title page for research paper ama

AMA Guide - 11th Edition: Paper Formatting

• Paper Formatting
• In-Text Citations
• Database Specific Formatting

Explicit instructions for paper format are not given in the AMA manual because publishers provide specific requirements for submitted manuscripts.  These research paper format guidelines have been chosen by faculty for South College students, and can be found in the official South College AMA Style Guide. 

Note:  Your instructor may have specific or additional requirements not listed in this guide.

AMA Paper Formatting Checklist

General format.

• Margins are 1 inch on all sides throughout. 
• Paper is double spaced throughout, including the title page, block quotes, and references.
• Use the serif typeface Times New Roman or Arial. 
• Use a 12pt font size throughout. 
• Pages are numbered consecutively, right aligned in the header, starting on the first page of text. Exclude the title page and, if required, the abstract page.
• All text is center aligned and double spaced.
• Full title of the paper begins a quarter down the page. 
• Authors' full name(s) including middle initials.
• Couse Number - Course Name
• Assignment: Assignment Name if required
• Affiliated institution

Abstract (If Required by Instructor)

• Separate page after the title page.
• Abstract is the section title, it is left aligned and not indented.
• Text is in a block under the section title, it is not indented. 
• Maximum 500 words.
• Does not include quotations or reference citations. 
• Keywords: 
• Introduction
• Body Paragraphs
• Section headings are bold and left aligned. 
• Subsection headings are italicized and left aligned. 
• The first line of each paragraph is indented 1/2 inch.
• There is no extra line space between paragraphs or headings. 
• Block quotes are double spaced, are not indented, and are 1/2 inch from the left margin. 
• Avoid starting a sentence with a number.  If unavoidable, write out the number instead of using Arabic numerals.

Reference List

• References  heading is bold and left aligned at the top of the page.
• References are left aligned. 
• References are numbered in the order they are first cited in the body of the paper. 
• A tab space separates the number and the first name or word of the reference. 

Tables & Figures

Each table is assigned a number based on the order it is used in the article. Following the table number (and just above the table itself) should be a clear but concise title in title case.  All elements in the table are in sentence case.

Footnotes are listed at the bottom of the table, each on its own line. However, to save space, tables with more than a few footnotes can use 2 columns for the footnotes.

For more information on formatting and when to use tables, see the Tables Components section of the AMA Manual online. 

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Similar to tables, each figure is assigned a number based on the order it is used in the article. Types of figures include, but are not limited to, graphs, charts, maps, drawings, and photographs. Some figures use symbols to represent data, and those figures use legends embedded in the graphic to explain those symbols. 

Following the figure number (and just above the figure itself) should be a clear but concise title.  All elements in the table are in sentence case.

For more examples and guidelines for how and when to use figures in a paper, see the Figures section of the AMA Manual online.

Do I use an appendix in AMA?

• What is an appendix?
• How do I use an appendix?
• How do I make an appendix?

Appendices are not regularly used in AMA. AMA formatting prefers that the information, if relevant to the article, be included in the body of the article as a table or figure.  If the appendix is important, AMA favors publishing them online as online only, supplemental materials.  

The AMA Manual of Style does note that an appendix may be used "on rare occasions...for data that cannot easily be represented as a table or figure and are too central to the article to be deposited elsewhere".  The appendix is included at the end of the paper but  before  the references. Sources for any materials in an appendix are then included in the reference list. 

When an appendix is included in an article, it is cited in the text like a table or figure.  

Example:  This kitchen is rated a 5 on the Hazard Scale (Appendix 1). 

Format an appendix the same way you would start a reference list, with "Appendix" at the top left of a new page. If there is more than one appendix, start each on a new page. Appendices are numbered and organized by the order they are referred to in the body of the article.

Example: 

Hazard Scale

• 1 - The room is completely safe and the likelihood of being injured is very low.
• 2 - The room is relatively safe, but injury is likely if one is inattentive to the environment.
• 3 - The room is completely unsafe and injury or illness is very likely.
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American Medical Association (AMA) formatting guidelines

Note: Many of the guidelines concerning document formatting, especially of the title page and subheadings, that have been provided in this resource are subject to change depending on the preference of your instructor. Always check with the rubric, instructor, or teaching assistant before making decisions about subjective formatting.

Formatting basics

• Page number, starting at 1 on the title page, in upper right-hand corner
• Text is double-spaced
• 12-point Times New Roman or other serif type font
• 1” margins and ½” paragraph indentations

The title page should include the article title, author name(s), institution name, abstract, and keywords. Place the title, author name(s), and institution name in the upper half of the page, centered, and double-spaced. This content should not be bolded, italicized or in a larger/differing font. Write author name(s) with first name, middle initial(s), and last name but no titles (e.g. “professor” or “Dr.”) or degrees (e.g. M.S., Ph.D., or M.D.),if you have degrees or titles.

