ama citation style thesis

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AMA Citation Style 11th Edition Guide

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citing thesis

Theses and dissertations..

Titles of theses and dissertations are given in italics. References to theses should include the name of the university (or other institution) and year of completion of the thesis. If the thesis has been published, it should be treated as any other book reference (see  3.12.1 , References to Books, Complete Data).

General format for Thesis/Dissertation 

1. Maiti N.  Association Between Bullying Behaviors, Health Characteristics, and Injuries Among Adolescents in the United States.  Dissertation. Palo Alto University; 2010.

2. Ghanbari S.  Integration of the Arts in STEM: A Collective Case Study of Two Interdisciplinary University Programs . Dissertation. University of California; 2014. Accessed October 14, 2016.  http://escholarship.org/uc/item/9wp9x8sj

3. Neel ST.  A Cost-Minimization and Policy Analysis Comparing Immediate Sequential Cataract Surgery and Delayed Sequential Cataract Surgery From Payer, Patient, Physician, and Surgical Facility Perspectives in the United States.  Master’s thesis. London School of Economics and Political Science; 2013.

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AMA 11th Edition Citation Guide

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AMA Manual of Style, 11th Edition

• Special Materials 3.13.4 Theses & Dissertations

Theses & Dissertations

Titles of theses and dissertations are given in italics. References to theses should include the location of the university (or other institution), its name, and year of completion of the thesis. If the thesis has been published, it should be treated as any other book reference.

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AMA 11th Referencing Guide

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Theses and dissertations

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Titles of theses and dissertations are given in italics. References to theses should include the location of the university (or other institution), its name, and year of completion of the thesis. If the thesis has been published, it should be treated as any other book reference. 

• Fenster SD. Cloning and Characterization of Piccolo, a Novel Component of the Presynaptic Cytoskeletal Matrix. Dissertation. University of Alabama; 2000.
• Lienart, GH.  Effects of Temperature and Food Availability on the Antipredator Behaviour of Juvenile Coral Reef Fishes.  Dissertation. James Cook University; 2016. Accessed December 18, 2020. https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/47533/
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AMA Style (11th ed): Citing Your Sources

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What is AMA Style?

The American Medical Association (AMA) style was created by editors of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). AMA style specifies writing and citation styles for scholarly works in medicine. AMA style is internationally recognized and is used throughout disciplines in the health sciences. The AMA Manual of Style was first published in 1963, and is currently in its 11th edition (2020).

This guide includes some basic and common citation styles, condensing nearly 200 pages of print content covering citing and referencing in AMA Style. Consult the full 1200 page AMA Manual of Style for significantly more detail on citing, referencing, writing, and manuscript styling.

Unlike other publication manuals, the AMA Manual of Style provides a range of acceptable citation practices, explains the purpose of each practice, and allows the writer/editor to make choices that make sense for their specific project.

Because of this element of choice, the person who is grading your citations as part of your school work, or the editors reviewing your article submission, are the only people who can decide if an AMA formatted citation is "correct." The examples here include only the most basic and general AMA citation rules. If you are writing for a class or for publication, follow any specific rules you have been provided. If you have not been provided specific rules beyond "use AMA style,"  try to consider what style choices you could make to conform to the ultimate goals of any citation style: communicate to the reader that you selected a relevant and authoritative source for this fact/quote/idea, and allow the reader to find the specific source you are citing.

Review this guide for commonly used reference styles; review the full Manual for all styles and manuscript styling.

Find the full manual at USC

Citing and Writing handouts, AMA 11th

• Quick Citing Reference- AMA 11th ed 2 page handout covering the basics of using AMA style, 11th edition
• Using Review Articles Review this handout to make sure you're using review articles appropriately.
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AMA Style Guide: Home

Created by health science librarians.

Formatting Authors in References

Dissertations, government or agency reports, audiovisual materials, mobile apps, drug databases, drug inserts, conference/meeting proceedings, material accepted for publication but not yet published, material submitted for publication but not yet accepted, comments on a journal article, legal documents, personal communications, social media.

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For help, you can

• Ask a Librarian
• Visit the Purdue OWL AMA Style Guide for a quick and easy guide
• Read the AMA Manual of Style at HSL
• View the AMA Manual of Style Online  

This guide goes over how to cite sources in AMA style. The reference citation varies depending on the material you are citing. You can use this guide to find the type of material you are citing and see how to format a reference for that material. For additional information on AMA Style or for source types not included in this guide, you can look at the online AMA Manual of Style .

In AMA, when you are referencing material in the body of your text:

• References should be cited using superscript Arabic numerals (e.g.  1 )
• References should be cited in the order they appear in the text, figures, tables, or boxes
• Citations should occur outside periods and commas and inside colons and semi-colons (e.g. These results were found 1-3 : or One finding was this, 2,4 )
• Use hyphens to connect more than 2 consecutive references, using commas with no space to connect more than 2 non-consecutive references (e.g.  1-3  or  2,4 )
• Citations should not be placed immediately after numbers or measurements to avoid confusion
• Material that has not been accepted for publication or personal communication can be referenced in the text, but should not be numbered, and should not be included in the reference list

You should list the references you cited in the text at the end of the document. References should be listed numerically in the order they were cited in the text. You can see information on how to format the references in the guide below. 

