Butler University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Citation Guide
This guide is predominately based on the American Medical Association Manual of Style. This guide is being provided to COPHS students and
faculty in an effort to standardize citation formats used within the College. Please note that there are many correct ways to provide citations. This
guide is an effort to provide a standardized system throughout COPHS. Please note that submissions for publication may have slightly different
referencing requirements, depending on the journal or publisher.
General Guidelines:
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Each reference should be cited in consecutive numerical order by means of superscript arabic numerals in the order that they are used in the
text. Do NOT cite them alphabetically by author’s last name.
In general, references should be listed as superscripts at the end of sentences or phrases. Example.1,5,7-9 However, in situations where different
references apply to only a specific portion of the sentence, reference numbers may be placed within the body of the sentence. For example:
Jones and colleagues found that Progenitorivox® was associated with a 4 fold increase in the risk of developing colon cancer,1 while Smith
found a 3 fold increase in risk.2
o Citations should be placed outside periods or commas, but inside colons or semicolons.
o Do not place spaces between punctuation and citations or between the citations themselves.
If the content of an entire paragraph comes from one reference, do not cite every sentence. Only cite the first and the last sentences of the
paragraph.
When listing authors names, use the author’s surname followed by initials, without periods.
o Example: Peak AS, McFarland AT, Jordan JK.
Capitalization rules:
o Journal articles, chapter titles in books, title of specific items in websites, video titles, etc.: Capitalize only the first letter of the first
word in a title and subtitle. Exceptions: Proper nouns, abbreviations that are ordinarily capitalized (such as DNA), and (genus)
names of organisms may also be capitalized in the title/subtitle.
o All the main words of a Journal Name or Book Title are capitalized and italicized
Do not enclose titles in quotation marks.
Reference the most specific form of your reference/resource as possible.
o Do not ever give a generic reference to Pubmed, Iowa, EBSCO, Science Direct, etc. Always provide the citation for the specific
journal article.
o When possible, reference a specific monograph within an on-line database (as opposed to the entire database), or a specific chapter
within a book (as opposed to the entire book).
Note that the formats for citing electronic (on-line) medical databases listed in this guide may be different than the citation formats
recommended on the individual database Web sites. It is our goal to provide one standard citation format, appropriate for all medical
databases. Please use the formats listed here when completing COPHS assignments.
Use caution when referencing the internet. Many web sites are not appropriate/credible sources. Use only the highest quality sites.
In general, it is not appropriate to cite class notes.
Journal or Magazine Articles:
General rules when citing any journal or magazine article:
 Include all authors unless there are more than six. If 7 or more, list the first three, followed by the phrase “et al.” (Do not put the quotes.)
o If the article is written by a specific organization or group, instead of individual authors, it is acceptable to list the group/organization in
the author area. See the second example below.
 Abbreviate and italicize the names of journals.
o The official journal abbreviation is usually provided at the end of the abstract or at the bottom of the journal page.
o Journal abbreviations can be found through PubMed by following these steps:
 Go to http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog/journals/
 In the search field type the full journal name
 In the results, look at the line “NLM Title Abbreviation”
 Only capitalize the first letter of the first word & any proper nouns of an article title. Do NOT capitalize the first letter of all words.
 Do not place spaces between the year;volume(issue number):pages.
 Today most articles are available in multiple mediums (print and electronic) and it’s not always clear how an article should best be cited. A good
rule of thumb is if you have volume and pages numbers available, use the traditional referencing format.
 When referencing articles found in journal supplements, place “(suppl)” immediately after the journal volume. (Do not put the quotes, but do put
the parenthesis.)
General default/traditional format (use this for most all articles that have volume and page numbers):
Author Last Name First Initial Middle Initial. Title of article. Accepted abbreviation of Journal. Year; Volume(Issue No):Page numbers.
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Journal Article Examples: Traditional format for articles in print
1. Patel MR, Mahaffery KW, Garg J, et al. Rivaroxaban versus warfarin in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. N Eng J Med. 2011;365:883-91.
2. Women’s Health Initiative. Health outcomes after stopping conjugated equine estrogens among postmenopausal women with prior
hysterectomy. JAMA. 2011;305(13):1305-1314.
3. Abrao MS, Muzii L, Marana R. Anatomical causes of female infertility and their management. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2013;123(suppl 2):S18-24.
Magazine Example
Park A. What you need to know about MERS: a dangerous new disease has gone global. TIME. 2014;183(21):13.
For journal abstracts:
Generally, you should not use an abstract as a reference. Locate and evaluate the entire article. If you must use an abstract (i.e. only an abstract
is available because it was a conference proceeding, the article is written in a different language, but has an English abstract, or you cannot obtain
the full text article), you need to indicate in your citation that you are referencing an abstract by putting “[abstract]” after the title of the article and
before the period separating the article title from the journal. (Do not put the quotes, but do put the brackets.)