Effects of Music Therapy on Recovery Time in Post-Operation Pediatric Patients

Michael E. Jones

University of Nevada, Reno

The abstract and 3-10 key words should be included on the title page following the title, author and institution information.

Most often, you will be writing a literature review or reporting original data, and therefore will use a structured abstract, limited to 250 words, that uses predetermined headings. The AMA handbook recommends use of the following:

• Evidence acquisition
• Conclusions

However, this is a common variation asked for by professors:

• Methodology and/or Research Design
• Results (often reported quantitatively when appropriate)

Objective: To investigate the effect of music therapy on overall recovery time in pediatric patients post-operation. Methods: We used data collected from previous literature to compare recovery times in the population of interest. Results : Review of literature revealed a weak, negative correlation between exposure to music therapy and length of stay in recovery. Conclusion: While there appears to be a correlation between specialist administered music therapy and shorter recovery times in post-operation patients, more research is needed to objectively define any benefits such therapy can have in a pediatric population.

Key Words: music therapy, auditory therapy, pediatrics, post-operation recovery, length of stay.

AMA does not outline specifics requirements for typeface (e.g. boldface, italicized) or alignment (e.g centered, left-justified) of headings; as long as they are consistent within the paper and distinguishable from each other they will be acceptable.

• May be centered or left-justified on the line above the text
• May be bolded or not
• Left-justified above the text or at the beginning of the text on the same line
• May be bolded, italicized, or not

The main sections in an AMA literature review are often the same as those found in an APA paper (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, etc.).

Introduction

This is where your background information goes. After informing the reader about your topic, this section should also present your research question and reason for your research. Include information about why this research is important and/or why it’s a problem, as well as how it ties to previous research in the field.

This section details how you conducted your research. You should outline databases (e.g., Ebsco Host, PubMed, etc.) filters (e.g., academic/peer-reviewed sources, date limitations, etc.), and keywords used in your searches and describe trends in the outcomes of these searches. This is also the section in which you should describe and justify your inclusion and exclusion criteria – i.e., the details of a study’s publication, design, or population that either allow it to be included or excluded from your research (e.g., “only studies published after 2005 were included” or “studies including participants over the age of 16 years were not considered”).

In a report of original data, this section will most often summarize the collected data and include tables and figures used to analyze the results. If you are reporting on original research or quantitative data, this section will not provide any commentary or analysis of the results’ significance. In a literature review, this section will summarize and synthesize the major results and conclusions of the reviewed literature. It will often be structured with subheadings that organize your analysis by topic (e.g. “Music Therapy in Neurosurgery Recovery” or “Music Therapy in Addition to Pain Management via Pharmaceuticals”).

The interpretation of your results goes here. Possible biases and/or weaknesses of the study or studies may be discussed, such as how sample demographics, study design, or reporting methods may have biased the results to a particular conclusion. You should also identify any gaps in the literature that may lead to potential for future research. In addition to this, your discussion section should describe the significance of your research to the greater body of knowledge or its role in solving the presented problem.

The heading for this section should be “References,” bolded and left-justified at the top of the next page. The references should then be numbered down the page in the order they appear in the text. References should not be double-spaced.

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AMA Help (10th Edition)

Running head / running foot.

• Tables & Figures
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• When Author/Title/Date is Missing
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Have a Question?

• The running head is a shortened version the paper's full title
• Contains 50 characters max (including spaces, letters, punctuation)
• When this information appears at the top of the page, it is called a running head; when it appears at the bottom of the page, it is called a running foot
• UPPERCASE letters
• Example: Running head: ABBREVIATED TITLE
• Typically added during editing/production process
• Authors are not usually required to submit such information (pg. 19), please consult professor regarding running head formatting

AMA does not give specific formatting instructions for a title page, but it should include the following:

• Authors name
• Degrees (above bachelors)
• Email addresses 
• Institutional affiliation 
• Word count (text only, excluding title, abstract, references, tables, and figures)
• Abstract example

Structured Abstracts

• Used for reports of original data, systematic reviews, and clinical reviews
• Includes no more than 300 words
• Contains the headings: Context, Objective, Design, Setting, Participants, Interventions, Main Outcome Measure(s), Results, Conclusions (pg.21)

Unstructured Abstracts

• Used for any other major manuscript
• No more than 150 words

Keywords: Some medical journals publish a short list (3-10 terms) of keywords at the end of the abstract.  The author provides these terms because they represent key topics presented in the article.