General Guidance

• Authors should be identified by surname followed by initials with no periods.
• Do not put "and" between author names

Number of Authors

• No individual author, group author, or editor: do not include author in the reference, continue with the rest of the reference as usual
• 6 or fewer authors: list all authors, with commas between names
• More than 6 authors: list the first three authors followed by "et al"

Type of Authors

• Anonymous author: use Anonymous in place of author
• Group and individual author(s): list authors followed by a semi-colon and then the group name
• Group, no individual authors: put the group name in place of author
• Editor with no authors: list editors followed by "eds." after the last editor

Journal Article Reference Components:

• DOI/URL: only include URL if there is no DOI
• Accessed Date: only include the accessed date if including a URL
• Article Title: capitalize the first letter of the first word and proper nouns

Formatted Journal Article Examples:

With doi and pages:.

Younan D, Petkus AJ, Widaman KF, et al. Particulate matter and episodic memory decline mediated by early neuroanatomic biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease.  Brain.  2019;143(1):289-302. doi:10.1093/brain/awz348

With DOI and e-locator:

Scarneo-Miller SE, Swartz EE, Register-Mihalik JK, Coleman KA, Emrich CM, DiStefano LJ. Spinal cord injury management policies in high school sports as reported by athletic administrators.  Transl J Am Coll Sports Med.  2024;9(1):e000239. doi:10.1249/tjx.0000000000000239

With URL but no DOI:

Posner EA, Sunstein CR. Should greenhouse gas permits be allocated on a per capita basis?  Calif Law Rev.  2009;97(51):59-93. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/journal_articles/1760/

With no URL or DOI:

Posner EA, Sunstein CR. Should greenhouse gas permits be allocated on a per capita basis?  Calif Law Rev.  2009;97(51):59-93.

News Article Reference Components:

Formatted news article example:.

Lovitt L. UNC library brings together students and seeds at second-annual launch. The Daily Tar Heel.  March 2, 2023. Accessed March 8, 2024. https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2023/03/university-seed-library-launch-2023-kenan-science-library

Book Reference Components:

• Edition: do not include edition information in reference if first edition
• Format: specify format if you need technology to access book, such as if the book is and audiobook on CD-ROM or Audiocassette tape
• Accessed Date: only include the accessed date if you accessed the book online with a URL
• Book Title: capitalize first letter of every word other than articles, prepositions and conjunctions

Formatted Book Examples:

Print book with edition:.

Harvey RA, Ferrier DR, eds.  Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews: Biochemistry.  5th ed. Wolters Kluwer Health; 2011.

Print book with volume and edition:

Oberlander J, Buchbinder M, Churchill LR, et al, eds. The Social Medicine Reader: Ethics and Cultures of Biomedicine.  Vol 1. 3rd ed. Duke University Press; 2019.

E-book with URL:

Oberlander J, Buchbinder M, Churchill LR, et al, eds. The Social Medicine Reader: Ethics and Cultures of Biomedicine.  Vol 1. 3rd ed. Duke University Press; 2019. Accessed March 8, 2024. https://www-jstor-org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/stable/j.ctv1220m7g

Strom D.  Instrument . Audiocassette tape. Fonograf Editions; 2020.

Book Chapter Reference Components:

Formatted book chapter example:.

Bloom A. Silver Water. In: Oberlander J, Buchbinder M, Churchill LR, et al, eds. The Social Medicine Reader: Ethics and Cultures of Biomedicine.  Vol 1. 3rd ed. Duke University Press; 2019.

Webpage Reference Components:

• Title: include the title of the page cited, if given. Capitalize the first letter of the first word and proper nouns. When there is no title, put the name of the organization that created the website in place of the title.
• Date Published and Date Updated: include information if present on the page

Formatted Webpage Example:

Symptoms of COVID-19. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated March 15, 2024. Accessed March 21, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html

Dissertation Reference Components:

• Published Dissertation: if the dissertation has been published, it should be cited like a book.
• Accessed Date: only include the accessed date if you accessed the dissertation online with a URL
• Dissertation Title: capitalize first letter of every word other than articles, prepositions and conjunctions

Formatted Dissertation Example:

Sperger J. Experimental Designs for Precision Health & Medicine.  Dissertation. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; 2023. Accessed March 11, 2023. https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/concern/dissertations/mp48sq25p?locale=en

Thesis Reference Components:

• Published Thesis: if the dissertation has been published, it should be cited like a book.
• Accessed Date: only include the accessed date if you accessed the thesis online with a URL
• Thesis Title: capitalize first letter of every word other than articles, prepositions and conjunctions

Formatted Thesis Example:

Spielvogel E.  HIV-2 Envelope Entry Dynamics into Host Cell Types.  Master's thesis. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; 2023. Accessed March 11, 2023. https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/concern/dissertations/mc87q272f?locale=en

Report Reference Components:

• Accessed Date: only include the accessed date if you accessed the report online with a URL
• Report Title: capitalize first letter of every word other than articles, prepositions and conjunctions
• Only include pages, publication number, and series number if specified

Formatted Report Example:

Example with URL:

World Health Statistics 2023: Monitoring Health for the SDGs, Sustainable Development Goals.  World Health Organization; 2023. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240074323

DVD Reference Components:

Formatted dvd reference:.

