REFERENCE CITATION FORMAT
Listed below are some ofthe more commonly used citations depicting the correct citation format; however,
these are examples only.
Article in Journals
Typical entry for journal article
Smith J, Canton EM. Weight-based administration of dalteparin in obese patients. Am J Health-Syst Pharm.
2003;60(7):683-687.
Note: If the journal does not have a volume or issue number, use the issue date.
Typical entry for journal with more than 6 authors (If more than 6 authors, list first 3, then et al)
Hunter DJ, Hankinson SE Jr, Laden F, et al. Plasma organochlorine levels and the risk of breast cancer. N Engl J
Med. 1997;337(18):1253-1258.
Issue with supplement (the basic format)
Dworkin RH, J olnson R W, Breuer J, et al. Recommendations for the management of herpes zoster. Clinic Infect
Dis. 2007;44(1)(suppll):S5-Sl0.
Note: ifthere is no suppl number, leave it blank, e.g., (1)(suppl):S5-Sl0.
Editorials or letters (place the article type in brackets [ ])
Whitcomb ME. The April issue: required reading [editorial]. Acad Med. 2007;82(4):319-320.
Committee, group or organization
Council on Scientific Affairs. Scientific issues in drug testing. JAMA. 1987;257(22):3110-3114.
No author
Pediatric studies become costlier; Congress may make them less profitable. Prescr Pharm and
Biotechnol: Pink Sheet. 2007;69(12):23-24.
The choice of antibacterial drugs. Med Lett Drugs Ther. 1998;40(1023):33-42.
Drug Topics Red Book (update). May 2007;26(5):49.
Books
Book with one author or editor
Davis NM. Medical Abbreviations: 26,000 Conveniences at the Expense of Communications and Safety. 12th ed.
Huntingdon Valley, PA: Neil [Link] Associates; 2005:173.
McEvoy GK, ed in chief, Snow ED, ed. AHFS: Drug Information. Bethesda, MD: American Society of
Health-System Pharmacists; 2008:1125-1126.
Book with two or more authors/editors
AronoffGR, Berns JS, Brier ME, et al. Drug Prescribing in Renal Failure. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA:
American College of Physicians; 1999:39.
Dukes MNG, Aronson JK, eds. Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs. 14th ed. Amsterdam, Netherlands:
Elsevier; 2000:xvi-xvii.
Chapter in book
Wallace RJ Jr, Griffith DE. Antimycobacterial agents. In: Kasper DL, Fauci AS, Longo DL, Braunwald E,
Hauser SL, Jameson JL, eds. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 16th ed. New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill; 2005:946.
Note: See F AQ section for citing multiple pages of a book with chapters.
Johannsen EC, MadoffLC. Infections ofthe liver and biliary system. In: Mandell GL, Bennett JC, Dolin R, eds.
Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's: Principles and Practice of Infectious Disease. Vol 1. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA:
Elsevier; 2005 :951-952.
Dowling TC, Comstock TJ. Quantification of renal function. In: DiPiro JT, Talbert RL, Yee GC, Matzke GR, Wells
BG, Posey LM, eds. Pharmacotherapy: A Pathophysiologic Approach. 6th ed. New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill; 2005:761.
Books complied by group, agency or committee (no author or editor) Drug
Topics Red Book. Montvale, NJ: Thomson Healthcare; 2007:552.
United States Pharmacopeia Drug Information: Drug Information for the Health Care Professional. Vol 1. 27th
ed. Greenwood Village, co: Thomson Micromedex; 2007:2514-2517.
Mosby's Drug Consult. St. Louis, MO:Mosby; 2007:11-539-11-540.
Physicians' Desk Reference. 6lst ed. Montvale, NJ: Thomson PDR; 2007:678.
United States Pharmacopeia and National Formulary (USP 30-NF 25). Vol 2. Rockville, MD: United States
Pharmacopeia Convention; 2007: 1553-1554.
Stedman's Medical Dictionary. 27th ed. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2000: 1784.