• Added at the end of the abstract
• Terms the author believes represent the key topics presented in the article (pg. 24)
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AMA Style Guide

• Citing Print Resources
• Citing Electronic Resources
• In-Text Citations

How to Format the Paper using AMA Style

NOTE:   Unfortunately the AMA Manual of Style is not very specific on formats to use, including a format for the Title Page. Be sure and check with your instructor or the publisher to whom you are submitting a paper for more specific formatting rules.

Formatting a paper means using proper references within the text and bibliography, but also using the stylistic matters laid out in the AMA Manual of Style to format the text. This includes such factors as using headings and capitalizing them appropriately, line spacing, margins, text style issues (such as using "one" or "1", using AM or a.m. or A.M.), placement of page numbers, preferred font and spacing for graphs, preferred size and shape for tables, etc. This guide includes some basic help on manuscript style, but it is not extensive.

Consult the AMA Manual of Style for detailed information on manuscript style.

Acronyms, abbreviations, initialisms:

Acronyms, abbreviations, and initialisms are discouraged from use, except for well-known and accepted units of measurement and some well-recognized terms. 

• If used, spell out at the first use, even if the acronym or initialism is well-known. Do not place periods between the letters of an acronym, abbreviation or initialism.
• State names should always appear as full names in the text of a manuscript. If included in references, use the two-letter abbreviation.

Numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.) should be used in all writing, except when:

• The number begins the sentence or title
• Common fractions
• Ordinals: first through ninth
• Number spelled out in quotations or titles of works cited.
• One number may be spelled out, if the sentence requires multiple numbers to be placed next to each other. e.g., "If 12 16-year-olds had this reaction..." should be changed to "If twelve 16-year-olds..."
• To indicate a time of day, use AM or PM in small capitals. (18.5.3)
• Conventional 12-hour clock time is preferred. However, 24 hour or military time convention can also be used to convey precise timing when needed, such as when describing drug dosage regimens.
• When dates are provided in the text, use numerals for day and year, and write out the month, e.g., April 2, 2010.
• If using dates in a table, you may use numerals for the month (e.g., 4/2/2010).

Measurements:

• Use SI (Le Système International d'Unités) standards for writing measurements. Numbers are always written in plain text, there is a space after the number and prior to the unit, and never a period after the unit (unless it ends a sentence).
• Do not include commas in longer numbers (e.g., 1600 km, not 1,600 km).

Adapted from USC Norris Medical Library AMA:Citing Your Sources

Sample AMA Format for DNP Nursing Papers

NOTE: This is a sample ONLY. Please check with your assignment instructions for current guidelines on formatting your paper.

Spacing:  Double space

Margins:  1"

Font:  Size 12, any font type. AMA suggests two typefaces (a serif for body text  and a sans serif for titles and subheads) with appropriate use of styles, such as bold and italics for a scholarly publication. (5.22.4)

Indents:  1/2"

Page numbering:  Each page, beginning with the title page, should be numbered consecutively. Page numbers are usually placed in the upper right corner.

References:  Reference entries should be listed and numbered in the order they were cited in your paper. If the citation extends to a second line, do NOT indent (as in APA). 

Example from AMA Manual 3.11.3:

1.  Rainier S, Thomas D, Tokarz D, et al. Myofibrillogenesis regulator 1 gene mutations cause paroxysmal dystonic choreoathetosis.  Arch Neurol . 2004;61(7):1025-1029

2.  Hyduk A, Croft JB, Ayala C, Zheng K, Zheng Z-J, Mensah GA. Pulmonary hypertension surveillance—United States, 1980–2002.  MMWR Surveill Summ . 2005;54(5):1-28.

[Capitalize the first letter of each major word in titles and subtitles]

First Name and Last Name

University of Washington Student Number

Course Title

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AMA Style - 11th Edition

• AMA: Getting Started
• Title Page & Formatting
• Authors - numbers, rules and formatting
• Sample reference list
• In-Text Citations
• How Do I Cite...
• Additional Resources

Title Page & Abstract

Please note: Your professor may want you to include different elements in your title page such as a class name and number or the due date.  Always check with your professor first - your professor is always the final authority.

The  AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors  (11th edition)  is fairly skimpy on rules for title pages. 

AMA does not give specific formatting instructions for a title page, but should include the following: 

• Title (capitalize all major words)
• Author(s) full name(s); if more than one author use semi-colons between names
• Degrees - highest degree/certification is noted; academic degrees (above bachelors)
• Email addresses
• Author Affiliation
• Word Count (text only, excluding title, abstract, references, tables and figures)

Structured Abstracts

• Used for reports of original data, systematic reviews, meta-analysis, and clinical reviews
• Includes no more than 350 words
• Contains the headings: Context, Objective, Design, Setting, Participants, Interventions, Main Outcome Measure(s), Results, Conclusions (pg.21)

Unstructured Abstracts

• Used for any other major manuscript
• No more than 200 words
• Paragraph with  no headings
• Summarizes the objective, main points, and conclusions of article

Keywords: Some medical journals publish a short list (3-10 terms) of keywords at the end of the abstract.  The author provides these terms because they represent key topics presented in the article.

