What is ASM citation style?
ASM journals use a citation-sequence system: references are numbered in the order first cited, and in-text citation numbers appear in parentheses. The reference list includes all authors rather than shortening the list with “et al.”
Key ASM formatting rules
- Assign each source a number at first citation and reuse that number whenever the source is cited again.
- Place citation numbers in parentheses and order the reference list numerically.
- List all authors and use PubMed-style journal abbreviations without periods.
- Journal instructions can change, so verify special source types and manuscript requirements against the current ASM author guide.
Worked ASM journal-article example
- Source metadata
- Journal article: Dawei Wang and 13 coauthors, “Clinical Characteristics of 138 Hospitalized Patients With 2019 Novel Coronavirus–Infected Pneumonia in Wuhan, China,” JAMA 323(11), page 1061 (2020), DOI 10.1001/jama.2020.1585. Verify the source record.
- Reference-list entry
- 1. Wang D, Hu B, Hu C, Zhu F, Liu X, Zhang J, Wang B, Xiang H, Cheng Z, Xiong Y, Zhao Y, Li Y, Wang X, Peng Z. 2020. Clinical Characteristics of 138 Hospitalized Patients With 2019 Novel Coronavirus–Infected Pneumonia in Wuhan, China. JAMA 323:1061.
- In-text citation
- (1)
Rendered with the official CSL repository’s American Society for Microbiology rule file, bundled locally under its CC BY-SA license.
ASM source-type checklist
The formatter can only use the fields supplied by the source record. Check these details before submitting your work.
| Source type | Fields to verify |
|---|---|
| Journal article | All authors in source order, year, article title, PubMed journal abbreviation, volume, pages or article number, and DOI when required. |
| Book | Authors or editors, year, title, edition, publisher, and place or other details required by the destination journal. |
| Book chapter | Chapter authors, year and title, editors, book title, chapter pages, publisher, and publication place. |
| Website | Responsible author or organization, page title, publication date, URL, and access date under the current journal rules. |
| Preprint or dataset | Creators, title, repository, version or date, persistent identifier, and whether the target journal permits the source type. |
How to cite in ASM with NeatCite
- 1Keep ASM selected in the generator above.
- 2Paste a DOI, PMID, ISBN, or web address—or use manual entry when an identifier is unavailable.
- 3Compare the imported authors, title, date, and publication details with the original source.
- 4Copy the formatted ASM reference and in-text citation, or export the list to Word, BibTeX, or RIS.
How output is produced
- The ASM rule file is bundled locally and rendered with the open citeproc-js engine.
- Identifier lookups can retrieve metadata from Crossref, PubMed, and Open Library; you can edit every field before copying.
- No account is required, and your citation list remains in your browser unless you export or clear it.
ASM citation questions
Does ASM list every author?
ASM’s reference guidance says to list all authors and not use “et al.” in the reference list.
Should an ASM journal title be abbreviated?
Yes. ASM directs authors to use journal abbreviations from PubMed and omit periods in those abbreviations.
Does ASM use numbered in-text citations?
Yes. The source receives a number when first cited, and later citations reuse that number. In-text numbers appear in parentheses under the general ASM reference guidance.
Can I use a DOI to make an ASM citation?
Yes. A DOI can retrieve the article record, but you should still check the complete author list and the journal-specific requirements before submitting.