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HHPF 502: Introduction to Research

About AMA Style

AMA stands for the American Medical Association. It is a formatting and referencing style commonly used in health sciences fields, such as Health and Human Performance. 

AMA Quick Tips

  • AMA references should be listed in the order they were used in your paper, not alphabetical order.
  • Unpublished materials should be cited in-text, but should not appear in your references section.
  • Each reference number should correspond to a single source.
  • AMA is sometimes referred to as JAMA (The Journal of the American Medical Association). If you're using a citation management tool and don't see AMA listed, check for JAMA.
  • When citing a source with more than six authors, list the first three followed by "et al." 

AMA Citation Examples

Journal Article

Author(s). Article title. Journal Title. Year;volume(issue #): pages. DOI or URL. Accessed date (if using URL).

Example

Florez HR, Martinez RL. Outdoor exercise reduces the risk of hypovitaminosis D in the obese. J Steroid Biochem Mol Bio. 2007;103(3-5):679-681. doi:10.1016 /j.jsbmb.2006.12.032.

Book

Author. Book Title. Edition # (unless it's the first or only edition). City, State or Country of Publisher: Publisher's Name; publication year.

Book example

Goldberg L, Elliot DL. Exercise for Prevention and Treatment of Illness. Philadelphia, PA: FA Davis Co; 1994.

Chapter of an edited volume

Author. Book Chapter. In: Editor, ed. Book Title. Edition # (unless it's the first or only edition). City, State or Country of Publisher: Publisher's Name; publication year: page range.

Chapter example

Gamble VN. On becoming a physician: a dream not deferred. In: White EC, ed. The Black Women's Health Book: Speaking for Ourselves. Seattle, Wash: Seal Press; 1990:52-64.

Website

Author. Title. Name of Website. URL. Accessed date. 

Website example

Carlson SJ. Step up your activity to help lower risk of diabetes. Mayo Clinic website. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/expert-blog/lower-diabetes-risk-withactivity/bgp-20142203. Published June 4, 2015. Accessed August 20, 2017.

Note: The name of the organization who made the website can be used in place of an author name or website name when they are not available. 

AMA Manual of Style