Jenkins B, Hogan VK.  Health Disparities: Why We Need New Approaches.  DVD. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health; 2004.

YouTube Video Reference Components:

Formatted youtube video reference example:.

Citation Analysis Using Scopus.  YouTube. April 5, 2022. Accessed March 22, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWsDzo11h78

Podcast Reference Components with Example:

Formatted podcast reference example:.

Glass I, Kestenbaum D, Ballout D.  This American Life.  All the King's Horses. March 22, 2024. Accessed March 25, 2024. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/827/all-the-kings-horses

Mobile App Reference Components:

Formatted mobile app reference example:.

Micromedex Drug Interactions app. Version 3.0.4. Merative. Updated September 26, 2023.

Drug Database Reference Components:

Formatted drug database reference example:.

Facts and Comparisons: Drug Referential Resource. Wolters Kluwer; 2024. Accessed March 25, 2024. https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/solutions/uptodate/enterprise/lexidrug-facts-and-comparisons

Package Insert Reference Components:

Formatted package insert example:.

Lamictal. Package insert. GlaxoSmithKline; 2009.

Conference Presentation Reference Components:

• Published Presentation: once the presentation has been published, you should cite the published material rather than the conference material (e.g. the published journal article or book)
• Presentation Title: capitalize the first letter of the first word and proper nouns
• Presentation Format: examples include abstract, paper, opening remarks, or poster
• For more examples, including online conference proceedings and webinars, see sections 3.13.8 and 3.13.9 in the online AMA Manual of Style

Formatted Conference Presentation Example:

Moreton E, Ottosen T, Burrows H, Nachman S, Barron L, Jones E. Translation of systematic review LibGuide content using plain language and scientific writing best practices. Paper presented at: Medical Library Association Annual Conference; May 16-19, 2023; Detroit, MI.

Upcoming Publication Reference Components:

To format the citation, complete the citation as usual (e.g. book or article citation) and add 'Forthcoming' before the publication year.

You typically should not include journal articles that have not yet been published in your reference list. If you do so, you should ensure the article has been  accepted  rather than just  submitted .

Formatted Forthcoming Publication Example:

Harvey RA, Ferrier DR, eds.  Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews: Biochemistry.  5th ed. Wolters Kluwer Health; Forthcoming 2025.

Submitted Material Reference Components:

Material that has not yet been accepted should not be included in the list of references. You can reference it in the text as "unpublished data."

Examples of In-Text References to Submitted (not Accepted) Material:

Similar results have been found by E.P. Jones (unpublished data, 2024).

These results have been verified (E.P. Jones, unpublished data, February 2024).

Journal Article Comment Reference Components:

Formatted journal article reference example:, comment without title:.

Quinn MJ. Re: Prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in China, 2004-18: findings from six rounds of national survey. Rapid Response.  BMJ.  January 14, 2023. Accessed March 25, 2024. https://www.bmj.com/content/380/bmj-2022-071952/rr

Comment with Title:

Quinn MJ. Lifelong hypertension in China?  BMJ.  January 14, 2023. Accessed March 25, 2024. https://www.bmj.com/content/380/bmj-2022-071952/rr

Dictionary Reference Components:

Formatted dictionary reference example:.

Concise Medical Dictionary.  9th ed. Oxford University Press; 2015.

There is a wide variation in references for legal documents depending on the type of document (e.g cases, statutes, regulations, or hearings). To cite legal documentation, you should refer to the online AMA Manual of Style .

For US Legal References see 3.16

For Non-US Legal References see 3.17

Personal Communication Reference Components:

You should not include personal communications in the reference list. However, you can reference personal communication in text.

Examples of In-Text References to Personal Communications:

Similar results have been found by E.P. Jones (email, 2024).

Similar results have been found by E.P. Jones (written communication, 2024).

It is recommended to find citations other than social media, as access to social media sites can vary, and the posts themselves are fluid. For some examples of how to cite social media posts, see section 3.15.4 in the online AMA Manual of Style .

See section 4.2 in the  online AMA Manual of Style  for information on how to format and organize figures in APA.

If you are reproducing or modifying a figure from another source, see section 4.2.9 in the  online AMA Manual of Style  for information on attributing the figure to another source.