Abstract Example
Beaber EF, Buist DS, Barlow WE, Malone KE, Reed SD, Li CI. Recent oral contraceptive use by formulation and breast cancer risk among women
20 to 49 years of age [abstract]. Cancer Res. 2014;74(15):4078-89.
For journals published online ahead of print:
Articles published electronically ahead of print (PAP) may not be the final version of the article. The mechanism by which different versions of an
article are coordinated is the assignment of a Digital Object Identifier (DOI). DOIs typically begin with 10.XXX. The 10 signifies it’s a publication and
the XXX is the journal code. Then, publishers can have their own convention for assigning the rest of the DOI. Most all medical journals that provide
PAP articles assign DOIs. Once a PAP article has been officially “print published”, use the default/traditional format above. Do NOT
assume that the presence of a DOI means it is still only available electronically.
Author Last Name First Initial Middle Initial. Title of article [published online ahead of print Month Day, Year]. Accepted abbreviation of Journal. doi:
number.
Example
Mega JL, Braunwald E, Wiviott SD, et al. Rivaroxaban in patients with a recent acute coronary syndrome [published online ahead of print November
13, 2011]. N Engl J Med. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1112277.
Online journals which are only available electronically:
Use this format if the journal is ONLY available electronically (i.e. the publisher does not make a print version.) Most articles are available in both
print and electronic formats. Journals that are only available electronically may need to be referenced differently. These articles often do not have
page numbers, but may (or may not) have “article” numbers instead. For articles that are only made available electronically, add the URL and date
accessed to the traditional citation format. If there is a specific date published, that could be added before the accessed on date.
Example:
Williams J, Field C, James K. The effects of social media policy on pharmacy students’ Facebook security settings. Am J Pharm Educ. 2011;75(9)
Article 177. http://www.ajpe.org/doi/pdf/10.5688/ajpe759177. Published November 10, 2011. Accessed December 13, 2011.
Guidelines:
 Citations will vary depending on which guideline you are citing. Check the guideline to see if it dictates how to cite it.
 Guidelines are almost always published in journals, and should be cited following the appropriate format for journal articles. Occasionally, no
author information will be present but will be published on behalf of an organization. In these instances, the organization should be used as the
author.
Examples:
1. Flume PA, O’Sullivan BP, Robinson KA, et al. Cystic fibrosis pulmonary guidelines: chronic medications for maintenance of lung health. Am J
Respir Crit Care Med. 2007;176;957-969.
2. American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical care in diabetes—2014. Diabetes Care 2014;37(S1):S14–S80.
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White Papers and Position Papers:
 These are typically government reports and/or papers written by organizations. They are cited much like journal articles or guidelines.
 If the article appears in print, use the journal article format. If the paper is published on a website, use the web site format.
Examples:
1. American College of Clinical Pharmacy. Establishing and evaluating clinical pharmacy services in primary care. Pharmacotherapy.
1994;14:743-758.
2. American College of Clinical Pharmacy. Organizational guidance: accepting commercial support. http://www.accp.com/docs/ positions/
positionStatements/CommercSuppPolicy.pdf. Published April 2010. Accessed August 11, 2014.
3. World Health Organization. Equitable access to essential medicines: a framework for collective action. http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/
2004/WHO_EDM_2004.4.pdf. Published March 2004. Accessed August 12, 2014.
Books:
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If editors are given instead of authors, simply put the editors’ names followed by the “ed” or “eds”. (Do not put the quotes.)
Italicize the title of the book, but not the title of a specific chapter within a book.
Capitalize each main word in the title of the entire book. Capitalize only the first letter of the first word in the title/subtitle of a specific chapter
within a book.
A book’s edition number does not need to be spelled out. (i.e. 8th ed is preferred over eighth edition.)
If the publication location is outside the United States, list city and country. (Example: London, England) The state name is not necessary if it is
part of the publisher’s name.
If more than one publisher location appears in the book, list the location that appears first.
When referencing a specific chapter in a book, use the same format as above but place the chapter’s “Author’s names. Title of the chapter. In: ”
at the beginning of the reference, and add page numbers at the end of the reference. (The AMA suggests putting “p.” before the page
numbers.) See second example below.
Author Last Name First Initial Middle Initial. Title of Book. Edition number. City of publication, State Abbreviation: Name of Publisher; Year.
Examples:
1. Butler JT Consumer Health. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2012.
2. Vernon HJ. Immunology and Allergy. In: Arcara K, Tschudy M eds. The Harriet Lane Handbook. 19th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Mosby;
2012:p387-400.
Books in electronic format (ebooks)
Author Last Name First Initial Middle Initial. Title of Book. Edition number. City of publication, State Abbreviation: Name of Publisher; Year. URL.
Accessed month day, year.