Serial Books that are updated (include no publication date, only page number after colon) Drug
Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Facts and Comparisons: 1904.
Tatro DS, ed. Drug Interaction Facts. St. Louis, MO: Facts and Comparisons:397a.
Spechler SJ. Esophageal disorders. In: Dale CD, ed in chief, Federman DD, founding ed. ACP Medicine. New
York, NY:WebMD Corp:4-1-5.
Note: cite like a book chapter; however, the 4-1-5 represents section 4 (Gastroenterology), Chap I
(Esophageal Disorders) and the page number (5).
Other Published Material
Package Insert
Lamasil [package insert]. East Hanover, NJ: Sandoz Pharmaceuticals Corp; 1993.
Newspapers
Steinmetz G. Kafka is a symbol of Prague today; also, he's a T-shirt. Wall Street Journal. October 10, 1996:Al,
A6.
Electronic Media
Online Package Insert
Byetta [package insert]. Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., San Diego, CA; October 2007.
[Link] Accessed March 18,2008.
Note: the above is the official online package insert from the manufacturer, not a patient
product/counseling notice. The date (October 2007) is the last modification date, normally found at the end ofthe
package insert file.
Online Journals (journal article) on Internet
Seal A, Kerac M. Operational implications of using 2006 World Health Organization growth standards in nutrition
programmes: secondary data analysis. BMJ. 2007; 334:733. [Link] /cgi/content/full/334/7S96/733.
Accessed April 12, 2007.
Note: the above citation is without page numbers; some online journals have inclusive page
numbers, thus, use same format, but include pages after the colon; e.g., :733-736.
PubMed Abstract Citation
Benedict NJ. Sitaxsentan in the management of pulmonary arterial hypertension [abstract].
Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2007;64(4):363-368. [Link]
db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_ uids= l7299l7S&query _ hl= 17 &itool=pubmed _doc sum.
Accessed April 12,2007. PMID: l7299l7S.
Note: abstract is placed in brackets [ ] to indicated the citation is solely an abstract; also, note that the
PMID (PubMed Unique Identifier) number is placed last.
IP A Abstract Citation
Schrimsher RH, Freeman MK, Kendrach M. A survey of drug information resources in Alabama pharmacy
facilities [ abstract]. Drug In J 2006; 40(1 );Sl-60. [Link] Accessed April 16, 2007.
Accession Number:43-072 14.
Note: abstract is depicted in brackets [ ] to indicated the citation is solely an abstract; also, note that the
accession number is placed last. The PMID and Accession number for both PubMed and IP A uniquely identify
the citations.
Epub Ahead of Print
Kozyrskyj AL, Ernst P, Becker AB. Increased risk of childhood asthma from antibiotic use in early life [published
online ahead of print AprilS 2007]. Chest. 2007. [Link] Accessed April 16,
2007
Note: Ahead of Print citations can be difficult. Ifthe volume, issue number, date, or pages ofthe print
information are known, include what is known after the journal title and year (e.g., Chest. 2007; vol (issue
#):page(s). If you were citing an Epub ahead of print abstract from PubMed, the [abstract] notation is placed after
the journal title and before the period.
Internet-based Book CeBook)
Fields HL, Martin JB. Pain: pathophysiology and management. In: Kasper DL, Fauci AS, Longo DL, Braunwald E,
Hauser SL, Jameson JL, eds. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 16th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill;
200S. [Link] ezproxy. [Link]/Reader. Accessed April 16,2007:71-73.
General Internet
Note: the basic format for Web sites is: Author(s), if give and many times there are none; title ofthe specific item
cited, if any; name ofthe Web site; URL; published and/or update, if any; accessed date.
FDAICEDR resources page. Food and Drug Administration Web site. [Link]
cder/approval/[Link]. Accessed April 7, 2007.
USPDI Updates On-line. Voll. Thomson Micromedex Web site. [Link] Accessed
June 23, 2006.
Clinical Pharmacology Web site. [Link] Accessed June 23, 2006.
Micromedex Healthcare Series Web site. [Link]
home/dispatch. Accessed Sep 23, 2006.
