How to cite a journal article in AMA
AMA journal article citations start with author surnames and initials, followed by the article title, abbreviated journal name, publication year, volume, issue, page range, and DOI when available. The reference list is numbered in order of first citation, and the matching in-text citation uses a superscript number.
Use a PubMed PMID or DOI as a lookup shortcut, but do not treat the identifier as the whole citation. After generating the reference, verify author order, title capitalization, journal abbreviation, year, volume, issue, pages, and DOI against the article record.
AMA 11th edition journal article format
Author AA, Author BB, Author CC. Article title. Abbreviated Journal Name. Year;Volume(Issue):Pages. doi:DOI
If there are more than six authors, many AMA examples shorten the list with et al. Always follow the author-count rule required by your instructor, journal, or institution.
| AMA element | What to check | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Authors | Surnames followed by initials without periods; use the required author-count rule. | Polack FP, Thomas SJ, Kitchin N, et al. |
| Article title | Use sentence-style capitalization unless your course or journal says otherwise. | Safety and efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 vaccine. |
| Journal abbreviation | Use the accepted NLM/PubMed journal abbreviation when required. | N Engl J Med. |
| Publication details | Confirm year, volume, issue, and inclusive page range. | 2020;383(27):2603-2615. |
| DOI | Include the DOI at the end when one is available. | doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2034577 |
Real AMA journal article examples
Clinical trial article
Polack FP, Thomas SJ, Kitchin N, et al. Safety and efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 vaccine. N Engl J Med. 2020;383(27):2603-2615. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2034577
Randomised controlled trial
Voysey M, Clemens SAC, Madhi SA, et al. Safety and efficacy of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. Lancet. 2021;397(10269):99-111. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32661-1
Group author article
RECOVERY Collaborative Group. Dexamethasone in hospitalized patients with Covid-19. N Engl J Med. 2021;384(8):693-704. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2021436
Use PubMed PMID or DOI input
PubMed PMID
Paste a PMID such as 33301246 when you have a PubMed record. The generator uses the PMID to retrieve article metadata, then formats the result as an AMA journal article citation.
Before copying, check whether PubMed includes the final page range, electronic publication date, and DOI. Some records are updated after early online publication.
DOI
Paste a DOI such as 10.1056/NEJMoa2034577 or a full https://doi.org/... URL. DOI metadata can fill authors, title, journal, year, volume, issue, pages, and DOI.
Review capitalization and journal abbreviation because Crossref records can vary by publisher and may not perfectly match your required AMA format.
PubMed and NLM journal abbreviation notes
PubMed records often display the journal title and the NLM abbreviation used in medical indexing. AMA journal article references commonly use the abbreviated journal name, so verify the abbreviation when the article comes from PubMed, a DOI lookup, or a publisher page.
If a course asks for full journal names, follow that local rule. Otherwise, use the accepted abbreviation consistently across the reference list and keep punctuation stable.
Journal article citation checklist
- Authors: Use surnames followed by initials without periods, and check whether your rule set requires all authors or first authors plus et al.
- Article title: Use sentence-style capitalization unless your course or journal asks for a different treatment.
- Journal name: Use the accepted journal abbreviation when one is required.
- Publication details: Confirm year, volume, issue, and inclusive page range.
- DOI: Include the DOI when available, usually in the form
doi:10.xxxx/xxxxx. - In-text number: Use the same superscript number each time you cite the same article.
- Reference-list order: Place the article in the reference list according to first appearance in the paper, not alphabetically.
Related AMA tools
Use DOI lookup when you have a DOI, PMID lookup when you have a PubMed record, the in-text citation generator for superscript numbers, the reference list generator for numbered lists, and the AMA 11th edition guide for format rules.
AMA in-text citation example
Place the superscript citation number near the claim it supports. Reuse the same number when citing the same article again.
Screening improved time to antibiotic administration.1
The same article keeps the original number when mentioned later in the paper.1
FAQ
Do AMA journal citations need DOI?
Use a DOI when it is available, especially for journal articles. If the article has no DOI, omit it rather than inventing one.
Should journal names be abbreviated in AMA?
Medical journal names are commonly abbreviated according to accepted indexing conventions. Check the journal record or your instructor's style sheet when unsure.
Is PMID the same as DOI?
No. A PMID identifies a PubMed record. A DOI identifies a digital publication object and is commonly included in the final AMA reference when available.
Can I cite an article that is online ahead of print?
Yes, but verify the current article record. Add final volume, issue, pages, and DOI once the article receives complete publication details.