See section 4.1 in the online AMA Manual of Style for information on how to format and organize tables in APA.

If you are reproducing or modifying a table from another source, you should indicate the source in a footnote below the table. See section 4.1.4.10 in the online AMA Manual of Style for more information on footnotes.

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AMA Style: AMA Citations and Writing

Guides online.

• AMA Style Insider - Official blog of the AMA Manual of Style
• Guide to Citing the AMA Manual of Style (Print and Online)

Connect with River Campus Libraries

Writing and Citing Help at UR

• Writing and Citing Guide Provides links to easy to use guides to citing in MLA, APA and other popular citation styles and resources to help you hone your writing skills.
• Writing Help from the Writing, Speaking and Argument Center The Writing, Speaking and Argument Center can help you at any stage of the writing process. Whether you need a quick help sheet, or an appointment with a writing consultant, there are many resources available at here.

What's a DOI Number?

A DOI (short for D igital O bject I dentifier) is a unique number assigned to any digital object like an article , a data set , image , etc.  The doi starts with the number 10 and might contain numbers, letters, and often slashes and periods.  

The doi number is 10.1037/0003-066x.55.1.68

How to cite an article with a DOI: AMA (American Psychological Association) Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. Am. Psychol. 2000;55:1. doi:68-78. doi: 10.1037/0003-066x.55.1.68 ​

For more information on DOIs, visit  https://www.doi.org/ 

Annotated Bibliographies

• Developing a thesis statement (UW-Madison)
• Examples of Annotated Bibliography entries in APA citation style (UNC Chapel Hill)

Annotated bibliographies differ from abstracts or summaries of articles. Annotated bibliographies are a list of sources (journal or news articles, books, websites, datasets, etc.) on a particular topic. The list is usually in alphabetical order by author and employs a single citation style . The propose of an annotated bibliography is:

• To prove you have done some valid research to back up your argument and claims
• To explain the content of your sources, assess their usefulness, and share this information with others who may be less familiar with them

Some questions to help with your analysis of a source might include:

• What’s the main point or thesis of this source?
• Does the author seem to have particular biases or are they trying to reach a particular audience?
• How does this source relate to your own research and ideas?
• How does this source relate to other sources you have read? Do they have aspects of the same argument or opposing views?

Here are a few links to help you better understand and construct an annotated bibliography.

• Annotated Bibliography with examples (UW-Madison)
• How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography (Cornell)

Graphic Organizers to help you build an annotated bibliography:

• Making Connections - Web Organizer

AMA Citations*

• Basics of AMA
• Journal Articles
• Books & Ebooks
• Unpublished Material
• Other Formats
• Secondary Citations
• Images, Tables & Figures

In-text Citations

In-text citations are superscript and  numbered in consecutive order  in the text, tables, or figures of the work. If a reference is used multiple times in one paper, use the same number throughout. 

The Superscript number is inserted:

• Immediately next to the fact, idea or quotation being cited.    Ex. This drug is used to treat hepatitis. 1
• Outside periods and commas.   Ex. Storing latex at high heat may cause degradation,  2,3-5,7   but it is difficult to keep materials cool in a desert environment.
• Inside colons and semi-colons.  Ex. Some physicians choose to store prescription pads in locked cabinets  8 ; others keep them in their coats at all times.  9
• When more than 2 references are cited at a given place in the manuscript, use hyphens to join the first and last numbers of a closed series; use commas without space to separate other parts of a multiple citation.    Ex. As reported previously, 1,4-7,19,24

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'. 

• Ex. Smith and Jones 2  reported on the questionnaire. Ex. Hammersmith et al 3  reported on the survey.

Reference List

At the end of the document, include a reference list with full citations to each item. Name it References. Order citations as they appear in your paper (not alphabetically!). The following tabs in this guide provide formatting information for common reference types.

*  Adapted from https://guides.lib.uw.edu/hsl/ama and AMA Manual of Style

How to Format References from Journal Articles

• The title of the journal article is in sentence case (only the first letter is capitalized).
• Abbreviate and italicize names of journals according to the listing in the  National Library of Medicine database . 
• References that have six authors or less should include all authors names (last name, initial(s). References with more than 7 authors should include the first three authors followed by "et al."
• Provide the DOI   for online journal articles. If there is no DOI listed, include the most direct url possible and the date the article was accessed. It is not necessary to include the access date if the article has a DOI.

Author AA. Title of journal article. Abbreviated Name of Journal . Year;Volume(Issue):Page Information. DOI (or URL & Accessed Date if no DOI is assigned.)

