AMA Citation Handout (PDF): a three-page quick guide to citing in AMA format
Every time you quote or paraphrase someone else’s work, you must tell us:
You give us this information in two places:
We also recommend these in-depth guides:
When you quote or paraphrase from a source (book, article, or webpage) in your paper, you need to insert an in-text citation.
AMA requires that in-text citations be cited numerically in consecutive order using superscript Arabic numerals.
Use the numerals outside periods and commas.
Multiple sources can be cited together.
Add page numbers to direct quotations. Put the page numbers in parentheses after the citation number.
You can create a superscript numeral in Word by highlighting the desired number and clicking on the superscript button in the Font section at the top of the screen.
References
How much physical activity do adults need? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site. Last reviewed January 9, 2020. Accessed February 15, 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/index.htm
Author AA, Author BB. Title of Book: Subtitle of Book. Edition. Name of publisher; Year of publication.
What if there are more than six authors or no author?
Examples
Cornwall MW, Harris JH, Nyre E. Imaging Handbook for Physical Therapists. Wolters Kluwer Health; 2015.
Gest TR. Lippincott Atlas of Anatomy. 2nd ed. Wolters Kluwer; 2020.
Taylor JA. Physiology of Exercise in Spinal Cord Injury. Springer; 2017.
Author AA, Author BB, Author CC. Title of Book: Subtitle of Book. Edition. Name of publisher; Year of publication. Date accessed. URL
What if there are more than six authors or no author?
Examples
Scott-Conner, CEH. Scott-Conner & Dawson Essential Operative Techniques and Anatomy. 4th ed. Wolters/Kluwer; 2014. Accessed February 1, 2020. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/nwtc-ebooks/detail.action?docID=3417881
Noyes F, Barber-Westin S. ACL Injury: Everything You Need to Know to Make the Right Treatment Decision. Publish Green; 2016. Accessed February 14, 2020. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/nwtc-ebooks/detail.action?docID=4517475
Author AA, Author BB, Author CC. Title of article: lower case letter for subtitle. Abbreviated Title of Journal. Year;Volume number(Issue number):page numbers. Date published online [if given]. Date accessed. DOI or URL
Some online databases, such as CINAHL, MEDLINE, and ProQuest, can be accessed through the Library’s website.
The PTNow web portal (PTA students have logins) provides access to additional online databases.
Examples
Propper L, Cumby J, Uher R, et al. Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder in offspring of parents with depression and bipolar disorder. Br J Psychiatry. June 2017;210(6):408-412. http://dx.doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.117.198754
Smith JM, Sullivan SJ, Baxter GD. Massage therapy: more than a modality. NZ J Phys Ther. 2010;38(2):44-51. Accessed June 5, 2019. https://ezproxy.nwtc.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspxdirect=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,cpid&custid=s6269745&db=ccm&AN=2010738302&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Author AA. Title of article: lower case letter for subtitle. Abbreviated Title of Journal. Year;Volume number(Issue number):page numbers.
Use the NLM Catalog Journal Search to find out the abbreviation for your journal title.
What if there are more than six authors or no author?
Examples
Brown CJ, Flood KL. Mobility limitation in the older patient: A clinical review. JAMA. 2013;310(11):1168-1177.
Sheng A, Dalziel P, Liteplo A, Fagenholz P, Noble V. Focused assessment with sonography in trauma and abdominal computed tomography utilization in adult trauma patients: Trends over the last decade. Emerg Med Int. 2013;2013:678380.
Include the following elements, if available:
What if there are more than six authors or no author?
Examples
Lourenzi VG. Effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in patients with acute low back pain. ClinicalTrials.gov. Updated April 28, 2015. Accessed January 6, 2020. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02427425
Walk this way: a resource on state and local policies that support physical activity and wellness in and around the workplace. ChangeLab Solutions. July 2017. Accessed February 13, 2020. http://www.changelabsolutions.org/sites/default/files/Workplace_Wellness-GUIDEBOOK-FINAL-20170714.pdf
Physical therapy guide to balance problems. APTA ChoosePT Guide. February 4, 2015. Accessed March 7, 2020. https://www.choosept.com/symptomsconditionsdetail/physical-therapy-guide-to-balance-problems
APTA Facebook page. Accessed February 14, 2020. https://www.facebook.com/AmericanPhysicalTherapyAssociation/
@AMAManual. Listen to the JAMA podcast on Parkinson disease for an explanation of why AMA style does not use the 's (possessive eponym). We chime in at around 18:00. Posted February 11, 2020. Accessed February 15, 2020. https://twitter.com/AMAManual/status/1227290871273525249
Peters JF. Four things good physical therapists understand about people with chronic conditions. APTA The Pulse blog. Posted February 4, 2020. Accessed February 15, 2020. http://www.apta.org/Blogs/Pulse/2020/2/ChronicConditions/