• Added at the end of the abstract
• Terms the author believes represent the key topics presented in the article
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AMA Writing Guide: AMA Style Formatting

• AMA Style Formatting
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Writing Resources

• Writing Center Resources
• Jerry Falwell Library Resources

The Liberty University Writing Center is available to provide writing coaching to students. Residential students should contact the  On-Campus Writing Center  for assistance. Online students should contact the  Online Writing Center  for assistance. 

The Jerry Falwell Library has a physical and eBook edition of the AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors .  The AMA Manual contains exhaustive guidance for students needing more detailed information about ethical and legal considerations, correct and preferred usage, abbreviations, nomenclature, units of measure, numbers and percentages, study design and statistics, and mathematical composition,

If you need assistance in developing your qualitative or quantitative methodology, the SAGE Research Methods database provides resources for researchers conducting research in the social sciences. 

General Rules

Liberty University Students will either write AMA 11 style papers using the Non-structured Abstract format, or using the Practicum Class or Other Papers Requiring Structured Abstract format. To assist you in formatting, Liberty University's Writing Center provides a template and a sample paper for each formatting style. 

Papers with Non-Structured Abstract 

• Sample AMA 11 paper 
• Template AMA 11 paper  

Papers Using Structured Abstract 

• Template AMA 11 paper 

Additionally, the Writing Center also has a sample AMA 11 style annotated bibliography .

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you format your paper : 

• Title Page : The title page should include the report's title, student's name, and student ID number, date, and word count. A sample title page is found on the Liberty University's Writing Center's sample papers . 
• Margins/Alignment : Your papers should use 1-inch margins on standard-sized paper (8.5' X 11'). Make sure that you use Align left (CTRL + L) throughout the paper, except for the title page.  
• Spacing : The AMA does not have a standard for line spacing. Double-spaced lines are recommended throughout the body of your work, excluding block quotations. Block quotations are single-spaced, left-justified, with the entire left margin indented 1/2 inch. 
• Indentation : The first sentence in each new paragraph in the body of the paper should be indented 1/2 inch. AMA style references are listed in numerical order and do not receive any indentation. 
• Fonts : The AMA does not have a standard font or font size. Liberty University recommends that you write your papers in 12-point Times New Roman font for the body, and for all elements other than the title of the paper and headings. 
• Headings : The AMA Manual outlines four different heading levels. The title of your report and Level 1 headings must be in bold Arial 14-point font. Level 2 headings are in bold Arial 12-point font. Level 3 headings are in bold Arial 12-point font and underlined. Level 4 headings are in bold Arial 12-point font and italicized. 
• Tables and Figures:  In AMA-style papers, tables and figures are included in the body of the report. Section 4.0 of the AMA Manual of Style outlines how to format tables, figures, and multimedia. Tables and figures are numbered consecutively: Figure 1, Figure 2, etc. 
• Formatting Your References : Section 3.0 of the AMA Manual of Style outlines how to cite sources in text and how to format the references list found at the end of the work. The AMA style uses an endnote citation system, with references being provided in order of first use. 
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AMA Style Guide

Paper format.

• Reference Works
• Miscellaneous
• Mechanics of Style
• Citation Ethics

AMA does not have a specific style for formatting papers, so check with your instructor or assignment guidelines when it comes to margins, line spacing, fonts, indents, title papers, etc.

Recommended Formatting Guidelines

Always refer to the assignment guidelines when it comes formatting your writing. If your assignment does not specify any formatting, follow these general AMA guidelines:

• Margins:  One inch margins are required around the text. Leave the right margin unjustified (ragged). No columns!
• Line Spacing:  Double-space the main text (single space only within the abstract, notes, titles and headings, block quotes, tables and figures, and references—everything but the main text)
• Font:  Use Times New Roman, 12-point font
• Indents:  Half-inch indents are standard (use the “tab” button) for new paragraphs
• Page Numbers:  Place page numbers in the top right-hand corner throughout (starting with the title page)
• Page Headers:  Put the title of your document in the top left-hand corner of the page
• Title of document
• Your Instructor’s name
• Course title
• Your instructor’s name

References Page

• This is a separate page at the end of your paper. Each citation in the text must be listed on the References page; each listing on the References page must appear in the text. 
• Left-justify the word References.  Then double space and start your list with 1.
• References are listed numerically in the order they are cited in the text of the paper.  Put a period after each number.
• Single space each reference.  Double space between references.
• If the citation extends to a second line, do NOT indent.
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