Ex.  Online journal without volume and page information (and with DOI)

Mast CT,  DeMuro-Mercon  C, Kelly CM, Floyd LE,  Ealter  EB. The impact of rotavirus gastroenteritis on the family.  BMC Pediatrics . 2009;9:11. doi:10.1186/1471-2431-9-11

Ex.  O nline journals with volume and page information (and without DOI, but with URL & accessed date)

Kapur  VK,  Obstructive sleep apnea: diagnosis, epidemiology, and economics.  Respir Care . 2010;55(9):1155-1167.  Accessed Nove mber 8, 2011.  http://www.rcjo urnal.com/co ntents/09.10/09.10.1155.pdf

Ex. Print journal

Raux H, Coulon P, Lafay F, Flamand A. Monoclonal antibodies which recognize the acidic configuration of the rabies glycoprotein at the surface of the virion can be neutralizing.  Virology.  1995;210(2):400-408.

How to Format Reference from Books and Ebooks

• The title of a  book is capitalized per  title case rules 
• The title of a  book chapter (if applicable) is in   sentence case   (only the first letter is capitalized)
• References that have  six authors or less  should include all authors names (last name, initial(s). References with  more than 7  authors should include the first three authors followed by "et al."
• For ebooks,  include the most direct url possible and the date the article was accessed

Basic Format - General

Author AA. Title of Book. Edition number. Location: Publisher; Year published. 

Basic Format - Edited Book (chapters with different authors)

Author AA. Chapter title. Editor, AA. Title of Book . Place of publication: Publisher; Year published: Page numbers.

Ex. Single Author Print Book

Herr J. Creative Resources for the Early Childhood Classroom. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth & Cengage Learning; 2013.

Ex. Chapter in a Print Book

Yagyu S, Iehara T. MYCN nonamplified neuroblastoma: Detection of tumor-derived cell-free DNA in serum for predicting prognosis of neuroblastoma. In Hayat MA, ed.  Pediatric Cancer Diagnosis, Therapy, and Prognosis . Dordrecht, NY: Springer; 2013:11-17.

Ex. Part of a Monographic Series Print Book

Davidoff RA.  Migraine: Manifestations, Pathogenesis, and Management . Philadelphia, Pa: FA Davis; 1995. Contemporary Neurology Series; No 42.

Ex. Online Book

Neinstein L, ed.  Adolescent Health Care . 5th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott W&W; 2008.  Accessed November 9, 2011. http://www.r2library.com/marc_frame.aspx?ResourceID=931

Ex. Chapter in an Online Book

Kohn LT. Creating safety systems in health care organizations. In: Kohn, LT, Corrigan, JM, and Donaldson MS, eds.  To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System . Washington, DC: Committee on Quality of Health Care in America, Institute of Medicine; 2000. Accessed November 1, 2011. http://www.nap.edu/openbook.ptp?record_id=9728&page=155

Personal Communication -  References to material not yet accepted for publication or to personal communications (oral, written, and electronic) are not acceptable as listed references and instead should be included parenthetically in the text. The author should provide the date of the communication, as well as the form (oral or written). Highest academic degree to date should also be mentioned. 

Ex.  In a conversation with Bart Simpson, Ph.D., (November 2004)...

Ex.  According to an e-mail from Bull Winkle, Esq, (B. Winkle [[email protected]], e-mail, November 6, 2004)... 

Preprint (Ahead of Print)

Ex. van der Hoek L, Pyrc K, Jebbink MF, et al. Identification of a new human coronavirus [published online ahead of print March 21, 2004]. Nat Med

Material accepted for publication but not yet published

Ex . Carrau RI. The impact of laryngopharyngeal reflux on patient-reported QOL. Laryngoscope . In press. 

Theses or Dissertations

Ex.  MacKenzie MA.  Comparing Heart Failure and Cancer Caregiver Satisfaction with Hospice Care.  [dissertation]. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania; 2014.

Government or Agency Bulletins - References to bulletins published by departments or agencies of a government should include the following information, in the order indicated:

(1) name of author (if given); (2) title of bulletin; (3) place of publication; (4) name of issuing bureau, agency, department, or other governmental division (not that in this position, Department should be abbreviated Dept; also not that if an author supplies US Government Printing Office as the publisher, it would be preferable to obtain the name of the issuing bureau, agency, or department, if possible); (5) date of publication; (6) page numbers, if specified; (7) publication number, if any; and (8) series number if given.

Ex.  American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.  ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 75: Management of alloimmunization during pregnancy . Bethesda, MD: The National Center for Biotechnology Information; 2006. 457-464.

Online Reference 

Ex. Amoxicillin. In: DRUGDEX System  (Micromedex 2.0). Greenwood Village, CO: Truven Health Analytics; c1974-2013. Accessed October 22, 2013. http://www.micromedexsolutions.com/micromedex2/librarian#

Package Inserts -  Package inserts (the printed material about the use and effects of the product contained in the package) may be cited as follows:

Ex.  BioThrax [package insert]. Lansing, MI: Emergent BioSolutions; 2012

Ex. MacKenzie MA.  Comparing Heart Failure and Cancer Caregiver Satisfaction with Hospice Care.  [dissertation]. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania; 2014.

