ama research paper format example

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AMA Writing Guide: AMA Style Formatting

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The Liberty University Writing Center is available to provide writing coaching to students. Residential students should contact the  On-Campus Writing Center  for assistance. Online students should contact the  Online Writing Center  for assistance. 

The Jerry Falwell Library has a physical and eBook edition of the AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors .  The AMA Manual contains exhaustive guidance for students needing more detailed information about ethical and legal considerations, correct and preferred usage, abbreviations, nomenclature, units of measure, numbers and percentages, study design and statistics, and mathematical composition,

If you need assistance in developing your qualitative or quantitative methodology, the SAGE Research Methods database provides resources for researchers conducting research in the social sciences. 

General Rules

Liberty University Students will either write AMA 11 style papers using the Non-structured Abstract format, or using the Practicum Class or Other Papers Requiring Structured Abstract format. To assist you in formatting, Liberty University's Writing Center provides a template and a sample paper for each formatting style. 

Papers with Non-Structured Abstract 

• Sample AMA 11 paper 
• Template AMA 11 paper  

Papers Using Structured Abstract 

• Template AMA 11 paper 

Additionally, the Writing Center also has a sample AMA 11 style annotated bibliography .

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you format your paper : 

• Title Page : The title page should include the report's title, student's name, and student ID number, date, and word count. A sample title page is found on the Liberty University's Writing Center's sample papers . 
• Margins/Alignment : Your papers should use 1-inch margins on standard-sized paper (8.5' X 11'). Make sure that you use Align left (CTRL + L) throughout the paper, except for the title page.  
• Spacing : The AMA does not have a standard for line spacing. Double-spaced lines are recommended throughout the body of your work, excluding block quotations. Block quotations are single-spaced, left-justified, with the entire left margin indented 1/2 inch. 
• Indentation : The first sentence in each new paragraph in the body of the paper should be indented 1/2 inch. AMA style references are listed in numerical order and do not receive any indentation. 
• Fonts : The AMA does not have a standard font or font size. Liberty University recommends that you write your papers in 12-point Times New Roman font for the body, and for all elements other than the title of the paper and headings. 
• Headings : The AMA Manual outlines four different heading levels. The title of your report and Level 1 headings must be in bold Arial 14-point font. Level 2 headings are in bold Arial 12-point font. Level 3 headings are in bold Arial 12-point font and underlined. Level 4 headings are in bold Arial 12-point font and italicized. 
• Tables and Figures:  In AMA-style papers, tables and figures are included in the body of the report. Section 4.0 of the AMA Manual of Style outlines how to format tables, figures, and multimedia. Tables and figures are numbered consecutively: Figure 1, Figure 2, etc. 
• Formatting Your References : Section 3.0 of the AMA Manual of Style outlines how to cite sources in text and how to format the references list found at the end of the work. The AMA style uses an endnote citation system, with references being provided in order of first use. 
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AMA Style Guide : Paper Formatting

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Sample AMA paper

  This sample paper is formatted in AMA Style.

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Format Standards

Because AMA formatting is dependent on the publisher where you may be submitting research, it is helpful to pick a source for guidelines and be consistent with those guidelines. A few starting points are suggested below:

• National Library of Medicine | Formatting Requirements The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) offers guidance to authors in its publication Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals (ICMJE Recommendations), which was formerly the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts. The recommended style for references is based on the National Information Standards Organization NISO Z39.29-2005 (R2010) Bibliographic References as adapted by the National Library of Medicine for its databases.
• Citing Medicine: The NLM Style Guide for Authors, Editors, and Publishers (2nd Ed.) Citing Medicine provides assistance to authors in compiling lists of references for their publications, to editors in revising such lists, to publishers in setting reference standards for their authors and editors, and to librarians and others in formatting bibliographic citations.

Sample Papers

• AMA Non-Structured Abstract Paper Sample
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AMA does not have a specific style for formatting papers, so check with your instructor or assignment guidelines when it comes to margins, line spacing, fonts, indents, title papers, etc.