Facts & Comparisons. Facts & Comparisons Web site. [Link]
[Link]/. Accessed June 23, 2006.
Newcomb K. Search engines come together on sitemaps auto-discovery. SearchEngine Watch Web site.
[Link] April 12, 2007. Accessed April 16, 2007.
Software (CD)
Note: Dates associated with various software may be updates or file dates or some other indication of currency.
Clinisphere [computer program]. Version 4.2. St Louis, MO: Facts and Comparisons; Feb 03.
Clinical Pharmacology [computer program]. Version 2.07. Tampa, FL: Gold Standard Multimedia; 2003.
CD-ROM on Book
Mosby's Drug Consult [CD-ROM]. St. Louis, MO: Mosby; 2006.
Software (Palm)
Note: All Palm software follows the same basic format: Name ofthe company that licensed the software usage (e.g.,
Lexi-Comp), name of book or database (Lexi- Drugs, comp + specialties) [computer program]. compiler of database
(Lexi-Comp, Skyscape); date and/or version/date of program (Ver:4.0.461
2003.8.31 ).
ePocrates (ePocrates Rx) [computer program]. ePocrates, Inc; Ver 6.l210ct 1,2003.
Lexi-Comp (Medical Abbreviations) [computer program]. Lexi-Comp; Sep 22, 2003.
Skyscape (Dorland's Pocket Medical Dictionary) [computer program]. Skyscape; Ver:4.0.4612003.8.3l.
Excel (Part of Microsoft Office Professional Edition) [computer program]. Microsoft; 2003.
Databases
PDQ® - NCI's Comprehensive Cancer Database. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute; 2007.
[Link] .Updated June 9, 2006. Accessed April 16, 2007.
Personal Communication, e.g., conversations, letters, email, lectures, etc.
Place personal communication citation in the text with no citation number, e.g., "In a conversation with A.B. Smith,
MD (March 2003) .... " Or "According to a letter from A.B. Smith, MD (March 2003) .... " Or "According to the
manufacturer (A.B. Smith, PhD, oral communication, March 2003), the drug was approved in the US in March
2003."
The author should give the date of the communication and indicate whether it was oral or written; furthermore,
often the affiliation of the person is helpful to better establish the relevance and authority of the citation. Citing
lectures is the basically the same, e.g., "According to Dr. Schrimsher (PubMed lecture, Sep 2003, Samford
University, McWhorter School of Pharmacy), controlled vocabulary should always be used first prior to
searching any database."
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) regarding citations.
Can I cite an article that is in the reference section (or cited) of the article I am currently reading?
Generally, you should not do this, that is, cite an article that is cited within an another article. The rule is to
cite exactly where you are obtaining the material and thus, pointing to the reader to where the information
is, in case the reader desires to read and/or obtain the material you have cited.
Where in the book is the best place to find the exact authors/editors, publisher, date of publication, etc?
Generally, every book has a distinctive "title page" which depicts authors or editors, publisher and location,
and edition. The date of publication (or copyright date) is sometimes at the bottom of the title page, but
most often, it is the next page and the exact location varies; however, for the most part, it will appear as
"©Copyright, 2002," then the publisher. Ifthere is no clear author/editor(s) on the title page, it is a good
indication that the publisher is the author. Editorial staffs, associate editors, editorial assistants, are not
considered the editor, thus no author/editor will be cited. For example, The Merck Index, 13th edition,
book lists an editorial staff of seven persons, including a senior editor, editor emeritus, etc., however, none
ofthese individuals would be cited as the "editor."
What is the rule for citing page numbers if the book uses separate pagination within each chapter?
Follow the style used in the book; see the Mosby citation as an example. To separate the "thru" pages,
use the "en dash" symbol (which is -).
How do I cite books with editor in chief?
If a book has only an editor in chief and no other editors, then list only the editor in chief (ed in chief). If
a book lists an editor in chief, plus other editors (not associate editors, but designated editors), list the
editors in order they appear on the title (or other) pages. Normally, the editor in chief will be listed first,
followed by the other editors.