Websites -  When citing data from a Website, include the following elements, if available, in the order shown below:

Author(s), if given (often, no authors are given). Title of the specific item cited (if none is given, use the name of the organization responsible for the site). Name of the Website. Published [date]. Updated [date]. Accessed [date]. URL [provide URL and verify that the link still works as close as possible to publication]

Ex. Living With Type 1 Diabetes. Diabetes.org. Published February 9, 2015. Accessed April 7, 2015. http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/recently-diagnosed/living-with-type-1-diabetes.html

Secondary Citations:

 The AMA Manual. section 3.13.10 Secondary citations, states:  Reference may be made to one author’s citation of, or quotation from, another’s work. Distinguish between citation and quotation (ie, between work mentioned and words actually quoted). In the text, the name of the original author, rather than the secondary source, should be mentioned. (See also 3.11.12, References to Print Journals, Discussants.) As with citation of an abstract of an article rather than citation of the original document (see 3.11.9, References to Print Journals, Abstracts and Other Material Taken From Another Source), citation of the original document is preferred unless it is not readily available.  Only items actually consulted should be listed.      Ex.  Cauley JA, Lui L-Y, Ensrud KE, et al. Osteoporosis and fracture risk in women of different ethnic groups. JAMA. 2005;293(17):2102-2108. Cited by: Acheson LS. Bone density and the risk of fractures: should treatment thresholds vary by race [editorial]? JAMA. 2005;293(17):2151-2154.

If you (student) are going to recreate/reproduce an image, table or figure from another source and insert it verbatim (exactly as is) into you assignment paper, you do not have to obtain copyright permission from the copyright holder; however, you still have to cite the source. If you are submitting the paper for publications and recreate/reproduce the table or figure, you would need to obtain copyright permissions first.

Images, tables or figures from books or journal articles: Do not cite the image individually but give the citation details for the book/article/etc. Treat it as though it was a direct quote. See 3.11 References to Journal Articles in the AMA Style Guide and the AMA Style blog " How to cite a photograph or illustration ."

Ex. Table 14.14-12. Antigens and antibodies of hepatitis B virus. In: Christiansen S, Iverson C, Flanagin A, et al.  AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors . 11th ed. Oxford University Press; 2020. Accessed August 20, 2020. https://www.amamanualofstyle.com/view/ 10.1093/jama/9780190246556.001.0001/med-9780190246556 -chapter-14-div2-2090

Images, tables or figures found online: cite them as a web object: Author AA, Author BB. Title of page or object. Clarifying information if necessary. Title of web site. Published Month DD, YYYY or Updated Month DD, YYYY. Accessed Month, DD, YYYY. URL. See 3.15.3 Websites in the AMA Style Guide.

If there is a credit for the image found online, use this as your author.  If there is no credit for the image, use the authors of the web site if you believe they are responsible for the image.

Ex. AU Libraries. Data Life Cycle Models. Infographic. University of Alabama. Accessed September 29, 2021.  https://www.lib. ua.edu/wiki/sura/index.php/Data_Life_Cycle_Models

Citation Managers

Citation managers like RefWorks, EndNote, Mendeley and Zotero help you track and organize your citations, so that when you're writing your paper, you can easily cite your sources. Citation managers also help you insert citations, create endnotes and bibliographies. 

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AMA Citation Style Guide: AMA Examples - Online and Electronic

• In-text Citations
• AMA Examples - Print
• AMA Examples - Online and Electronic
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eBooks and Audiobooks

• Volume number is only needed if there is more than one volume. Additionally, the Edition number is only needed if it is not the first edition of the book. 
• The Accessed date is only needed if you are using a URL
• The Format is included for other book versions including e-readers, audiobooks, and books on CD.
• Vieira AR.  Genetic Basis of Oral Health Conditions.  Springer International Publishing; 2019. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-14485-2
• World Health Organization.  Health Worker Roles in Providing Safe Abortion Care and Post-abortion Contraception . World Health Organization; 2015. Accessed August 12, 2020.  https://srhr.org/safeabortion/
• Skloot R.  The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.  Audiobook. Random House Audio; 2010.

AMA Manual, Section 3.12.11

• Chapter in an Edited Book
• Sudarsky L. Gait and balance disorders. In: Kasper DL, Fauci AS, Longo DL, Hauser SL, Jameson JL, Loscalzo J, eds.  Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine.  19th ed. McGraw-Hill; 2015;chap 32. Accessed February 10, 2016. http://www.harrisonsim.com/index.php
• Articles in Scholarly Journals

**Some online journals do not have page numbers. Use the article number instead. Reference 3 is an example. Examples:

• Economopoulos KJ, Brockmeier SF. Rotator cuff tears in overhead athletes.  Clin Sports Med . 2012;31(4):675-692. doi:10.1016/j.csm.2012.07.005
• Finnan RP, Crosby LA. Partial-thickness rotator cuff tears.  J Shoulder Elbow Surg . 2010;19(4):609-616. Accessed April 26, 2012. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1058274609004662
• Ho DTN, Le TPT, Wolbers M, et al. Risk factors of Streptococcus suis infection in Vietnam. A case-control study.  PLoS One . 2011;6(3):e17604. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0017604

AMA Manual, Section 3.11

• Theses and Dissertations

*If a thesis has been published, it should be written in the format of a book. 