Recommended Formatting Guidelines

Always refer to the assignment guidelines when it comes formatting your writing. If your assignment does not specify any formatting, follow these general AMA guidelines:

• Margins:  One inch margins are required around the text. Leave the right margin unjustified (ragged). No columns!
• Line Spacing:  Double-space the main text (single space only within the abstract, notes, titles and headings, block quotes, tables and figures, and references—everything but the main text)
• Font:  Use Times New Roman, 12-point font
• Indents:  Half-inch indents are standard (use the “tab” button) for new paragraphs
• Page Numbers:  Place page numbers in the top right-hand corner throughout (starting with the title page)
• Page Headers:  Put the title of your document in the top left-hand corner of the page
• Title of document
• Your Instructor’s name
• Course title
• Your instructor’s name

References Page

• This is a separate page at the end of your paper. Each citation in the text must be listed on the References page; each listing on the References page must appear in the text. 
• Left-justify the word References.  Then double space and start your list with 1.
• References are listed numerically in the order they are cited in the text of the paper.  Put a period after each number.
• Single space each reference.  Double space between references.
• If the citation extends to a second line, do NOT indent.
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This page includes formatting guidelines for in-text citations and your reference list . Use the specific example pages ( books , articles web / social media , other sources -->) for unique formatting of in-text citations and references. The AMA Style 11th edition is available online.

Placement of the Reference Number (In-text Citations)

• Use superscript numbers. Example The 2 largest studies to date included 26 patients 2 and 18 patients. 3 The 2 largest studies 2,3 to date included 26 patients and 18 patients.
• Place the numbers at the point of reference in text, figures, tables, or boxes.
• Each source is numbered in the order it is cited.
• Within the sentence, the number is after a comma and before colons and semicolons. Example Previous research shows, 4 … The derived data were as follows 5 :
• The numeric citation typically is not placed at the end of the sentence. However, if necessary, place the number after the period. Example The study states … for the best results. 17
• When citing the same source more than once, use the original number but include the specific page you are referencing. Include a lowercase p and no period. Example Cortez's 6 initial research provided greater insight into college student drinking patterns. Smith 7 reported that the alcohol consumption of college students decreased in their senior year which supported Cortez's 6(p33) and King's 8 earlier findings.
• Use commas without spaces to separate two sources cited at the same point. Example The case studies 15,16 indicated participants resisted negative change.
• For three or more references in numerical order and cited at the same point, use a hyphen to join the first and last numbers. Example Meta-analysis of current research shows, 9–14 …
• When using a direct quote, place the numerical citation after the closing quotation marks and include the page number. Example The study concludes that “without knowledge of the T-cell receptor, most immunologists will find it difficult to advance their research." 21(p6)
• When using authors names in a sentence, use the last name only. Use the word ‘and’ for two authors. Use ‘et al’ for three or more authors. Example One author: Cortez 6 reported… Two authors: Gilbert and Reed 2 reported… Three or more authors: Harris et al 3 reported…

Reference List

• References are listed numerically in the order they are cited in the text.
• Each reference is listed separately.
• If the reference wraps to a second line, do not use a hanging indent.
• Each author is listed by last name and first & middle name initials without periods or spaces.
• For seven or more authors, include the first 3 authors and then follow with “et al.”
• Do not use ‘and’ between authors’ names.
• Book Titles: italicize and capitalize all major words and proper pronouns. Do not capitalize the, an, a, in, for, or but, unless this word begins the title.
• Book Chapter Titles: capitalize only the first word.
• Journal Article Title: capitalize only the first word.
• Use the LTWA (List of Title Word Abbreviations) website to find the correct abbreviations. The AMA Manual of Style section 13.10 Names of Journals provides a list of abbreviations for common journals and words. An alternative list for abbreviations is available from Web of Science .

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• AMA MANUAL OF STYLE "Written by an expert committee of JAMA Network editors, this 11th edition thoroughly covers ethical and legal issues, authorship, conflicts of interest, scientific misconduct, and intellectual property, in addition to preparation of articles for publication, style, terminology, measurement, and quantification."
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References are found at the end of a manuscript and are titled “References,” and each item should be listed in numerical order (two references should not be combined under a single reference number) as opposed to alphabetically. Additionally, each item should be single-spaced.

