If you are using AMA style in your medical paper (essay, term paper, or research paper), understanding the requirements and specific instructions is mandatory. AMA style stands for American Medical Association, a type of formatting style widely used to cite sources in medical papers. It was developed in 1963 by editors of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) to specify how works in medicine are written and cited. Now in its 11th edition, the AMA style guide provides instructions on how to cite, reference, write, and manuscript styling. Using AMA style in your medical papers ensures clarity, uniformity, and clear organization of your paper. Additionally, it boosts the credibility of your work, making it easier for readers to follow the flow of your paper.
In this guide, we will provide all the essential tips on how to format in AMA style.
AMA style of reference is an author-number style; a number is placed within the text corresponding to the author(s) listed as they appear- for instance, Smith6
AMA style includes these key concepts:
Before we dive into the specific aspects of the AMA style, first, it is essential to cover the basics;
The title page is the first thing readers will see when you hand in the paper. However, there are no specific instructions on how to format the title page in AMA. That said, here are elements you should include in your AMA title page:
Centre the title and all other elements and capitalize only the major words.
The upper half of the paper should have all the elements of the title page centered and double-spaced. Don't bold, italicize, or use a different font on the title page.
A structured abstract in AMA format is only necessary if you are writing an original research paper, systematic review, or clinical review. An abstract should not be more than 250 words.
The abstract should come immediately after the title but on a separate page. The main aim of the abstract is to summarize all the main ideas in the paper. Here is what you should know when organizing the abstract section of the paper:
Include the following headings whenever you write the abstract section in your AMA format:
Please note that an AMA-style abstract is only used when the original article is unavailable. Always consult your instructor when in doubt.
Your medical paper must be organized to easily integrate ideas and allow readers to follow your work easily. Depending on your instructor's instructions, organize your paper using appropriate headings. Additionally, use relevant heading levels to differentiate sections. Follow these instructions when formatting the different sections.
So, how do you cite AMA in-text citations? The AMA formatting style guide requires that you provide a superscript number that should appear at the end of the information you want to reference. In-text citation in AMA is necessary whenever you directly quote, summarize, or paraphrase information from a source (book, journal, newspaper, website, etc). Use superscript Arabic numerals in consecutive order and place them outside periods and commas but inside semicolons and colons eg,, .locked outside6; This applies to the text, table, and figures.
When you name the author (only the author's surname) of the source, follow immediately with a superscript number in numerical order. This means all in-text citations must appear numerically throughout your paper.
If no author is mentioned, provide the citation number at the end of the sentence after the period or exclamation mark, e.g., Smith reported the repercussions of not eating vegetables.6
If you cite multiple sources within the same sentence, place a comma to separate the numbers for those not in a consecutive series. For those in a consecutive order, use a dash between the numbers without any spaces between the numbers or commas. For instance, Dough et al 2, 3,6 recommend eating fruits every day.
Use the same superscript number if a reference is used multiple times within the text.
Consider using AMA in the text citation generator if you are having difficulty referencing sources in numerical order.
If using Microsoft Word, you can create superscripts by using the superscript or subscript buttons.
Alternatively, you can use keyboard shortcuts.
A reference list in AMA style must include all sources used in the paper in numerical order. The following are general rules you must follow when citing the same superscript number in the reference section.
So, how do you cite books in AMA format?
Take note that all book titles are italicized in AMA. For Book chapter titles, only capitalize the first word.
If you have been asking what the correct way to format a journal article title in AMA style is, here is how to do it.
When citing information from a website, provide these key elements in the following order:
Here is an example: Pelc C. Food Safety. Published September 6, 2022. Accessed September 8, 2022. Foodsafety.gov. http://foodsafety.gov/blog/foodborneillnesses.
Here is how you can format the above in AMA style:
Tables, boxes, and figures must be placed as close as possible to the text where they have been mentioned. Here is how you should cite tables in AMA:
What about figures and boxes? Well, just like tables, assign a number to each figure and box based on the order they appear within the body of the article. Immediately after the figures and boxes, provide a clear and concise title in the title case. All the other elements within them should be written in sentence case.
Here are examples to guide you: Examples of AMA formatting for Tables, Figures, and Boxes
AMA discourages using abbreviations, Initialisms, and acronyms except for well-recognized terms. When you use them, spell them out when mentioning them for the first time, even if the initialisms, acronyms, and abbreviations are well known. Do not place periods between them.
Additionally, when stating state names, ensure they appear as full names within the article. When you are adding them to the reference list, use the two-letter abbreviation.
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AMA style uses superscript numbers, which are placed immediately after the referenced material. By following the AMA formatting style when writing a medical paper, you can create a clear, engaging, and professional paper. Always ensure that the formatting is correct and consistent throughout the paper to make it more credible and easier to follow.
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