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Citation Quick Guide (APA, MLA, Chicago, AMA)

This guide will provide quick citation guidelines for common resource types in APA, MLA, Chicago-Style, and AMA..

Journal Articles

Reference List Basic Format: Online Journal Article

AuthorLast FirstInitial. Title of article. Abbreviated Journal Title. Year;Volume(Issue):Pages. URL/DOI. 

Reference List Example: Online Journal Articles

Quiroz YT, Schultz AP, Chen K, et al. Brain imaging and blood biomarker abnormalities in children with autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease: a cross-sectional study. JAMA Neurol. 2015;72(8):912-919. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2015.1099. 

Reference List Basic Format: Print Journal Article 

AuthorLast FirstInitital. Title of article. Abbreviated Journal Title. Year:Volume(Issue):Pages. 

Reference List Example: Print Journal Article

Compston A, Coles A. Multiple sclerosis. The Lancet. 2008;372(9648):1502-1517. 

Notes:

  • Use journal abbreviations provided in the AMA Manual of Style (11th edition) on pages 575-579. Journal abbreviations can also be found in th NLM Catalog by doing an advanced search for the full journal title (be sure to change the filed to journal using the drop down arrow). 

Print Books

Reference Page Basic Format:

Author Last FirstInitial. Title of Book. Edition (if applicable). Publisher; Year. 

Reference Page Example: Whole Authored Books

Patterson JW. Weedon's Skin Pathology. 4th ed. Churchill Livingstone; 2016. 

Reference Page Example: Edited Books

Etzel RA, Balk SJ, eds. Pediatric Environmental Health. American Academy of Pediatrics; 2011. 

E-Books

Reference Page Basic Format:

Author Last FirstInitial. Title of Book. Edition (if applicable). Publisher; Year. Accessed Date. DOI/URL

Reference Page Example:

Williamson J. The Complete Guide to Precision Reflexology. 2nd ed. Andrews UK; 2010. Accessed September 9, 2021. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/gfcmsu/detail.action?docID=1790770

Chapter of a Book

Reference List Basic Format:

AuthorLast FirstIinitial. Title of book chapter. In: EditorLast FirstInitial, ed. Title of Whole Book. Edition (if applicable). Publisher; Year:chapter pages. 

Reference List Example:

Hemer SR. Global health, Tuberculosis and local health campaigns: reinforcing and reshaping health and gender inequalities in Lihir, Papua New Guinea. In Bainton N, McDougal D, Alexeyeff, et al., eds. Unequal Lives: Gender, Race, and Class in the Western Pacific. ANU Press; 2021:131-156. 

Websites

Reference List Basic Format:

AuthorLast FirstInitial (if available). Title of item cited (webpage, etc). Title of Website. Date Published (if available). Date Updated (if available). Date Accessed. URL. 

Reference List Example:

What happens to the brain in Alzheimers Disease? National Institute on Aging. Updated May 16, 2017. Accessed September 9, 2021. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-happens-brain-alzheimers-disease

Notes:

  • If no title for the website is given, use the name of the organization responsible for the site. 

Government/Organization Reports

Reference List Basic Format:

Government/Organization Author Name. Title of Report. Publication Date. Updated/Revised Date. Accessed Date. URL. 

Reference List Example: 

Office of the Surgeon General. Confronting health misinformation: the U.S. Surgeon General's advisory on building a healthy information environment. 2021. Reviewed July 15, 2021. Accessed September 9, 2021. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-misinformation-advisory.pdf

Notes:

  • In general, these types of reports are treated much like electronic journal and book references: use the journal style for articles and the book style for monographs. 
  • Of the dates published, updated/revised, and accessed, often only the accessed date will be available. 

News Releases

News Release Basic Format:

Title of news release. Type of document. Organization/Publisher of Release. Date Published. Date Accessed. URL. 

News Release Examples:

Association between exposure characteristics, risk for COVID-19 infection among health care workers with/without Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination. News release. JAMA Network Open. September 1, 2021. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://media.jamanetwork.com/news-item/association-between-exposure-characteristics-risk-for-covid-19-infection-among-health-care-workers-with-without-pfizer-biontech-vaccination/

Changes in life expectancy after allogeneic blood or marrow transplantation. News release. JAMA Oncology. September 9, 2021. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://media.jamanetwork.com/news-item/changes-in-life-expectancy-after-allogeneic-blood-or-marrow-transplantation/