Sample Reference

AuthorLastname FirstInitialMiddleInitial. Title in sentence case.  Abbreviated Journal Title in Title Case . Year;volume(Issue#):PP-PP. doi: ##

If you are citing an online article, you should include the day and month of publication as well in the format of Month Day, Year.

Use sentence case for all titles (capitalize only the first word of the title). Abbreviate and italicize names of journals according to the listing in the  National Library of Medicine database .

Author Names

When writing up your references list, be sure to always include the last name and the first and middle initial of the authors  without  punctuation. However, do use a comma to separate more than one author in a single bibliographic group (e.g., Wheeler T, Watkins PJ).

If the author's middle initial isn't available, omit it. The abbreviations "Jr" and "Sr" ("Junior" and "Senior") may follow authors' names when applicable (e.g., Jameson JJ Jr). Use Roman numerals to signify "2nd," "3rd," "4th," and so on (e.g., Doe JF III).

Use all authors’ names unless there are more than 6 authors. In that case, list the names of the initial 3 authors, followed by “et al” in place of the others.

Bibliographic Elements

Each reference is divided with periods into bibliographic groups; each bibliographic group contains bibliographic  elements , which may be separated using the following punctuation marks:

• A comma : if the items are sub-elements of a bibliographic element or a set of closely related elements (e.g., the authors’ names).
• A semicolon:  if the elements in the bibliographic group are different (e.g., between the publisher’s name and the copyright year) or if there are multiple occurrences of logically related elements within a group; also, before volume identification data.
• A colon:  before the publisher’s name, between the title and the subtitle, and after a connective phrase (e.g., “In,” “Presented at”).

See the following examples:

In-Text Citations

Each reference should be cited in the text using superscript arabic numerals. These superscript numbers should be outside periods and commas but inside colons and semicolons . Multiple references may be cited in the same instance. If you are citing sequential references, these should be indicated with a hyphen. Nonsequential references should be separated with commas. There should not be a space between numbers. For example: 

As Smith et al have reported, 1-3,5

Smith et al reported 1-3,5 :

AMA recommends that you do not place a superscript reference citation immediately following a number, and advises that you revise the sentence to prevent any possible confusion with an exponent.

Parenthetical citations should ONLY be used for items that do not occur in the references list, such as unpublished material, personal communications, and news articles. These citations may or may not include a title or author, but should include page numbers and, if possible, a DOI or URL.

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The AMA Manual of Style does not have specific font type or size requirements for publications.  They do recommend including authors’ complete names on the title page, following the title.  They also recommend putting author information in footnotes on the title page.  Individual journals or assignments may have their own requirements.

Titles should be concise, specific, and informative.  Publishers or assignments may have specific title requirements.  Avoid cute or overly generic titles.  A good rule of thumb is to include these key terms in order:

• Exposure/Intervention

Example: Effect of Behavioral Interventions (1) on Inappropriate Antibiotic Prescribing (2) Among Primary Care Practices (3): A Randomized Clinical Trial (4)

Subtitles should be useful in expanding on the title.  The title should be able to stand on its own and the subtitle is meant to complement it without including too much detail.  Subtitles may also contain the type of study performed or the name of the group responsible for the study.

Complete names of all authors should be included on the title page following the title or as the publisher or assignment specifies.  Authors' names should be consistent in all forms of the text.  The order of the authors should be determined by the following criteria:

• Substantial contributions to the conception or design
• Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content
• Final approval of the version to be published
• Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to accuracy or integrity are appropriately investigated and resolved

Author Footnotes

Author footnotes should be included on the title page or as specified by your publisher/assignment.  Include these in order:

• Author Affiliations
• Information about members of a group (if there is a group author)
• Corresponding author contact information

If there is a group author, you may separately identify and tag members of the group who were authors, non-author collaborators, and other members of the group.

An abstract summarizes the main points of an article and it is meant to stand alone to represent the article.  In many databases, the abstract is searched for keywords and the full text of the article isn't.  If someone doesn't have access to the full text of an article, they will judge whether to purchase access (or request through Inter-Library Loan) by the abstract.  Abstracts are usually 350 words or less, but publishers or assignments may have other requirements. There are two types of abstracts, structured and unstructured.  An unstructured abstract is a paragraph without section headings.  More information on structured abstracts can be found below.

