How to Cite a Journal Article in AMA Format

This guide explains how to cite a journal article in AMA format and who typically uses it. AMA (American Medical Association) style is the standard citation format for medicine, health sciences, nursing, and many allied health journals and schools.

Follow this step‑by‑step guide to format citations correctly, create in‑text references, and assemble a reference list. For speed, try Rephrasely’s free citation generator to build AMA citations automatically: Rephrasely Citation Generator.

General Rules

Use superscript Arabic numerals for citations in the text, numbered sequentially in order of first appearance (not alphabetically).
The reference list is numbered and ordered by citation sequence, not author name.
List authors as Lastname Initials without periods between initials (e.g., Smith AB).
For journal articles include: author(s), article title, journal name (abbreviated), year;volume(issue):page range. Add DOI when available.
Use MEDLINE/NLM journal title abbreviations (e.g., JAMA instead of Journal of the American Medical Association).
If there are more than six authors, list the first three followed by et al.

How to Cite by Source Type

Below are step‑by‑step examples for common source types using code‑style formatting for clarity.

Journal Article (standard)

Elements: Author(s). Article title. Journal Abbrev. Year;Volume(Issue):Pages. doi

Smith AB, Jones CD. New approaches to hypertension management. J Clin Hypertens. 2020;22(4):123-130. doi:10.1001/jch.2020.1234

Notes:

Use sentence case for the article title (only the first word and proper nouns capitalized).
Include the issue number in parentheses only if the journal uses continuous pagination within a volume, otherwise volume and pages suffice.
DOI format: present as doi:10.xxxx or https://doi.org/10.xxxx. Be consistent across your references.

Journal Article with Many Authors

Garcia R, Lee YH, Patel M, et al. Long-term outcomes after valve repair. Ann Thorac Surg. 2018;106(2):456-462. doi:10.1016/j.athoracsur.2018.05.012

Rule: For 7 or more authors, list the first three followed by et al.

Book

Elements: Author(s). Book Title. Edition (if not 1st). Publisher; Year.

Roberts P, Nguyen T. Clinical Pharmacology for Nurses. 2nd ed. Academic Press; 2017.

Chapter in an Edited Book

Wong E. Cardiac electrophysiology. In: Brown J, ed. Textbook of Cardiology. 3rd ed. MedPub; 2019:210-228.

Website

Elements: Author (if available). Title of page. Name of Website. Published date. Updated date (if any). Accessed Month Day, Year. URL

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaccination schedules. CDC. Published 2021. Accessed January 12, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules

Actionable tip: When no author is listed, move the title to the author position. Always include an accessed date for web content that may change.

Conference Paper / Abstract

Lopez H, Mehta S. Telemedicine in rural practice. Presented at: Annual Meeting of the National Rural Health Association; June 5-7, 2019; Denver, CO. Abstract 45.

Thesis / Dissertation

Kim S. Dietary patterns and hypertension [dissertation]. Columbia University; 2016.

In-Text Citations

AMA uses superscript numbers to indicate citations. Numbers are placed in the order sources are first cited and used throughout the document.

Format examples:

Recent trials show improved outcomes with therapy X.^1,2

Smith et al.^3 reported a 20% reduction in symptoms.

Placement rules:

Place the superscript after punctuation (commonly after the period or comma): "This is effective.^1"
If a citation refers to a specific clause or phrase, place the superscript after that clause: "In the study, participants reported fatigue^4."
Use a single superscript for a single source; use commas to separate nonconsecutive citations (e.g., ^1,3) and hyphens for ranges (e.g., ^2-5).

Reference List — Formatting Rules and Example

The reference list should be titled "References" (or left untitled if the journal specifies) and appear at the end of the manuscript. Number entries in the order they appear in the text.

Key formatting rules:

Use plain text with minimal punctuation: periods separate major elements.
Authors: Lastname FirstInitials (no periods between initials), comma between authors.
Journal titles: use standard abbreviations; do not italicize in plain text submissions unless the journal requires it.
Include DOIs for electronic journal articles when available.

Example reference list (first 6 entries):

References
1. Smith AB, Jones CD. New approaches to hypertension management. J Clin Hypertens. 2020;22(4):123-130. doi:10.1001/jch.2020.1234
2. Garcia R, Lee YH, Patel M, et al. Long-term outcomes after valve repair. Ann Thorac Surg. 2018;106(2):456-462. doi:10.1016/j.athoracsur.2018.05.012
3. Roberts P, Nguyen T. Clinical Pharmacology for Nurses. 2nd ed. Academic Press; 2017.
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaccination schedules. CDC. Published 2021. Accessed January 12, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules
5. Lopez H, Mehta S. Telemedicine in rural practice. Presented at: Annual Meeting of the National Rural Health Association; June 5-7, 2019; Denver, CO. Abstract 45.
6. Kim S. Dietary patterns and hypertension [dissertation]. Columbia University; 2016.

Actionable tip: Use the citation number consistently—if you cite the same source later, reuse its original number rather than creating a new one.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mixing styles: don’t use APA, Vancouver, or Chicago formatting in an AMA manuscript. Check punctuation and author initials carefully.
Incorrect author listing: AMA requires initials without periods and specific rules when there are more than six authors (first three + et al.).
Wrong citation ordering: AMA orders references by appearance, not alphabetically. Renumber when text changes order.
Missing or malformed DOIs and URLs: include complete DOIs or full URLs and an access date for web-only content.

Quick fix: run your reference list through an automated tool (for example, use Rephrasely’s citation generator) and then verify journal abbreviations via PubMed.

Practical Workflow and Tools

To streamline AMA citations, follow this workflow:

Collect author names, article title, journal name, year, volume, issue, pages, and DOI at the time you read the source.
Create the citation using a reliable generator or reference manager and cross‑check against AMA examples.
Insert in‑text superscript numbers in the order you cite sources and update the reference list accordingly.
Run a plagiarism check and grammar pass—Rephrasely also offers a plagiarism checker and an AI writing assistant via Composer.
If you suspect text was generated or want to check for AI content, try the AI detector.

Tip: Keep a master reference list while drafting. If you add or remove citations, renumber once at the end to avoid errors.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite the same journal article multiple times?

Use the same reference number for each subsequent citation of the same source. Do not create a new number; repeat the original superscript number wherever you cite that work.

What if a journal article has no DOI?

If no DOI is available, include the full page range and publication details. For online‑only articles without a DOI, provide a stable URL and an access date. Example: Smith AB. Title. J Med Res. 2019;15(3):45-51. Accessed May 10, 2019. https://www.journalurl.org/article

Can I use a citation manager to create AMA citations?

Yes. Reference managers can format AMA citations, but always verify formatting—especially author initials, journal abbreviations, and the handling of more than six authors. For quick checks, Rephrasely’s citation generator can produce AMA entries you can paste into your references.

Need ready-to-use citations? Try the Rephrasely Citation Generator, and explore Rephrasely’s other tools like the AI writer, plagiarism checker, and AI detector to polish and verify your manuscript.

How to Cite a Journal Article in AMA Format