• Ghanbari S. Integration of the Arts in STEM: A Collective Case Study of Two Interdisciplinary University Programs.  Dissertation. University of California; 2014. Accessed October 14, 2016. http://escholarship.org/uc/item/9wp9x8sj

AMA Manual, Section 3.13.4

Newspaper Articles/News Releases

Scott M. More than 60 treated in hospital after Townsville music festival.  The Australian.  May 7, 2019. Accessed September 7, 2020. https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/more-than-60-treated-in-hospital-after-townsville-music-festival/news-story/f4b6a403939ed34b0c18d426becb9533

Ikonomou T. Townsville’s rising obesity numbers among shocking health statistics. Townsville Bulletin. November, 14, 2018. Accessed September 9, 2020. https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/townsville/townsvilles-rising-obesity-numbers-among-shocking-health-statistics/news-story/47c5f163d537ba20353e0572901ea19e

News and media releases take the following format:

• Examining how common depression symptoms are in adults before, during COVID-19 pandemic. News release. JAMA For the Media. September 2, 2020. Accessed September 7, 2020. https://media-jamanetwork-com.elibrary.jcu.edu.au/news-item/examining-how-common-depression-symptoms-are-in-adults-before-during-covid-19-pandemic/
• Teleheath, e-prescribing arrangements must be extended. News release. Australian Medical Association. September 3, 2020. Accessed September 7, 2020. https://ama.com.au/media/telehealth-e-prescribing-arrangements-must-be-extended

AMA Manual, Sections 3.13.1 and 3.15.10

• Encyclopedia Entries

*If no author is available, start with the entry title. Only include edition and volume information within the citation if it is available. 

• Uretsky S. Antihistamines. In: Blanchfield DS, Longe JL, eds.  The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine . Vol 1. 2nd ed. Gale; 2002. Accessed October 4, 2021. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3405600130/GVRL?u=muohio_gvrl&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=2de5d5f0
• Government Reports
• National Cancer Institute. Taking time: Support for people with cancer.   U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. 2019. NIH Publication 18-2059.  Accessed October 4, 2021. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/patient-education/takingtime.pdf

AMA Manual, Section 3.13.2

Creating a Reference List Page

In AMA style your bibliography should be called Reference List.

Within your Reference List, your references should be listed in numerical order (two references should not be combined under a single reference number) as opposed to alphabetically. The numerical order is based on the order in which the sources were first cited in the document.

Do not begin the reference list on a new page, but place it at the end of your document, after a space or a line. It follows any article information or acknowledgments. Put the word "References" in all caps, and in line with the left-hand margin. Format the numbers as per normal numbering style, single spaced.

Online vs Print References

In AMA style, online and print references are formatted largely the same. All references generally include the author, title, source, and date, with the source element showing the difference between online and print. Online source elements will include their corresponding DOI and URL when available. 

Reference Examples

• Newspaper Articles

Images, Video, and Audio

• Images/Visual Works
• YouTube or Streaming Video
• Podcasts and Other Audio
• Computer Software, Mobile Apps, and Equipment
• If no author is available, start with the title of the work.
• If an updated date is available, note it between the publication date and access date.
• International Society for Infectious Diseases. ProMED-mail. Accessed February 10, 2016. http://www.promedmail.org
• Charlton G. Internal linking for SEO: examples and best practices. SearchEngineWatch. Accessed February 10, 2016. https://searchenginewatch.com/sew/how-to/2428041/internal-linking-for-seo-examples-and-best-practices
• Zika travel information. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. January 26, 2016. Updated August 11, 2016. Accessed June 18, 2019. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/zika-travel-information

AMA Manual, Section 3.15.3

Tweets and Facebook Updates

If the tweet or status update includes an image, a video, a poll, or a thumbnail image with a link, indicate that in brackets after the title: [Image attached], [Video attached], [Thumbnail with link attached].

Tweet  Example:

• @BarackObama. (2012, February 9). Today President Obama announced a landmark  foreclosure settlement with major banks to help struggling homeowners . February 9, 2012. Accessed February 15, 2012.  https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/167690595870052352

Facebook Post  Example:

• Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Facebook page. #RotatorCuff tears are among the most common shoulder injuries, particularly in individuals who engage in activities that require repetitive arm motions. Discover the possible treatment options for a torn rotator cuff: https://mayocl.in?2H6AR3P. Accessed March 4, 2019. https://facebook.com/mayoclinicsportsmedicine

AMA Manual, Section 3.15.4

Conference Sessions and Presentations

Type of contribution is flexible (e.g., “Conference session,” “Paper presentation,” “Poster session,” “Keynote address”) .