General Guidelines

• Don't begin by restating the title
• Don't cite references or URLs in the abstract - save it for the body of the paper!
• Include major terms
• Include the hypothesis or study question if applicable
• All of the concepts and data mentioned in the abstract must be in the full text

Some publications or assignments may require keywords.

Structured Abstracts

An abstract with section headings.  Different kinds of papers require different headings, but they should always match the text of the article.  If your article doesn't have the section in the text, exclude it from the abstract.

• Participants
• Intervention(s) or Exposure(s)
• Main Outcome(s) and Measure(s)
• Conclusions and Relevance
• Trial Registration
• Data Sources
• Study Selection
• Data Extraction and Synthesis
• Evidence Review
• Observations

The body of your paper will be divided into sections called headings.  You can also have sub-headings within these sections.  While the AMA Style Guide does not give specific font style or size, it recommends being consistent throughout the paper. 

Recommendations

• Always put your headings or sub-headings on their own line.  The text of the section should follow after a return.
• Prepare three levels of headings and sub-headings.
• Use simple formatting to distinguish your headings from each other and the body text.  Consider the font style and size as well as the quality of the font if it is bold or italicized.  Changing just one element is enough - BE CONSISTENT
• Don't introduce abbreviations for the first time in a heading.
• Don't use citations in your headings for references, tables, or figures.  Put these in the body text.

Section Headings

Introduction:.

States the main focus of the paper, why it is important or significant, and gives relevant background information

Outlines the steps taken in performing the research described in the paper in such a way that it can be replicated

The data, qualitative or quantitative, that was produced during the research of this paper

Discussion:

An interpretation of the results and how they relate to the main focus of the paper and other similar studies

Conclusions and Relevance:

The article should end with a clear conclusion that does not go beyond the findings and a statement of relevance.

References should be included after the body of your paper.  They should start on their own page with number 1 and match the order of citations in the text. 

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AMA Citation Guide: Format Your Paper

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Setting Up Your Paper

Margins : Use one inch margins on all pages.

Line Spacing :

• All sections of the paper are single-spaced.
• Double-space between paragraphs and sections.
• A serif (e.g., Times New Roman ) 10pt - 12pt font is used for all sections of the paper.
• In diagrams and charts, a sans serif font is used (e.g., Arial ).

Indents : Use a 1/2 inch indent.

Page Numbering :

• Each page, beginning with the title page, should be numbered consecutively.
• Page numbers are usually placed in the upper, right corner.

Page Headers : Short title headers are placed at the top of the page, aligned with the page number.

Reference List :

• Number the references in the order that they were cited in the text .
• Single-space within the citation and double-space between citations .
• There are no hanging indents as seen in other citation styles.

Be sure to ask your instructor or the publisher to whom you're submitting the paper for more specific formatting rules.

Structured Abstracts

Some publishers require a structured abstract depending on the type of research paper submitted. Be sure to check what the publisher's requirements are.

Basic format for structured abstracts can be seen in PubMed: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/policy/structured_abstracts.html .

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American Medical Association (AMA) formatting guidelines

Note: Many of the guidelines concerning document formatting, especially of the title page and subheadings, that have been provided in this resource are subject to change depending on the preference of your instructor. Always check with the rubric, instructor, or teaching assistant before making decisions about subjective formatting.

Formatting basics

• Page number, starting at 1 on the title page, in upper right-hand corner
• Text is double-spaced
• 12-point Times New Roman or other serif type font
• 1” margins and ½” paragraph indentations

The title page should include the article title, author name(s), institution name, abstract, and keywords. Place the title, author name(s), and institution name in the upper half of the page, centered, and double-spaced. This content should not be bolded, italicized or in a larger/differing font. Write author name(s) with first name, middle initial(s), and last name but no titles (e.g. “professor” or “Dr.”) or degrees (e.g. M.S., Ph.D., or M.D.),if you have degrees or titles.