How do I cite software?
Software need not be cited in the reference section ifit is mentioned only in passing or is available without
charge via the Internet (e.g., shareware or freeware). However, ifthe reference is to using software for
analysis purposes, e.g., SPSS or Excel, then a citation must be included.
How do I cite an author that has "Junior" with their name?
Cite the name as follows: Wallace RJ Jr, Smith AB, Jones SU III, ...
Which city do I cite when the publisher lists several city locations?
Cite the first city listed. For example, if New York, Paris and London were listed as the publisher's
locations, cite New York, which was the first depicted on the title page ofthe book.
Must I use a registered trademark (®) when I cite/use that particular item, e.g., drug brand name?
Guidance: The new AMA manual of style edition (10th) specifically states that a trademark (e.g., ®, TM
or SM) should not be used in scientific journal articles or references, but the initial letter of a trademarked
word should be capitalized.
How do I cite multiple page numbers using only one source?
The AMA Manual stipulates that if the author wants to cite different places (or basically more than one set
of pages) in the text from the same source (of a book only, not a journal article), the
page numbers are included in the superscript citation and the source appears only once in the list of
references. (This is not the same as inclusive pages, which is explained below) Additionally, when the
source is listed in the references, no page numbers are included after the publication date (see next example
regarding multiple pages in more than one book chapter). For example:
Schrimsher6(p3),IO reported 10 drugs that have been withdrawn by their manufacturers.
How to cite a book with two or more chapter authors and also simultaneously citing multiple pages from the same
source ( book)
To cite multiple pages from many (more than one) chapters by different authors, list a separate citation
for each chapter cited.
For example, suppose I need to cite multiple pages from two authored chapters in Nelson textbook
ofpediatrics. And example ofthe running text:
Prober1(P751) examines several causes for infant central nervous infections; furthermore,
Pickering2(pp765-767) found similar causes for pediatric gastroenteritis.
References
1. Prober CG. Central nervous system infections. In: Behrman RE, Kliegman RM, Jenson HB. Nelson
Textbook of Pediatrics. 16th ed. Philadelphia PA: W.B. Saunders; 2000.
2. Pickering LK, Synder JD. Gastroenteritis. In: Behrman RE, Kliegman RM, Jenson HB. Nelson Textbook
of Pediatrics. 16th ed. Philadelphia PA: W.B. Saunders; 2000.
Note that both chapter citations come from the same source (Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics) and both would be
listed separately in the reference section. Also, neither lists page numbers after the publication date because they
are already shown with the citation number in superscript in the body text. Furthermore, this method applies only
to citing multiple pages from a single source.
What are inclusive pages?
Inclusive pages are pages with a dash between them, e.g., lO-15. Inclusive pages are considered a single
cited entity, especially regarding books, which essentially tells the reader that the information cited is
contained between the inclusive pages, and that the reader would literally have to read the inclusive pages
to either find or understand what is being cited. Inclusive pages should not be confused with multiple page
citations discussed earlier, they are two separate functions and purposes. Inclusive pages are generally used
for citing concepts, discussions, etc. Do not substitute inclusive pages when you are essentially referring to
a paragraph or few sentences on a single page. Pages cited should be as close as possible to the actual
material you are referencing; furthermore, when citing inclusive pages, do not omit any page digits after
the dash, e.g., 115-116.
Reproducing Tables and Figure
Copyright permission
If you (student) are going to recreate/reproduce a table or figure from another source and insert it
verbatim (exactly as is) into you assignment paper, you do not have to obtain copyright permission from
the copyright holder; however, you still have to cite the source which the table/figure came from and
provide the copyright statement in parenthesis. The statement (If this paper were submitted for
publication, copyright permission for reproduction of this table/figure would have to be obtained.)
must be added.
