AMA Citation Generator
Your bibliography
0 sourcesAMA citation generator is a free tool that builds AMA 11th edition references and numbered superscript in-text citations for journal articles, books, websites and more. Enter a title, DOI or URL and it formats each source to AMA Manual of Style rules instantly.
How do you use this AMA citation generator?
Paste a DOI, URL, ISBN or article title into the search box, pick the matching result, and the generator returns a formatted AMA reference plus its superscript in-text marker. You add each source, reorder them by first appearance, then copy or export the finished list.
- Choose the source type or paste a DOI, PMID, URL or ISBN.
- Confirm the auto-filled author, title, journal and date fields.
- Copy the formatted reference and the numbered in-text citation.
- Repeat, then export the full numbered reference list.
Because AMA numbers references in the order they are first cited, always check that your final numbering matches your text.
What is AMA citation style?
AMA style is the citation system of the AMA Manual of Style, now in its 11th edition (2020), used across medicine, nursing, public health and the biomedical sciences. It uses a numbered “citation-sequence” system: sources get a superscript number in the text and appear in a matching numbered reference list.
Unlike author-date styles such as APA, AMA never shows author surnames or years in the running text. The reader follows the small raised number to the reference list. This keeps clinical writing compact, which is why most medical journals adopt AMA or a close variant.
How do AMA in-text citations work?
AMA in-text citations are superscript Arabic numerals assigned in the order sources first appear. The first source cited is 1, the second 2, and each source keeps that number every time you cite it again, no matter how far apart the mentions are.
- Place the numeral outside periods and commas, but inside colons and semicolons:
…reduced mortality.3 - Cite two or more non-sequential sources with commas and no spaces:
2,5,8. - Use a hyphen for three or more consecutive sources:
4-6. - You may name an author in the sentence, but the number still carries the citation:
Smith7 reported…
How is the AMA reference list formatted?
The AMA reference list is titled “References” and is numbered in citation order, not alphabetized. Each entry starts with the author names, then the title, source, date and locators. Journal names are abbreviated per the NLM catalog and italicized; article titles use sentence case.
A DOI is preferred over a URL when one exists, and a DOI needs no access date because it is permanent. When you cite a webpage by URL instead, AMA requires an “Accessed” date. Dates follow the US month-day-year pattern, spelled out (e.g., June 3, 2023).
What are the parts of an AMA reference?
Every AMA journal reference follows the same left-to-right order: authors, article title, abbreviated journal, then the year, volume, issue, pages and DOI. The colour-coded example below maps each block to its rule.
- Authors — surname then initials, no periods between initials; 7+ authors list first 3 then et al.
- Article title — sentence case, ends with a period, not italicized.
- Journal — NLM abbreviation, italicized, followed by a period.
- Year;volume(issue):pages — no spaces, joined by semicolon and colon.
- DOI — lowercase
doi:prefix, no access date required.
How do you format author names in AMA?
List authors surname first, followed by initials with no periods or spaces between them, and separate authors with commas. AMA lists up to six authors in full; with seven or more, list the first three followed by “et al” (no period after “al”).
| Situation | How to format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| One author | Surname + initials | Hall JE. |
| Two to six authors | List all, comma-separated | Vaduganathan M, Claggett BL, Solomon SD. |
| Seven or more | First three, then et al | Yancy CW, Jessup M, Bozkurt B, et al. |
| Organization | Full name as author | World Health Organization. |
| Editors (book) | Name + ed. or eds. |
Hammer GD, McPhee SJ, eds. |
AMA citation examples by source type
The examples below show correctly formatted AMA 11th edition references across the source types students cite most. Italics mark journal and book titles.
Journal (2-6 authors)Vaduganathan M, Claggett BL, Solomon SD. Estimating lifetime benefits of comprehensive therapy in heart failure. JAMA Cardiol. 2020;5(9):979-985. doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2020.1120
Journal (7+ authors)Yancy CW, Jessup M, Bozkurt B, et al. 2017 ACC/AHA/HFSA focused update of the guideline for the management of heart failure. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2017;70(6):776-803. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2017.04.025
Whole bookGuyton AC, Hall JE. Textbook of Medical Physiology. 13th ed. Elsevier; 2016.