Effects of Music Therapy on Recovery Time in Post-Operation Pediatric Patients

Michael E. Jones

University of Nevada, Reno

The abstract and 3-10 key words should be included on the title page following the title, author and institution information.

Most often, you will be writing a literature review or reporting original data, and therefore will use a structured abstract, limited to 250 words, that uses predetermined headings. The AMA handbook recommends use of the following:

• Evidence acquisition
• Conclusions

However, this is a common variation asked for by professors:

• Methodology and/or Research Design
• Results (often reported quantitatively when appropriate)

Objective: To investigate the effect of music therapy on overall recovery time in pediatric patients post-operation. Methods: We used data collected from previous literature to compare recovery times in the population of interest. Results : Review of literature revealed a weak, negative correlation between exposure to music therapy and length of stay in recovery. Conclusion: While there appears to be a correlation between specialist administered music therapy and shorter recovery times in post-operation patients, more research is needed to objectively define any benefits such therapy can have in a pediatric population.

Key Words: music therapy, auditory therapy, pediatrics, post-operation recovery, length of stay.

AMA does not outline specifics requirements for typeface (e.g. boldface, italicized) or alignment (e.g centered, left-justified) of headings; as long as they are consistent within the paper and distinguishable from each other they will be acceptable.

• May be centered or left-justified on the line above the text
• May be bolded or not
• Left-justified above the text or at the beginning of the text on the same line
• May be bolded, italicized, or not

The main sections in an AMA literature review are often the same as those found in an APA paper (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, etc.).

Introduction

This is where your background information goes. After informing the reader about your topic, this section should also present your research question and reason for your research. Include information about why this research is important and/or why it’s a problem, as well as how it ties to previous research in the field.

This section details how you conducted your research. You should outline databases (e.g., Ebsco Host, PubMed, etc.) filters (e.g., academic/peer-reviewed sources, date limitations, etc.), and keywords used in your searches and describe trends in the outcomes of these searches. This is also the section in which you should describe and justify your inclusion and exclusion criteria – i.e., the details of a study’s publication, design, or population that either allow it to be included or excluded from your research (e.g., “only studies published after 2005 were included” or “studies including participants over the age of 16 years were not considered”).

In a report of original data, this section will most often summarize the collected data and include tables and figures used to analyze the results. If you are reporting on original research or quantitative data, this section will not provide any commentary or analysis of the results’ significance. In a literature review, this section will summarize and synthesize the major results and conclusions of the reviewed literature. It will often be structured with subheadings that organize your analysis by topic (e.g. “Music Therapy in Neurosurgery Recovery” or “Music Therapy in Addition to Pain Management via Pharmaceuticals”).

The interpretation of your results goes here. Possible biases and/or weaknesses of the study or studies may be discussed, such as how sample demographics, study design, or reporting methods may have biased the results to a particular conclusion. You should also identify any gaps in the literature that may lead to potential for future research. In addition to this, your discussion section should describe the significance of your research to the greater body of knowledge or its role in solving the presented problem.

The heading for this section should be “References,” bolded and left-justified at the top of the next page. The references should then be numbered down the page in the order they appear in the text. References should not be double-spaced.

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AMA Journal Citation | Guide with Examples

Published on September 16, 2022 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on June 1, 2023.

To cite a journal article in AMA citation format , you need an AMA reference listing the author’s name, article title (in sentence case), journal name (title case, italicized, and abbreviated ), publication year, volume, issue, page range of the article, and DOI if available.

An AMA in-text citation for a journal article consists of the number of the relevant reference, written in superscript. You can also add page numbers in parentheses if you need to refer to a specific part of the article.

Table of contents

Citing an article with a doi, citing an online article with no doi, citing a print article with no doi, journal name abbreviations, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions.

AMA states that when an article lists a DOI (digital object identifier), you should always include it in your reference. This applies whether you read the article online or in print. The DOI may be shown in the text of the article itself or on the webpage hosting it.

The DOI appears at the end of the reference, preceded by “doi:” This text is not capitalized , and there’s no space between it and the DOI number itself. The DOI ends with a period. Don’t present the DOI in the form of a link, and don’t include an access date.