Citing
Citation( s) for the table/figure can be for the entire table or portions of the table, using an alphabetical
order (a-z) footnote method. The superscripted letters (see Table 4 below) are placed in the title of the table
if the entire table is verbatim from the source; or if only a potion of the table is from another source, eg, a
cell or column, then place the superscripted notation by that cell, data point, or column, as appropriate. See
page 90, example, T7, AMA Manual of Style, io" ed, for other examples.
Table Footnotes
According to the new AMA manual of style, symbols as footnotes in tables and figures are no longer used.
For both tables and figures, footnotes are now indicated as superscript lowercase letter in alphabetical order
(a-z). According to the new AMA manual, the font should be large enough to see clearly, but without
appearing to be part ofthe actual data in the table/figure. Thus, the first footnote would be superscripted a,
then b, c ... z. See example in the below table regarding footnotes.
Availability of Personal Data (or Digital) Assistants (PDAs) by Pharmacy Type (n=604)a
Resource Retail/ Hospital/ Mental
Other Total
Name Community Health
(n=480)b (n=74) (n=50) (n=604)
PDA Use Yes (count) 82 24 12 118
%Yes l7.l%c 32.4% 24.0% 19.5%
No (count) 398 50 38 486
%No 82.9% 67.6% 76.0% 80.5%
aData from Schrimsher, Freeman, Kendrach15
bTotals may not equal to 480 due to missing data/surveys.
'Percentages may not equal 100% due to unanswered/missing data.
(If this paper were submitted for publication, copyright permission for reproduction of this
table/figure would have to be obtained.)
Explanations:
The superscript "a" acknowledges that data the complete data is from another source; thus is the first indicated.
Furthermore, the citation number 15 would match that citation number in the reference section. Footnotes "b" and
"c" are not cited because they are explanatory notes for clarification or indicating important information about the
table to the reader.
The last notation in parenthesis (copyright permission) in the example of table above is to be added for each table or
figure. If this statement is not included, then a permission statement from the copyright holder must be indicated.
Journal Abbreviations
Note: The article itself may have the abbreviation provided on the first page of the article (usually at the end of the
abstract or at the bottom of the page in small print).
The following process can be used to locate journal abbreviations:
Journal abbreviations may be found in both IP A and PubMed databases, assuming that the journal is indexed in that
database. Another good source is "W orldCat" which has a link at the bottom of the WWW Pharmacy Resources
Web page, specifically, Use WorldCat for journal abbreviations search: after locating journal, scroll to "Other
Titles" section.
WHY BOTHER WITH REFERENCES?
If you use an author's words or ideas without acknowledging that author, you are committing plagiarism. One of the
most important parts of academic written work is the inclusion of references to the books, journal articles or other
sources which you have read and used to inform points discussed and to support conclusions drawn in your essays.
You do not need to cite a reference from which you learned a commonly known fact (e.g. mitochondria are in
cells).
There are many 'Style Manuals' which dictate the manner of these and other details (each academic discipline seems to
have its own style) to achieve clarity and consistency. The main thing to remember is to use only one style in a single
essay or report. Two common styles, the Vancouver Style or the Harvard Style are illustrated below.
VANCOUVER STYLE
In the text of your essay: after the initial statement of each idea you got from somewhere else, indicate the source of
information with a number. The references are numbered consecutively as they appear in the text. The numbers should
be in parentheses (or superscript, as in the BMJ). For example:
... More importantly, clinical trials should be used to discover whether the toxicity of alternative medicines is
out-weighed by the effectiveness (1) ....
The cited reference list: the numbers used in the body of your essay correspond to a numbered list of references at
the end of the essay. Be sure to use endnotes (references at the very end), not footnotes (references at the bottom of
each page), for your references. If you mention a source more than once, use the same number that you assigned to
it when it first appeared in your essay. Here is (1):
1. Sheehan DM. Herbal medicines, phytoestrogens and toxicity: risk:benefit considerations. Proc Soc Exp Bioi
Med 1998 Mar;217(3):379-385
When you write the reference in the list, use the templates given below. Notice the minimal punctuation used in the
Vancouver Style. When you cite a journal article, use the abbreviated journal title used by the National Library of
Medicine. You can check for these abbreviations in PubMed's journal browser.
Sample references in Vancouver Style
Chapter in a book
Phillips SJ, Whisnant JP. Hypertension and stroke. In: Laragh JH, Brenner BM, editors. Hypertension:
pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management. 2nd ed. New York: Raven Press; 1995. p. 465-78.
Author(s). Chapter title. In: Book author/editor. Book title. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher; Year of
publication. Page numbers.
Journal article
Vega KJ, Pina I, Krevsky B. Heart transplantation is associated with an increased risk for pancreatobiliary disease.
Ann Intern Med 1996;124 (11): 980-3.
Author(s). Article title. Abbreviated journal title Year of publication; volume(issue/part): page numbers.
Book
Ringsven MK, Bond D. Gerontology and leadership skills for nurses. 2nd ed. Albany (NY): Delmar
Publishers; 1996.
Author(s). Book title. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher; Year of publication.
Website
Burtney E. Teenage sexuality in Scotland. Health Education Board for Scotland (HEBS). ©2000. [cited 2000 July 27]
Available from: URL: [Link]
Author. Title of webpage. Title of website. Date of last update to webpage. Date you last visited webpage.
Available from: webpage address.
There are other types of sources, not shown above, to which you may want to refer: if you would like to see complete
copies of the style manual, with many more examples see Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts.
HARVARD STYLE
In the body of your essay: after the initial statement of each idea you got from somewhere else, indicate the source of
information using parentheses containing the author name(s) and year of publication in the text of your essay. Here is
an amended example from above:
... More importantly, clinical trials should be used to discover whether the toxicity of alternative medicines is
out-weighed by the effectiveness (Sheehan 1998) ....
You could also write the reference in an active form, as in this next example. If the idea you are referring to is not the
general thesis of a work, but mentioned in one place specifically, you should include the page number(s):
... Watts (1997, pp. 74-75) juxtaposes the resolutions of the World Health Organisation at their meeting in Alma Ata
in 1978 ...
If there is more than one author of a single work: (Linden, Millar & Scott 1995). For works with more than three
authors, it is normal to use et al after the first author: (Linden et a/1995). If there is more than one work referred to at a
single point, list the names in alphabetical order and separate them with semicolons: (Sheehan 1998; Watts 1997). If
you cite more than one work by the same author published in the same year, add a letter to the date: (Sheehan 1998a;
Sheehan 1998b) and be sure to use the letters in the list of references at the end of your essay, too.
The cited reference list: at the end of your essay, list the works cited in alphabetical order by author, using the format
shown in the examples below. Be sure to use endnotes, not footnotes. Notice the punctuation for author names, the
quotes round chapter/article/webpage titles, and the italicisation of the book/journal/website titles.
Sample references in Harvard Style
Chapter in a book
Linden, R.W.A., Millar, B.J. & Scott, B.J.J. 1995, The innervation of the periodontal ligament', in The Periodontal
Ligament in Health and Disease, eds K.B. Berkovitz, B.J. Moxham, & H.N. Newman, MosbyWolfe, London, pp.
133-159.
Author, I. N. Year of publication, 'Chapter title', in Book Title, Editor [initials first], Publisher, Place of
publication, page numbers [in full].
Journal article
Sheehan, D. M. 1998, 'Herbal medicines, phytoestrogens and toxicity: risk:benefit considerations'
Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology & Medicine. vol. 217, no. 3, pp. 379-85.
Author, I. N. Year of publication, 'Article title', Journal Title[in full], Volume, Issue/part, page numbers [in full].
Book
Watts, S. 1997, Epidemics and history: disease, power, and imperialism, Yale University Press, New Haven.
Author, I. N. Year of publication, Book Title, Publisher, Place of publication.
Website
Burtney, E. 2000 'Teenage sexuality in Scotland', Health Education Board for Scotland (HEBS), viewed: 29 July
2000, ([Link]
Author, I. N. Year of publication, 'Webpage title', Website Title, Publisher, date last viewed, Webpage address.