Start with the right journal article
Use the DOI printed on the article page or PDF when one is available. A DOI is more reliable than a copied browser address.
For PubMed-indexed work, a PMID can retrieve the NCBI citation record. A PMID and DOI identify different systems, but either can lead to usable article metadata.
If the paper has neither identifier, open manual entry and transcribe the bibliographic fields from the journal record rather than from another student’s reference list.
How AMA treats this source
AMA journal references are compact because readers are expected to follow a numbered citation to the reference list. That compact appearance makes small metadata errors easy to miss. A full article title can be correct while the author order, journal abbreviation, or article number is wrong.
The journal title normally appears in its NLM abbreviated form when an established abbreviation exists. The abbreviation is data, not a string NeatCite should improvise. Check it in the NLM Catalog or the journal’s PubMed record when the imported value looks unfamiliar.
Electronic articles do not always have a conventional page range. Some use an e-location or article number. Keep the locator published by the journal; do not turn it into a made-up page range. Likewise, include an issue only when the source record supplies one and the destination journal’s instructions call for it.
Fields to verify before copying
Automatic metadata is useful, but it is not a substitute for the source. Compare these fields with the item you actually read.
| Field | What to check |
|---|---|
| Authors | Original order, spelling, initials, group authors, and the applicable author-list limit. |
| Article title | Full title and subtitle, with no words lost during metadata import. |
| Journal | Established NLM abbreviation rather than an invented shortening. |
| Publication details | Year, volume, issue when required, and the published page range or article number. |
| Persistent identifier | The DOI belongs to this article; do not substitute a database or library URL. |
Worked AMA example
- Source being cited
- Dawei Wang and colleagues, JAMA, volume 323, issue 11, first page 1061, published in 2020, DOI 10.1001/jama.2020.1585.
- Reference-list entry
- 1. Wang D, Hu B, Hu C, et al. Clinical Characteristics of 138 Hospitalized Patients With 2019 Novel Coronavirus–Infected Pneumonia in Wuhan, China. JAMA. 2020;323(11):1061. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.1585
- In-text use
- The finding is cited with the superscript reference number: ¹
The Crossref record supplies the first page rather than a complete page range, which is why locators should be checked against the article.
A reliable workflow
- 1Identify the underlying journal article and collect the most stable identifier available.
- 2Generate the reference, then compare every imported field with the publisher record or the source itself.
- 3Place the source in the reference list according to the order in which it first appears in your writing.
- 4Use that assigned number again whenever you cite the same work; do not create a new reference-list entry.
- 5Check the final manuscript against the current instructions from your course, journal, or publisher.
Common mistakes to catch
Alphabetizing the list
AMA references follow first-citation order. The same source keeps its original number when cited again.
Using a full journal name by habit
AMA commonly uses the NLM journal abbreviation. Confirm the accepted abbreviation instead of shortening it yourself.
Treating metadata as complete
Crossref and PubMed records can omit issue numbers, full pagination, group authors, or publication dates. Compare the result with the publisher record.
Citing the abstract database
PubMed helps identify the article, but the reference describes the article itself, not the PubMed results page.
AMA Journal Article Citation Generator questions
Should an AMA journal citation include a DOI?
Include the DOI when it is available and required by the instructions you are following. A DOI is also the cleanest input for the generator because it identifies one work.
Can I use a PMID instead of a DOI?
You can use a PMID to retrieve available article metadata in NeatCite. The formatted reference may still include the article’s DOI when the PubMed record supplies it.
Why does my article show a number instead of pages?
Many electronic journals publish an article number or e-location. Preserve that published locator rather than guessing a page range.
Rules and source records
NeatCite renders a bundled AMA CSL file. These external sources help you confirm the governing guidance and the work being cited.