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If you accessed the article online and you don’t see a DOI, you should include the URL instead. The page will often list a “stable link” that shouldn’t change over time; it’s best to use this whenever available, instead of copy-pasting the URL from your browser.

Whenever you include a URL for any source type in AMA style, you should also add an access date. Write the access date right before the URL, as its own sentence starting with “Accessed.”

When a DOI is available, include it instead, and don’t add an access date.

When you cite an article that you accessed in print, you should still list a DOI if one is indicated. If not, though, you can simply omit this part, ending the reference with the article page range.

AMA citation format requires you to always use standard abbreviations for the names of journals in your references. The abbreviated journal name is presented in italics, with a period at the end (but no periods at the end of each abbreviated word).

The standard abbreviations are the ones used in the National Library of Medicine database . To check the correct abbreviation for a journal, you can search for it (or for the name of the particular article you’re trying to cite) in the database.

For example, in the screenshot below you can see the correct abbreviation for the journal searched for: “ Int J Qual Health Care .”

If you want to know more about ChatGPT , AI tools , citation , and plagiarism , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

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• Common knowledge

A DOI (digital object identifier) is preceded by the text “doi:” (no capitalization and no space) in an AMA reference . Don’t present it in the form of a link; only include the DOI number itself. For example: “doi:10.1177/2373379916644449.”

AMA style states that you should include the DOI of a source whenever one is available. They mainly appear in AMA journal citations and can also appear in AMA book citations . When you include a DOI, don’t add a URL or access date.

The names of up to six authors should be listed for each source on your AMA reference page , separated by commas . For a source with seven or more authors, you should list the first three followed by “ et al ” : “Isidore, Gilbert, Gunvor, et al.”

In the text, mentioning author names is optional (as they aren’t an official part of AMA in-text citations ). If you do mention them, though, you should use the first author’s name followed by “et al” when there are three or more : “Isidore et al argue that …”

Note that according to AMA’s rather minimalistic punctuation guidelines, there’s no period after “et al” unless it appears at the end of a sentence. This is different from most other styles, where there is normally a period.

Yes, you should normally include an access date in an AMA website citation (or when citing any source with a URL). This is because webpages can change their content over time, so it’s useful for the reader to know when you accessed the page.

When a publication or update date is provided on the page, you should include it in addition to the access date. The access date appears second in this case, e.g., “Published June 19, 2021. Accessed August 29, 2022.”

Don’t include an access date when citing a source with a DOI (such as in an AMA journal article citation ).

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AMA Guide - 11th Edition: Paper Formatting

• Paper Formatting
• In-Text Citations
• Database Specific Formatting

Explicit instructions for paper format are not given in the AMA manual because publishers provide specific requirements for submitted manuscripts.  These research paper format guidelines have been chosen by faculty for South College students, and can be found in the official South College AMA Style Guide. 

Note:  Your instructor may have specific or additional requirements not listed in this guide.

AMA Paper Formatting Checklist

General format.

• Margins are 1 inch on all sides throughout. 
• Paper is double spaced throughout, including the title page, block quotes, and references.
• Use the serif typeface Times New Roman or Arial. 
• Use a 12pt font size throughout. 
• Pages are numbered consecutively, right aligned in the header, starting on the first page of text. Exclude the title page and, if required, the abstract page.
• All text is center aligned and double spaced.
• Full title of the paper begins a quarter down the page. 
• Authors' full name(s) including middle initials.
• Couse Number - Course Name
• Assignment: Assignment Name if required
• Affiliated institution

Abstract (If Required by Instructor)

• Separate page after the title page.
• Abstract is the section title, it is left aligned and not indented.
• Text is in a block under the section title, it is not indented. 
• Maximum 500 words.
• Does not include quotations or reference citations. 
• Keywords: 
• Introduction
• Body Paragraphs
• Section headings are bold and left aligned. 
• Subsection headings are italicized and left aligned. 
• The first line of each paragraph is indented 1/2 inch.
• There is no extra line space between paragraphs or headings. 
• Block quotes are double spaced, are not indented, and are 1/2 inch from the left margin. 
• Avoid starting a sentence with a number.  If unavoidable, write out the number instead of using Arabic numerals.

