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Boxer Library

Academic Writing Guide

Citing With the American Psychological Association (APA) Style

One of the most popular citation style in the health sciences is from the American Medical Association (AMA). Remember one of the reasons readers review studies is not only for original data, but to learn about other studies in that particular research field. By providing clean and consistent references, we are providing the reader the information they need to obtain research for their own studies. If information such as publication year or volume is missing or incorrect, the process to track down that reference becomes harder for the reader. 

This page includes some popular reference examples. If you would like to see even more examples, view the Boxer Library's 
AMA Manual of Style or consult the American Medical Association Manual of Style (2020). The library also created a guide for the basic types of references called, American Medical Association (AMA) Style Quick Guide. We have a copy available for checkout in our 2-Hour Reserves Collection at the Circulation Desk. Rosalind Franklin University students, faculty, and staff may print a copy for personal use only.

Things to Remember:

  • AMA style utilizes a reference list instead of a bibliography.
    • This means that you only include references that you actually mention or cite in your paper. You connect your citation to the reference list by number.
  • The numbers must be in superscript. 

  • References are organized by order of occurrence in the written text, not alphabetically.
    • This means that the first reference used in the document is citation number 1, the second is number 2, etc.
  • If you reuse information from a previously-cited reference, you will reuse the original citation number after the relevant text and not assign the reference a new number. So, for example, if you re-quote from your first reference later in your paper, you would still cite that quote as reference number 1. 

Format:

Author Last Name First and Middle Initials. Article Title. Abbreviated Name of Journal in italics. Year; Volume Number(Issue Number):page numbers. doi number OR url with date accessed.

Example:

Casadevall A. The case for pathogen-specific therapy. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2009;10(11):1699-1703. doi:10.1517/14656560903066837.

Format:

Authors 1- 5 Last Name First and Middle Initials. Article Title. Abbreviated Name of Journal in italics. Year;Volume Number(Issue Number):page numbers. doi number if available OR URL with date accessed.

Example:

Mahajan AK, Hogarth DK. Bronchial thermoplasty: a promising therapy, still in its infancy. Cleve Clin J Med. 2011;78(7):475-476. doi: 10.3949/ccjm.78a.11063.

Format:

First three listed authors Last Names First and Middle Initials, et al. Article title.Abbreviated Name of Journal in italics. Publication Year;Volume Number(Issue Number):page numbers. doi number if available OR URL with date accessed.

Example:

Borissova AM, Djambazova A, Todorov, K, et al. Effect of erythropoietin on the metabolic state and peripheral insulin sensitivity in diabetic patients on haemodialysis. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 1993,8(1):93. http://ndt.oxfordjournals.org/content/8/1/93.1.long. Accessed March 16, 2012.

Format:

Author Last Name First and Middle Initials. Article Title. Abbreviated Name of Journal in italics. Publication Year;volume(issue):page numbers.

Example:

Barnes KC. Successfully mapping novel asthma loci by GWAS. Lancet. 2011;378(9795):967-8.

Format:

Authors 1- 6 Last Names First and Middle Initials. Article Title. Abbreviated Name of Journal in italics. Publication Year;volume(issue):page numbers.

Example:

Pulgaron ER, Salamon KS, Patterson CA, Barakat LP. A problem-solving intervention for children with persistent asthma: a pilot of a randomized trial at a pediatric summer camp. J Asthma. 2010;47(9):1031-9.

Format:

First three listed authors Last names First and Middle Initials, et al. Article title. Abbreviated Name of Journal in italics. Publication Year;volume(issue):page numbers.

Example:

Milonakis M, Chatzis AC, Giannopoulos NM, et al. Etiology and management of chylothorax following pediatric heart surgery. J Card Surg. 2009;24(4):369-73.

Format:

Author Last Name First and Middle Initials. Article title. Abbreviated Journal Title in italics. Issue date or number:page numbers.

Example:

Dall'igna P, d'Amore ES, Cecchetto G, Bisogno G, Carretto E, Bitetti S, Famengo B, Alaggio R. Intraoperative examination (IOE) in pediatric extracranial tumors. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2010:429-36.

Format:

Author Last Name First and Middle Initials. Article Title. Abbreviated Name of Journal in italics. Publication Year;volume;(issue)(suppl number, if applicable):page numbers.

Example:

Crino L, Cappuzzo F. Present and future treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer. SEMIN Oncol. 2002;29(3)(suppl 9):9-16.

Format:

Author Last Name First and Middle Initials. Title in Italics. Edition, if applicable. Place of Publication: Name of Publisher; Year of Copyright.

Example:

Sacks O. Uncle Tungsten. New York, NY: Alfred A Knopf; 2001.

Format:

Authors 1- 5 Last Name First and Middle Initials. Title in Italics. Edition, if applicable. Place Publication: Name of Publisher; Year of Copyright.

Example:

Venables WN, Ripley BD. Modern Applied Statistics. 4th ed. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Co; 2003.

Format:

First three listed authors Last Names First and Middle Initials, et al. Title in Italics. Edition if applicable. Place of Publication: Name of Publisher; Year of Copyright.

Example:

Simon LS, Lipman AG, Jacox AK, et al. Pain in Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Juvenile Chronic Arthritis. 2nd ed. Glenview, IL: American Pain Society; 2002.

 Format:

Author Last Name First and Middle Initials. Chapter title. In: Editor of Book. Book title in italics. Edition. Place of Publication: Name of Publisher; Year of Copyright:Page Numbers.

Example:

Solensky R. Drug allergy: desensitization and treatment of reactions to antibiotics and aspirin. In: Lockey P, ed. Allergens and Allergen Immunotherapy. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker; 2004:585-606.