Papers presented at a conference, symposium or meeting, unpublished or only available from the conference website

Maddox S, Hurling J, Stewart E, Edwards A. If mama ain't happy, nobody's happy: the effect of parental depression on mood dysregulation in children. Paper presented at: Southeastern Psychologica Association 62nd Annual Meeting; March 30-April 2, 2016; New Orleans, LA.

Pearson J. Fat talk and its effects on state-based body image in women. Poster presented at: Australian Psychological Society Congress; September 21-30, 2018; Sydney, Australia.

Baydorova I, Collins H, Ait Saadi, I. Matching student and supervisor expectations in Malaysian doctoral education. Paper presented at: Australian Association for Research in Education Conference; November 26-30, 2017; Canberra, Australia. Abstract available at:  https://www.aare.edu.au/publications/aare-conference-papers/show/13007/matching-student-and-supervisor-expectations-in-malaysian-doctoral-education

Published papers

Papers from conferences, symposia and meetings are usually published as part of a special issue of a journal, as a monograph (book) of the conference proceedings, or as a document on a website. Once a presentation is published, use the pattern for the book, journal, or other medium in which they are published.

Morgan R, Meldrum K, Bryan S, et al. Embedding digital literacies in curricula: Australian and Malaysian experiences. In: Teh GB, Choy SC, eds.  Empowering 21st century learners through holistic and enterprising learning: selected papers from Tunku Abdul Rahman University College International Conference 2016 . Springer Singapore; 2017:11-19.

Huang G-M, Huang K-Y, Lee T-Y, Tzu-Ya Weng J. An interpretable rule-based diagnostic classification of diabetic nephropathy among type 2 diabetes patients.  BMC Bioinformatics.  2015;16(suppl 1):S5. Selected articles from the Thirteenth Asia Pacific Bioinformatics Conference (APBC 2015). doi:10.1186/1471-2105-16-S1-S5

(Example 5 shows an article from a special issue of the journal that has been entirely dedicated to publishing papers from the conference). 

Online conferences and webinars

• Gunn E, Kendall-Taylor J, Vandenburg B. Taking author instructions to the next level. Council of Science Editors webinar. September 10, 2015. Accessed March 15, 2016.  http://www.councilscienceeditors.org/resource-library/past-presentationswebinars/past-webinars/2015-webinar-3-taking-author-instructions-to-the-next-level/

AMA Manual, Sections 3.13.8 and 3.13.9

• Gray T. Advice after mischief is like medicine after death.  AMA Style Insider  blog. February 11, 2019. Accessed March 10, 2019. https://amastyleinsider.com/2019/02/11/advice-after-mischief-is-like-medicine-after-death/
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An AMA citation generator is a tool that creates citations in the American Medical Association citation style. It analyzes the details of an article or academic paper--such as author, title, and publish date--and creates a formatted citation with them automatically. The formatted citation can then be used to give credit to others whose work has been referenced in an academic work or paper.

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Source: https://jamanetwork.com/

If you are writing to be published in an AMA journal, or if you are a student in a health or medical field, then you will likely need to use AMA style citations to reference others' work within yours.

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MyBib's AMA citation generator was designed to be fast and easy to use. Follow these steps:

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The generator will produce a formatted AMA citation that can be copied and pasted directly into your document, or saved to MyBib as part of your overall bibliography (which can be downloaded fully later!).

MyBib supports the following for AMA style:

Daniel is a qualified librarian, former teacher, and citation expert. He has been contributing to MyBib since 2018.

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Citation guides

All you need to know about citations

How to cite an undergraduate thesis in AMA

To cite an undergraduate thesis in a reference entry in AMA style 11st edition include the following elements:

• Author(s) of the thesis: Give the last name, and initials of up to six authors (e.g. Watson J). For more authors only the first three are listed, followed by et al.
• Title of the undergraduate thesis: Italicize the title and capitalize the first letter of each major word.
• Location: Give the name of the city in which the publishing entity was located at the time of publication.
• Name of the degree awarding institution: Give the name of the institution.
• Year of publication: Give the year of publication.

Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of an undergraduate thesis in AMA style 11st edition:

Author(s) of the thesis . Title of the undergraduate thesis . [Undergraduate thesis]. Location : Name of the degree awarding institution ; Year of publication .

Take a look at our reference list examples that demonstrate the AMA style guidelines in action:

An undergraduate thesis with one author

Baslow W . The applicability of the Qualitative System Analysis as decision-making tool in public administration by the example of the municipality Ludwigsburg . [ Undergraduate thesis ]. Lüneburg, Germany : Leuphana University of Lüneburg ; 2015 .

Plana ASJ . Noncooperative game theory: General overview and its application to the study of cooperation . [ Undergraduate thesis ]. Barcelona, Spain : University of Barcelona ; 2015 .

This citation style guide is based on the AMA Manual of Style (11 th edition).

More useful guides

• Citation Help for AMA: Master's Thesis or Project
• AMA Manual of Style: Theses and Dissertations

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