Reference List

• References  heading is bold and left aligned at the top of the page.
• References are left aligned. 
• References are numbered in the order they are first cited in the body of the paper. 
• A tab space separates the number and the first name or word of the reference. 

Tables & Figures

Each table is assigned a number based on the order it is used in the article. Following the table number (and just above the table itself) should be a clear but concise title in title case.  All elements in the table are in sentence case.

Footnotes are listed at the bottom of the table, each on its own line. However, to save space, tables with more than a few footnotes can use 2 columns for the footnotes.

For more information on formatting and when to use tables, see the Tables Components section of the AMA Manual online. 

• AMA Manual of Style - Ebook This link opens in a new window 11th edition ebook. May need to refresh page after logging in.

Similar to tables, each figure is assigned a number based on the order it is used in the article. Types of figures include, but are not limited to, graphs, charts, maps, drawings, and photographs. Some figures use symbols to represent data, and those figures use legends embedded in the graphic to explain those symbols. 

Following the figure number (and just above the figure itself) should be a clear but concise title.  All elements in the table are in sentence case.

For more examples and guidelines for how and when to use figures in a paper, see the Figures section of the AMA Manual online.

Do I use an appendix in AMA?

• What is an appendix?
• How do I use an appendix?
• How do I make an appendix?

Appendices are not regularly used in AMA. AMA formatting prefers that the information, if relevant to the article, be included in the body of the article as a table or figure.  If the appendix is important, AMA favors publishing them online as online only, supplemental materials.  

The AMA Manual of Style does note that an appendix may be used "on rare occasions...for data that cannot easily be represented as a table or figure and are too central to the article to be deposited elsewhere".  The appendix is included at the end of the paper but  before  the references. Sources for any materials in an appendix are then included in the reference list. 

When an appendix is included in an article, it is cited in the text like a table or figure.  

Example:  This kitchen is rated a 5 on the Hazard Scale (Appendix 1). 

Format an appendix the same way you would start a reference list, with "Appendix" at the top left of a new page. If there is more than one appendix, start each on a new page. Appendices are numbered and organized by the order they are referred to in the body of the article.

Example: 

Hazard Scale

• 1 - The room is completely safe and the likelihood of being injured is very low.
• 2 - The room is relatively safe, but injury is likely if one is inattentive to the environment.
• 3 - The room is completely unsafe and injury or illness is very likely.
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AMA Style Guide

• Citing Print Resources
• Citing Electronic Resources
• In-Text Citations

How to Format the Paper using AMA Style

NOTE:   Unfortunately the AMA Manual of Style is not very specific on formats to use, including a format for the Title Page. Be sure and check with your instructor or the publisher to whom you are submitting a paper for more specific formatting rules.

Formatting a paper means using proper references within the text and bibliography, but also using the stylistic matters laid out in the AMA Manual of Style to format the text. This includes such factors as using headings and capitalizing them appropriately, line spacing, margins, text style issues (such as using "one" or "1", using AM or a.m. or A.M.), placement of page numbers, preferred font and spacing for graphs, preferred size and shape for tables, etc. This guide includes some basic help on manuscript style, but it is not extensive.

Consult the AMA Manual of Style for detailed information on manuscript style.

Acronyms, abbreviations, initialisms:

Acronyms, abbreviations, and initialisms are discouraged from use, except for well-known and accepted units of measurement and some well-recognized terms. 

• If used, spell out at the first use, even if the acronym or initialism is well-known. Do not place periods between the letters of an acronym, abbreviation or initialism.
• State names should always appear as full names in the text of a manuscript. If included in references, use the two-letter abbreviation.

Numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.) should be used in all writing, except when:

• The number begins the sentence or title
• Common fractions
• Ordinals: first through ninth
• Number spelled out in quotations or titles of works cited.
• One number may be spelled out, if the sentence requires multiple numbers to be placed next to each other. e.g., "If 12 16-year-olds had this reaction..." should be changed to "If twelve 16-year-olds..."
• To indicate a time of day, use AM or PM in small capitals. (18.5.3)
• Conventional 12-hour clock time is preferred. However, 24 hour or military time convention can also be used to convey precise timing when needed, such as when describing drug dosage regimens.
• When dates are provided in the text, use numerals for day and year, and write out the month, e.g., April 2, 2010.
• If using dates in a table, you may use numerals for the month (e.g., 4/2/2010).

