Free AMA Journal Citation Generator
Generate accurate AMA citations for medical journal articles, clinical research, and biomedical publications. Search PubMed, OpenAlex, and 250M+ sources.
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How to cite a journal article in AMA
Search for the journal article
Paste a DOI, URL, ISBN, title, or author name to find the exact source record.
Check the AMA formatting fields
Verify author, year, title, container, and publication details before copying the final citation.
Copy the formatted result
Get the complete AMA citation plus the matching in-text citation or footnote format.
AMA Journal Article Citation Format
Basic Format:
AMA Journal Article Citation Examples
Journal Article with DOI
In-text: Superscript number (e.g., ¹)
Journal Article without DOI
In-text: Superscript number (e.g., ²)
Article with 3-6 Authors
In-text: Superscript number (e.g., ³)
Article with 7+ Authors (et al.)
In-text: Superscript number (e.g., ⁴)
Online-Only Article with e-Locator
In-text: Superscript number (e.g., ⁵)
Examples formatted in AMA style
Handling Special Cases
PMID and DOI Lookup
Medical papers are often easiest to find through PubMed and DOI metadata. If either identifier is available, use it to pull the most complete AMA journal citation.
eLocators and Online-Only Articles
Many medical journals use eLocators instead of page ranges. Keep the eLocator exactly as published rather than forcing a page span.
Author Names, Journal Name, and DOI
Authors: last name + initials, no periods (Smith AA). Journal name: NLM/MEDLINE abbreviation, italicized. DOI: doi:xxxxx (no https:// prefix).
AMA Journal Abbreviations (NLM Style)
AMA requires NLM/MEDLINE standard abbreviations for all journal names. Look them up in the NLM Catalog (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog), the PubMed journal list, or the ISSN portal. Our generator automatically applies correct journal abbreviations.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I format a DOI in AMA style?
In AMA format, use the doi: prefix without the https://doi.org/ URL. Example: doi:10.1001/jama.2024.0001. Place the DOI at the end of the reference with no period after it.
How do I abbreviate journal names in AMA?
AMA uses NLM/MEDLINE abbreviations for journal names. For example, "New England Journal of Medicine" becomes "N Engl J Med" and "Journal of the American Medical Association" becomes "JAMA". Check the NLM Catalog for official abbreviations.
How do I cite a journal article with 7 or more authors in AMA?
List the first 3 authors followed by "et al." Example: Smith AA, Johnson BB, Williams CC, et al. Do not list all authors when there are 7 or more. For 6 or fewer authors, list all of them.
How do I format author names in AMA citations?
Use the last name followed by initials without periods or spaces between initials. Example: Smith AA, not Smith, A. A. Separate multiple authors with commas. Do not use "and" before the last author.
How do I cite an online-only journal article in AMA?
For online-only articles without page numbers, include the article number or e-locator if available. Example: Smith AA. Title. J Med. 2024;10(2):e12345. doi:10.1000/example. If no article number exists, omit page numbers.
How do I format volume and issue numbers in AMA?
The volume number is not italicized in the reference list (unlike APA). The issue number follows in parentheses: Year;Vol(Issue):Pages. Example: 2024;29(4):123-145. Use a semicolon after the year and a colon before pages.
Cite Other Source Types in AMA
Jump to the next source pages in the same citation style.
Cite a Journal Article in Other Styles
Same source type, different formatting rules. Pick your required style.
Citation tools & comparisons
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