Different fields of study and different scientific journals have different citation styles. If you are a student or researcher in a cross-disciplinary field, you may need to learn multiple styles, including APA, AMA, or others.
Regardless of the citation style required, cite sources differentiate information that came from another source and information that comes directly from you, to avoid plagiarism.
In scientific writing, quotations are unusual, so authors must accurately summarize or describe information obtained from another source. See the page on Organizing Sources for details about how to simplify this process.
General Check for Any Citation Style
Did you cite everything, including figures and images, that you did not create?
Is everything cited in your text included in the Literature Cited or References list?
Is everything listed in the Literature Cited or References list cited somewhere in your text?
Please note: AMA style requires the use of standard abbreviations for all references, when applicable. Abbreviations for many common medical journals can be found in the AMA Manual of Style (pp.473-479). Additional abbreviations can be searched in the PubMed Journal Database
The NLM Style Guide for Authors, Editors, and Publishers
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