AMA Book Citations
Learn to cite medical literature, clinical guides, and healthcare references using the AMA Manual of Style formatting standards.
AMA Book Citation Format
The AMA Manual of Style provides specific guidelines for citing books in medical and healthcare literature, using numbered references.
Standard Format:
Author AA, Author BB. Title of Book. Edition. City, State: Publisher; Year.
Medical Literature Examples
Standard Medical Textbook:
1. Jameson JL, Fauci AS, Kasper DL, Hauser SL, Longo DL, Loscalzo J. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 21st ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education; 2022.
In-text citation: Comprehensive internal medicine principles are detailed.1
Clinical Reference:
2. Brunton LL, Hilal-Dandan R, Knollmann BC, eds. Goodman & Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. 13th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education; 2022.
In-text citation: Pharmacological mechanisms are thoroughly explained.2
Specialty Handbook:
3. Sabatine MS. Pocket Medicine: The Massachusetts General Hospital Handbook of Internal Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer; 2023.
In-text citation: Clinical decision-making is streamlined with portable references.3
Book Chapters and Sections
Chapter in Edited Medical Book:
4. Peterson MJ, Williams LK. Cardiovascular Risk Assessment in Diabetes. In: Chen AR, Rodriguez CA, eds. Endocrine Disorders in Clinical Practice. 3rd ed. Boston, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2023:456-478.
Section in Clinical Manual:
5. Thompson DL, Foster EM. Emergency Management of Acute Coronary Syndromes. In: Davis KR, Anderson PJ, Brown SE, eds. Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide. 9th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education; 2023:234-251.
Electronic and Online Books
E-book with DOI:
6. Kumar AS, Taylor BK. Advances in Gene Therapy for Inherited Diseases. 2nd ed. London, UK: Academic Press; 2023. doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-85729-4.00001-9
Online Database Entry:
7. Harrison PT, Miller JD. Antibiotic Stewardship Programs. In: Infectious Diseases Online. 4th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education; 2023. Accessed March 15, 2023. https://accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?bookid=892§ionid=58472134
Professional Guidelines and Reports
Clinical Practice Guidelines:
8. American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. 2019 AHA/ACC/HRS Focused Update of the 2014 AHA/ACC/HRS Guideline for the Management of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation. Dallas, TX: American Heart Association; 2019.
Evidence-Based Report:
9. Institute of Medicine. To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 2000.
Reference Manual:
10. World Health Organization. International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. 11th rev. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2022.
Specialized Medical Publications
Medical Atlas:
11. Netter FH. Netter's Atlas of Human Anatomy. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023.
Diagnostic Manual:
12. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed, text rev. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association Publishing; 2022.
Laboratory Reference:
13. Pagana KD, Pagana TJ, Pagana TN. Mosby's Diagnostic and Laboratory Test Reference. 16th ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2023.
AMA Book Citation Guidelines
Author Formatting:
List authors by surname followed by initials without periods. Use commas between authors. For edited books, use "ed" for single editor or "eds" for multiple editors.
Title Capitalization:
Use title case for book titles. Italicize main titles but not subtitles separated by colons.
Edition Information:
Include edition information if not the first edition. Use standard abbreviations: 2nd ed, 3rd ed, etc.
Publication Details:
Include city, state (for US publishers), and country (for international publishers). Use postal abbreviations for states.
Medical Literature Standards:
When selecting medical books, prioritize:
- Peer-reviewed content from established medical publishers
- Current editions reflecting latest medical knowledge
- Texts endorsed by professional medical organizations
- Evidence-based content with clear methodology
- Books with appropriate level of detail for intended audience
Page Ranges:
For book chapters, include specific page ranges without "pp." Use en dashes for ranges (234-251).
Online Access:
For online books, include DOI when available. If accessing through a database, include the URL and access date.