How to cite a PubMed article in AMA
Use the PubMed record to collect author names, article title, NLM journal abbreviation, publication year, volume, issue, pages, and DOI. Then format the reference as a journal article citation. The PMID is useful for lookup and verification, but it is not normally the citation ending in AMA.
Author AA, Author BB. Article title. Abbreviated Journal Name. Year;Volume(Issue):Pages. doi:DOI
- Open the PubMed record. Copy the PMID from the article page or search results.
- Use PubMed Cite or this generator. PubMed's Cite button can preview citations, but the generator keeps AMA review fields editable.
- Check the journal abbreviation. PubMed often shows the NLM abbreviation; use the accepted abbreviation when your course or journal requires it.
- Confirm DOI and publication status. If PubMed lacks a DOI, check the publisher record. If there is still no DOI, omit it.
Real PMID to AMA examples
PMID is the lookup input; the output below is the journal article reference you should review and cite. The PMID itself is normally not appended to the final AMA reference.
Clinical trial article
PMID 33301246 → AMA journal reference
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
Group author article
PMID record → verify group author and pages
RECOVERY Collaborative Group. Dexamethasone in hospitalized patients with Covid-19. N Engl J Med. 2021;384(8):693-704. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2021436
PMID, DOI, and journal abbreviation checks
PMID vs DOI
A PMID identifies the PubMed record. A DOI identifies the publication object and is commonly placed at the end of the AMA journal article citation when available.
Batch PMID citations
Use batch mode when you have a reading list of PubMed IDs. Generate the list, then check every record because older, early-release, or corrected articles may have incomplete metadata.
Journal abbreviation
AMA journal citations often use abbreviated journal names. PubMed and NLM records help identify abbreviations, but local course instructions can still override the display form.
When PubMed has no DOI
Search the publisher page before deciding the DOI is missing. If no DOI can be verified, leave the DOI out rather than adding a URL or a guessed identifier.
PMID lookup errors and review checklist
Direct answer: If a PMID lookup fails or returns thin metadata, open the PubMed record and publisher page, then fill the journal article fields manually. Do not cite the PMID alone as the final AMA reference.
| Issue | Likely cause | Recommended check |
|---|---|---|
| PMID not found | Typo, non-PubMed identifier, or unavailable record. | Search PubMed directly and confirm the numeric PMID. |
| No DOI in PubMed | Older article, incomplete metadata, or no assigned DOI. | Check the publisher page; omit DOI if it cannot be verified. |
| Group author or many authors | Collaborative trial or consortium record. | Confirm whether your instructions require full author list or et al. |
Source and method note
AMA Citation Tools uses PubMed summary metadata as a starting point and formats the result as an AMA 11th edition journal article citation. The page is maintained by AMA Citation Tools, last substantively reviewed July 15, 2026, and is meant for citation drafting with manual review rather than guaranteed publication compliance.
Related AMA tools
Use DOI lookup when you have a DOI instead of a PMID, the journal article generator for manual fields, the in-text citation generator for superscript numbers, and the AMA 11th edition guide for source rules.
FAQ
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 journal citation when available.
Can I generate citations from multiple PMIDs?
Yes. Paste multiple PubMed IDs into the batch tool, choose the citation style, and export the results as BibTeX or RIS when you need to move citations into a reference manager.
Should I trust PubMed's Cite button exactly?
Use it as a helpful starting point, then compare the output with AMA 11th edition requirements for author order, journal abbreviation, pages, and DOI placement.
What if PubMed has no DOI?
If the PubMed record and publisher page do not show a DOI, omit it. Do not invent a DOI or replace it with a URL unless your assignment specifically asks for a URL.