Book chapterMcPhee SJ, Hammer GD. Cardiovascular disorders. In: Hammer GD, McPhee SJ, eds. Pathophysiology of Disease. 8th ed. McGraw-Hill Education; 2019:283-320.
WebsiteCenters for Disease Control and Prevention. About adult BMI. CDC. Updated September 24, 2022. Accessed June 3, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/index.html
Government reportUS Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for colorectal cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. JAMA. 2021;325(19):1965-1977. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.6238
Online videoTED-Ed. How the heart actually pumps blood. YouTube. June 23, 2014. Accessed July 1, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHMmtqKgs50
Newspaper (online)Kolata G. New cholesterol guidelines shift the focus to lifetime risk. New York Times. November 13, 2018. Accessed May 2, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/13/health/cholesterol-guidelines-statins.html
How do you format an AMA paper?
An AMA paper uses a title page, double-spaced text, and a numbered “References” section beginning on a new page. Superscript numerals in the body drive the ordering, so references are listed by first appearance rather than alphabetically.
- Use a readable 12-point font and one-inch margins.
- Number tables and figures in the order they are mentioned; each gets a caption.
- Keep reference numbers consistent between text and list.
- Do not create a separate bibliography; AMA uses one numbered list.
What changed in AMA 11th edition?
The 11th edition (2020) updated several formatting details from the 10th. DOIs now use a lowercase doi: prefix, book references drop the place of publication, and website references require both an accessed date and, where available, an updated date.
| Element | 10th edition | 11th edition |
|---|---|---|
| Book publisher | City: Publisher; Year | Publisher; Year (no city) |
| DOI | doi:10.xxxx (varied) | Lowercase doi:, no access date |
| Website dates | Accessed date | Published, updated and accessed dates |
| “et al” | et al. | et al (no period) |
What are the most common AMA citation mistakes?
The most frequent AMA errors are alphabetizing the reference list, forgetting to abbreviate journal names, and mispunctuating the year-volume-page block. Each one is easy to avoid once you know the rule.
- Alphabetizing references — AMA orders by first citation, never A to Z.
- Full journal names — use the NLM abbreviation (N Engl J Med, not New England Journal of Medicine).
- Adding a period after “et al” — the 11th edition omits it.
- Spaced initials — write
Smith JA, notSmith J. A. - Missing superscript — in-text numbers are raised, not in parentheses or brackets.
How accurate is this AMA generator, and what are its limits?
The generator applies AMA 11th edition rules consistently, but its output is only as good as the metadata it receives. Databases sometimes supply incomplete author lists, unabbreviated journal titles or missing issue numbers, so a quick human check remains essential before submission.
Always verify three things: that journal names are abbreviated, that seven-plus-author lists collapse to “et al”, and that DOIs or access dates are present. Instructors and journals may also impose house variations, so confirm any local requirements. Treat the tool as a fast, accurate first draft rather than a final proofreader.
AMA citation generator FAQ
Is AMA style the same as Vancouver style?
No. Both are numbered citation-sequence systems used in medicine, but they differ in punctuation, capitalization and abbreviation rules. AMA follows the AMA Manual of Style, while Vancouver follows the ICMJE/NLM recommendations.
Are AMA references listed alphabetically?
No. AMA references are numbered and listed in the order they first appear in your text, not alphabetically by author surname.
Do AMA in-text citations use superscript numbers?
Yes. AMA cites sources with superscript Arabic numerals placed outside periods and commas, and each source keeps the same number throughout the paper.
How do I cite a source with more than six authors?
List the first three authors followed by “et al” with no period after “al”. Sources with six or fewer authors list every name.
Do I need a DOI or a URL in an AMA reference?
Include a DOI whenever one exists; it is preferred and needs no access date. Use a URL only when there is no DOI, and then add an “Accessed” date.
Is this AMA citation generator free?
Yes. The tool is completely free, with no account or subscription needed to build and export references.