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AMA Citation Style Guide

What are the Paper Sections?

AMA does not recommend the use of a title page. If your instructor requires one, the following information can be included and placed in the center of the page:

  1. The full title of your paper
  2. Your name
  3. The name of your institution (in this case National University)

A structured abstract is crucial in directing readers to articles of potential clinical and research interest. For academic papers, an abstract should summarize the key points of your paper:

  • the study objective or background,
  • the study design and methods,
  • primary results,
  • principal conclusions
General Guidelines
  • Consult your instructor to see if an abstract is required.
    • If it is, determine the word count (100 words? 250 words?). 
  • Do not begin the abstract by repeating the title.
  • Do not cite references.
  • Include the stated hypothesis, if applicable.
  • Ensure that all concepts and data in the abstract are included in the text.
  • Avoid proprietary names or manufacturers' names unless they are essential to the study.
  • Spell out abbreviations at first mention. 

 

Format the main body of your paper according by following general guidelines for headings in the AMA Style: (Section 2.8 of AMA Style Guide)

  • Introduction 
  • Methods
  • Results
  • Discussion

See this guide's section on In-Text Citations for an overview of specifics on how to cite references in-text. 

The Manual of Style identifies the elements to be included in reference for journals, books, and websites. Styles are different for printed and online sources. 

 

See this guide's section on Reference List for an overview of specifics on how format citations.

Instructions on format for AMA are not explicitly stated in the AMA Manual of Style. Please use these guidelines as a rough estimate only of the requirements, and seek your instructor's expertise for more concrete support.

 
Spacing: Double space
 
Margins: 1"
 
Font: Size 12, any font type.  AMA suggests two typefaces (a serif for body text and a sans serif for titles and subheads) with appropriate use of styles, such as bold and italics for a scholarly publication. (5.22.4)
 
Indents: 1/2"
 
Page numbering: Each page, beginning with the title page, should be numbered consecutively.  Page numbers are usually placed in the upper right corner.
 
Headers: A short title header goes at the top of the page, aligned with the page number or left margin. This takes the place of the "running head" required of copy manuscripts.
 
References:  Reference entries should be listed and numbered in the order they were cited in your paper. If the citation extends to a second line, do NOT indent (as in APA). 
 
 
Adapted from AMA Style Guides USC Norris Medical Library and Sullivan University Library. 

General Guidance

In AMA style, references at the end of the manuscript are listed in numerical order based on the order in which they are mentioned in the text. Please see Citing Medicine- a style publication of the National Library of Medicine for expanded examples as a resource recommended by the AMA.

 

 

Journal Articles

note: all authors should be cited unless there are 6 or more authors. If 6 or more authors are listed, the first three should be listed in order of published attribution followed by et al. 

 

1. Chamberlain Mitchell SAF, Garrod R, Clark L, et al. Physiotherapy, and speech and language therapy intervention for patients with refractory chronic cough: a multicentre randomised control trial. Thorax. 2017;72(2):129-136. doi:10.1136/thoraxjnl-2016-208843

 

2. Magee T, Peters C, Jacobsen SM, et al. Inequities in the treatment of opioid use disorder: a scoping review. J Subst Use Addict Treat. 2023;152:209082. doi:10.1016/j.josat.2023.209082

 

Books

 

3. Law  M, Baptiste  S, Carswell  A, McColl  MA, Polatajko  H, Pollock  N.  Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). 5th ed. CAOT Publications ACE; 2014.

 

4. Homer, Bryant  WC.  The Iliad of Homer Translated Into English Blank Verse. Houghton Mifflin; 1916.

 

eBooks

 

5. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Addressing the Long-Term Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children and Families. The National Academies Press; 2023. Accessed September 12, 2023. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26809/addressing-the-long-term-effects-of-the-covid-19-pandemic-on-children-and-families

 

Book Chapter

note: cite both the book's author and the chapter's author- even if they are the same author.

 

6. Boushey CJ. Application of research paradigms to nutrition practice. In: Coulston AM, Boushey CJ, Ferruzzi MG, eds. Nutrition in the Prevention and Treatment of Disease. 3rd ed. Academic Press; 2013:99- 105.

 

Webpage

note: The AMA Manual of Style refers writers to chapter 25 of Citing Medicine for webpage and electronic reference citation formats.

 

7. Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. What you need to know to apply. Updated February 2023. Accessed May 16, 2018. https://www.pcori.org/funding-opportunities/what-you-need-know-apply#content-1183