Health Nexus: Interdisciplinary Medical Research Journal follows the American Medical Association (AMA) Manual of Style, 11th edition, for in-text citations and reference lists. All submitted manuscripts must use this citation system consistently. Authors are responsible for verifying the accuracy, completeness, authenticity, and relevance of every reference.

The following guidance outlines the journal's principal citation requirements and provides examples for commonly used source types. Authors should consult the AMA Manual of Style for situations not covered here.

1. General Principles

• Number references consecutively in the order of their first citation in the manuscript, including citations appearing in tables or figure legends.
• Use superscript Arabic numerals for in-text references.
• Assign each source a reference number only once. Subsequent citations of the same source must reuse its original number.
• Arrange the reference list numerically, not alphabetically.
• For sources with one to six authors, list every author. For sources with seven or more authors, list the first three followed by et al.
• Write author names as surname followed by initials, without periods between initials.
• Use sentence-style capitalization for journal article and book chapter titles, while retaining proper nouns and required scientific capitalization.
• Italicize journal titles and book titles. Use official journal abbreviations from the National Library of Medicine (NLM) whenever available.
• Include a valid Digital Object Identifier (DOI) whenever one has been assigned.

1.1 In-Text Citation Placement

Superscript reference numbers generally appear immediately after the cited statement. They are placed after periods and commas, but before colons and semicolons.

Separate nonconsecutive reference numbers with commas and use a hyphen for consecutive reference ranges. Do not insert spaces between numbers within a combined superscript citation.

Authors should avoid placing superscript reference numbers immediately after numerical data when the result could be confused with a mathematical exponent.

2. Journal Articles

Journal article references must contain sufficient bibliographic information to identify and retrieve the cited publication.

• Use the official NLM abbreviation for the journal title, where available.
• Include the volume, issue, and inclusive page numbers when provided.
• For articles published with an electronic article identifier instead of page numbers, provide the article identifier.
• Use the format doi:10.xxxx/xxxxx without inserting a space after the colon.
• When a DOI is available, an access date and article URL are generally unnecessary.
• If no DOI is available for an online-only source, provide an appropriate access date and a working URL.

3. Books

References to complete books should identify the authors or editors, title, edition where applicable, publisher, and publication year.

• Italicize the complete book title.
• Use title-style capitalization for book titles.
• Omit the edition designation for first editions.
• Identify editors with ed or eds when referencing an edited book.
• For electronic books, include a DOI or appropriate retrieval information where applicable.

4. Book Chapters

When citing a chapter written by an author within an edited collection, provide the chapter author and title, the book editor, the book title, publication details, and chapter page range.

Use sentence-style capitalization for the chapter title and italicize the book title. Include the chapter DOI when available. If the complete book has the same authors throughout, a whole-book reference may be more appropriate unless a specific chapter must be identified.

5. Websites and Online Resources

Website references should identify the responsible author or organization, the specific page or resource title, website name, available publication or update dates, the date accessed, and a functional URL.

• Use the specific webpage title rather than the general homepage title whenever possible.
• Include publication and update dates only when supported by the source.
• Record the actual date on which the online resource was accessed.
• Use a stable, direct URL and verify that it leads to the cited content.
• Do not add an unsupported publication date or invent a missing author.
• Cite reports, datasets, books, and journal articles according to their respective source types rather than automatically treating all online materials as webpages.

6. Conference Abstracts and Presentations

Conference materials should be cited according to their publication status. Abstracts formally published in scholarly journals or conference supplements should follow the relevant journal reference format. Unpublished presentations and posters require sufficient meeting information for identification.

6.1 Published Conference Abstracts

The example above cites an entire published abstract supplement. When citing an individual abstract within a supplement, identify its specific authors, title, and page or abstract number.

6.2 Unpublished Conference Presentations

Where a conference presentation is publicly accessible online, include an appropriate access date and direct URL. Authors should distinguish peer-reviewed publications from unpublished meeting presentations and avoid representing conference abstracts as full research articles.

7. Citation of Figures and Tables

Figures and tables reproduced or adapted from previously published materials must include appropriate source attribution. Authors are responsible for determining whether permission is necessary under the applicable copyright terms, licence conditions, and permitted-use provisions.

• Original materials: Figures and tables created by the authors from their own original research generally do not require an external source citation.
• Reproduced materials: Identify the original source in the figure legend or table note and obtain permission when required.
• Adapted materials: Clearly indicate that the material has been adapted and cite the original source.
• Openly licensed materials: Follow the applicable licence conditions, including attribution, licence identification, and disclosure of modifications where required.
• Reference numbering: Assign reference numbers according to the order in which cited material first appears in the manuscript, including citations within figure legends and table notes.
• Documentation: Provide written permissions to the Editorial Office when requested.

Editorial Note: The examples on this page demonstrate reference formatting. Authors must always cite the specific sources actually consulted in their research. Compliance with citation formatting does not substitute for independent verification of source authenticity or research integrity.