals, the DOI is preferred over the URL link.

    • When URLs are used, ensure that they are a direct as possible and the link still functions as close to publication as possible.

Reference List Examples

Book (Single Author):

Author AA. Title of Book. Edition (if applicable). City, State (or Country) of Publisher: Publisher Name; Year.

Examples:

1. Book with a Single Author (First Edition):

  1. Netter FH. Atlas of Human Anatomy. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders/Elsevier; 2011.

2. Book with Multiple Authors (3 authors):

  1. Bickley LS, Szilagyi PG, Bates B. Bates' Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2009.

3. Book with More Than 6 Authors (use "et al."):

  1. Brown AA, Green BB, Smith CC, et al. Comprehensive Guide to Clinical Practice. New York, NY: Medical Publishing; 2023.

4. Edited Book:

  1. Ryan KJ, Ray CG, eds. Sherris Medical Microbiology. 5th ed. New York, NY: McGraw Hill Medical; 2010.

5. Chapter in an Edited Book:

  1. Murphy K. Chapter 2. Innate immunity: the first lines of defense. In: Murphy K. Janeway's Immunobiology. 8th ed. New York, NY: Garland Science; 2012:37-73.

6. Online Book (with URL and Accessed Date):

  1. Little JF. Chapter 9. The lymphatic system. In: Anatomy and Physiology: A Text-book for Nurses. Philadelphia, PA: Lea & Febiger; 1914. http://books.google.com/books?id=te0EAQAAIAAJ&dq=anatomy%20and%20physiology&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false. Accessed March 14, 2012.

7. Online Book (with DOI):

Vieira AR. Genetic Basis of Oral Health Conditions. Springer; 2019. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-14485-2.

 

General Format for a Journal Article:

Author Lastname Initials. Article title. Journal Abbreviation. Year;Volume(Issue):Page range. doi:DOI (if available).

Key Elements and Formatting Rules:

  1. Authors:

  • List author(s) by last name followed by first and middle initials (no periods in initials, no spaces between initials).

  • Separate authors with commas.

  • Up to 6 authors: List all authors.

  • 7 or more authors: List the first 3 authors, followed by "et al."

  • Example: Smith J, Johnson AB, Williams C, et al

2.Article Title:

  • Capitalize only the first word of the title, the first word of the subtitle (after a colon), and proper nouns.

  • Do not italicize or put quotation marks around the article title.

3.Journal Abbreviation:

  • Journal titles must be abbreviated according to the National Library of Medicine (NLM) Catalog (PubMed). You can search for the correct abbreviation there.

  • The abbreviated journal title is italicized.

  • No periods are used within the abbreviation itself (e.g., JAMA, not J.A.M.A.).

4.Year;Volume(Issue):Page range.

  • Year: Followed by a semicolon.

  • Volume: Followed by the issue number in parentheses (no space).

  • Issue: Followed by a colon.

  • Page Range: Inclusive page numbers (e.g., 123-128). Do not omit digits (e.g., use 123-128, not 123-28).

  • There are no spaces between the year, volume, issue number, and page numbers.

5.DOI (Digital Object Identifier):

  • If a DOI is available, include it at the end of the citation. It's preferred over a URL.

  • Format it as doi:XXXXXXXXX (e.g., doi:10.1001/jama.2023.12345). Do not include a period after the DOI.

  • If a DOI is present, you do not include a URL or accessed date

6.URL and Accessed Date (If no DOI):

Examples for Reference List:

1. Print Journal Article (or online with DOI):

1.Choi JW, Lim JK, Kim DW, et al. Effectiveness of exercise interventions for preventing falls in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2023;78(5):789-798. doi:10.1093/gerona/glac054.

2. Online Journal Article (no DOI, with URL and accessed date):

2.Davidson M, Jones P. The role of mindfulness in chronic pain management. Pain Med. 2022;23(4):678-685. Accessed July 16, 2025. https://www.painmedjournal.com/article/S1526-5900(22)00021-9/fulltext.

3. Journal Article with More Than 6 Authors:

3. Lee H, Kim S, Park J, et al. Impact of telemedicine on patient outcomes in rural areas. J Telemed Telecare. 2024;30(2):112-120. doi:10.1177/1357633X231215789.

4. Article with No Issue Number (Some online-only journals might omit this):

4. Roberts M, Green L. Advances in personalized medicine for cancer treatment. Cancer Res. 2025;85:123-130. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-24-0000.

To find journal abbreviations: Use the NLM Catalog: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog/journals

 

Sample Reference List

 

References

  1. Choi JW, Lim JK, Kim DW, et al. Effectiveness of exercise interventions for preventing falls in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2023;78(5):789-798. doi:10.1093/gerona/glac054.

  2. Bickley LS, Szilagyi PG, Bates B. Bates' Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking. 13th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer; 2021.

  3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About chronic diseases. CDC website. https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/about/index.htm. Updated June 15, 2024. Accessed July 16, 2025.

  4. Murphy K. Innate immunity: the first lines of defense. In: Murphy K, Weaver C, eds. Janeway's Immunobiology. 10th ed. New York, NY: Garland Science; 2022:37-73.

  5. World Health Organization. Mental Health Atlas 2020. World Health Organization; 2021. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240036704. Accessed March 10, 2025.

  6. Smith JR. Advances in surgical robotics: a review. Ann Surg. 2024;279(2):e123-e128. doi:10.1097/SLA.0000000000005432.

  7. National Institute of Mental Health. Suicide prevention. NIMH website. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/suicide-prevention. Accessed May 1, 2025.

  8. American Medical Association. AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors. 11th ed. Oxford University Press; 2020.

  9. Lee S, Park M, Kim T, et al. Telehealth utilization and patient satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Med Internet Res. 2023;25:e45678. doi:10.2196/45678.

  10. US Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy People 2030. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. https://health.gov/healthypeople. Accessed July 1, 2025.

AMA does not have a specific style for formatting papers, so check with your instructor or assignment guidelines when it comes to margins, line spacing, fonts, indents, title papers, etc.

Recommended Formatting Guidelines

Always refer to the assignment guidelines when it comes formatting your writing. If your assignment does not specify any formatting, follow these general AMA guidelines:

  • Margins: One inch margins are required around the text. Leave the right margin unjustified.
  • Line Spacing: Double-space the main text (single space only within the abstract, notes, titles and headings, block quotes, tables and figures, and references—everything but the main text)
  • Font: Use Times New Roman, 12-point font
  • Indents: Half-inch indents are standard (use the “tab” button) for new paragraphs
  • Page Numbers: Place page numbers in the top right-hand corner throughout (starting with the title page)
  • Page Headers: Put the title of your document in the top left-hand corner of the page
  • Title Page: If your assignment requires a title page, on the first blank page of your document center the following:
    • Title of document
    • Your name
    • Your Instructor’s name
    • Course title
    • Due date
  • No Title Page: If your assignment does not require a title page, in the right-hand corner of your first page, include:
    • Your name
    • Your instructor’s name
    • Course title
    • Due date

References Page

  • This is a separate page at the end of your paper. Each citation in the text must be listed on the References page; each listing on the References page must appear in the text. 
  • Left-justify the word References.  Then double space and start your list with 1.
  • References are listed numerically in the order they are cited in the text of the paper.  Put a period after each number.
  • Single space each reference.  Double space between references.
  • If the citation extends to a second line, do not indent.

 

These resources offer additional information about citing in AMA: