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Nursing

Library Resources for nursing, medicine, and allied health

Citation Styles

Nursing students will need to be familiar with two different citations styles:

APA: the official citation style of the American Psychological Association.  This style is used predominately in education journals.

AMA: the official citation style of the American Medical Association.  This style is used prominently in medical and nursing journals.

Below, you will find a few basic examples of each of these styles.  Please remember you can ask a librarian for helping using either of these styles at any time.  Our contact information is at the right side of this page.

You will need to talk to your professors and see which style they expect you to use for each class.  However, in your searches for sources, you will find both styles of citation.

American Psychological Association (APA) Links to Style Guides

Style: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

Citations: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/02/

Bibliography: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/05/

 

The print manual will address any issues not covered by the above links.

  • Title: Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
    Call Number: BF76.7 .P83 2010b (Ready Reference) 

American Medical Association (AMA)

Printable Quick Guide:https://www.bcit.ca/files/library/pdf/bcit-ama_citation_guide.pdf
   Include in-text and bibliographic citations.

The print manual will address any issues not covered by the above links.

  • Title: American Medical Association Manual of Style
    Call Number: Available through GIL Express

The most unique feature of AMA citations is their use of the official Index Medicus abbreviations instead of using the full journal title.  You can find a full listing of this titles through pubmed: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/services/aim.html

Also, if you are trying to locate an article from its AMA citation, you can usually google the journal's abbreviation to find its full title.

Sample Journal Citations:

Malpas PJ, Corbett A. Modelling empathy in medical and nursing education. N Z Mef J. 2012 Mar 30; 125(1352):94-100.

Jones H. The value of reflection. Nurs Stand. 2010; 25(2):61.