Measurements:

• Use SI (Le Système International d'Unités) standards for writing measurements. Numbers are always written in plain text, there is a space after the number and prior to the unit, and never a period after the unit (unless it ends a sentence).
• Do not include commas in longer numbers (e.g., 1600 km, not 1,600 km).

Adapted from USC Norris Medical Library AMA:Citing Your Sources

Sample AMA Format for DNP Nursing Papers

NOTE: This is a sample ONLY. Please check with your assignment instructions for current guidelines on formatting your paper.

Spacing:  Double space

Margins:  1"

Font:  Size 12, any font type. AMA suggests two typefaces (a serif for body text  and a sans serif for titles and subheads) with appropriate use of styles, such as bold and italics for a scholarly publication. (5.22.4)

Indents:  1/2"

Page numbering:  Each page, beginning with the title page, should be numbered consecutively. Page numbers are usually placed in the upper right corner.

References:  Reference entries should be listed and numbered in the order they were cited in your paper. If the citation extends to a second line, do NOT indent (as in APA). 

Example from AMA Manual 3.11.3:

1.  Rainier S, Thomas D, Tokarz D, et al. Myofibrillogenesis regulator 1 gene mutations cause paroxysmal dystonic choreoathetosis.  Arch Neurol . 2004;61(7):1025-1029

2.  Hyduk A, Croft JB, Ayala C, Zheng K, Zheng Z-J, Mensah GA. Pulmonary hypertension surveillance—United States, 1980–2002.  MMWR Surveill Summ . 2005;54(5):1-28.

[Capitalize the first letter of each major word in titles and subtitles]

First Name and Last Name

University of Washington Student Number

Course Title

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AMA Style - 10th edition

• Title Page & Formatting
• Text Citations
• Journal Title Abbreviations
• Book Chapters
• Dissertations/Theses
• Journal Articles
• Title (capitalize all major words)
• Author(s) full name(s); if more than one author use semi-colons between names
• Degrees - highest degree/certification is noted; academic degrees below master's degrees are not noted
• Author Affliliations with location
• 12-point font
• Double-spaced throughout (including title page and references)
• Page numbers continuing through the references
• Delineate new paragraphs with indents
• Title page includes
• title of manuscript
• five keywords or descriptive phrases concerning the manuscript's topic
• word counts for the paper including references
• author contact information - full names, academic degreens, and affiliations
• 1-inch margins all around
• Times New Roman font
• Double spaced text - including title page and bibliography
• Title starts approximately 2 inches down from bottom of the top margin
• Left-justify text
• Do not hypenate words and the end of the line

Example: Title Page

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AMA Style Citation Examples

Example of in-text notation, news publication.

• Books/eBooks
• Unpublished
• Ask a Librarian

REFER ENCE (ONE TO SIX AUTHORS)

2.  Winham  DM, Armstrong  Florian  TL, Thompson SV.   Lo w -income US women under-informed of the specific health benefits of consuming beans.   PLoS ONE . 2016;11(1):e0147592. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0147592

REFER ENCE (SEVEN OR MORE AUTHORS)

3.  D'Adamo C, McArdle P, Berman B, et al. Spice MyPlate: nutrition education focusing upon spices and herbs improved diet quality and attitudes among urban high school students.  Am. J. Health Promot.  2016;30(5):346-356. http://ezproxy.nwmissouri.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

3.  Geller  AC,  Venna  S,  Prout  M, et al. Should the skin cancer examination be taught in medical school?  Arch Dermatol.  2002;138(9):1201-120 3.

REFER ENCE (NO AUTHORS OR GROUP AUTHOR)

4.  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Licensure of a  meningococcal  conjugate vaccine ( Menveo ) and guidance for use--Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices ( ACIP ), 2010.  MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep . 2010;59(9):273 .

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