Example:
Cooper C. Organic Chemist’s Desk Reference. 2nd ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press; 2011.
http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook/nlebk_337567_AN?sid=073d7d45-4c9c-45e7-bbb668e7dcc7126c@sessionmgr115&vid=1&lpid=lp_vii . Accessed December 13, 2011.
Newspapers:
Author. Title of article. Name of newspaper. Date of publication; Section (if applicable): page(s).
Examples:
If referencing a printed article:
Neergaard L. FDA yanks approval for breast cancer drug Avastin. Indianapolis Star. November 19, 2011; Business section:1.
If referencing a newsletter article obtained electronically:
Boothby L. My view: wrong prescriptions, unsafe conditions. Indianapolis Star. November 16, 2011. Opinion.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011111170342 Accessed November 17, 2011.
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Package Inserts:
Medication Name [package insert]. City, State Abbreviation: Manufacturer’s Name; Year.
Example:
Xarelto [package insert]. Titusville, NJ: Jansen Pharmaceuticals; 2011.
FDA Drug Approval Packages
Specific type of review. Generic Name (Trade Name®). Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Food and Drug Administration. Silver Spring, MD.
Year.
Example:
Medical Review. Rivaroxaban (Xarelto®). Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Food and Drug Administration. Silver Spring, MD. 2011.
General Internet Sites (not specific databases, etc.):
Authors (if indicated). Title of specific item cited. Name of the website: URL. Published or Updated Date (if available). Accessed: Month day, year.
Examples:
1. Electronic Orange Book. Food and Drug Administration website. http://www.fda.gov/cder/ob/default.htm/. October 2011. Accessed: November
11, 2011.
2. Drug Shortage Resource Center. American Society of Health-System Pharmacists website. http://www.ashp.org/shortages. Accessed:
December 9, 2011.
3. Pho K. Why I’m not ready to prescribe mobile health apps. KevinMD: http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2014/05/ready-prescribe-mobile-healthapps.html. May 4, 2014. Accessed: August 12, 2014.
Audiotapes, Videotapes, DVDs:
Author Last Name First Initial Middle Initial. Title [form of media]. City, St: Company; Year.
Examples:
1. Parenteral Medication Administration: Site Selection and Injection Techniques [DVD]. New York, NY; MedCom; 2009.
2. Johnston M. National Pharmacy Technician Association. Pharmacy Calculations Made Easy [DVD]. Houston, TX: Multi Med Media; 2007.
Online Videos:
Videos may be linked from a journal article, or they may be available on the internet in general. Only put the author(s) information if you are certain
that person created the video. Do not assume the person who uploads the video is the author.
For videos appearing in a journal article:
Author Last Name First Initial Middle Initial. Title [form of media]. Accepted abbreviation of Journal. Year; Volume(Issue No):Page numbers.
Appropriate URL Accessed Date.
Example:
Bertocci GE, Pierce MC, Deemer E, Aguel F. Computer simulation of stair falls to investigate scenarios in child abuse [video]. Arch Pediatr Adolesc
Med. 2001;155(9):1008-1014. http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/155/9/1008/DCI. Accessed February 27, 2004.
For videos available on a website:
Author Last Name First Initial Middle Initial. Title [form of media]. Website Title. Appropriate URL. Published date. Accessed: Month day, year.
Examples:
1. FDA changes Ebola drug status hold [video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2g2yai3sfw. Published August 7, 2014.
Accessed: August 8, 2014.
2. Green J. Why are American health care costs so high? [video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSjGouBmo0M. Published
August 20, 2013. Accessed: August 8, 2014.
3. Miller D. Hoosier physician sees Ebola outbreak firsthand [video]. WishTV. http://wishtv.com/2014/07/28/hoosier-physician-sees-ebolaoutbreak-first-hand/. Published July 28, 2014. Accessed: August 6, 2014.
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Electronic Medical Information Databases:
The citation guidelines for individual medical information databases are reflective of the recommendations made by each database publisher, and
may differ slightly from the general format cited in other sources.
 Site the most specific level of information possible.
 Do NOT reference databases which index primary literature (Pubmed, IOWA, EBSCO, Science Direct, etc.); rather cite the primary
literature (journal) article obtained from the database.
 Do not use a URL that includes “ezproxy”. Use the URLs suggested below for the specific databases available. When you log in to
Butler’s system and navigate the databases, especially if doing so via the EZ Proxy server, it may give you a URL that is specific to
your individual sign-on code which cannot be duplicated by others.
Clinical Pharmacology
Gold Standard, Inc . Name of monograph. Clinical Pharmacology [database online]. Available at: http://www.clinicalpharmacology.com. Accessed:
Month day, year.
Examples:
1. Gold Standard, Inc . Sertraline. Clinical Pharmacology [database online]. Available at: http://www.clinicalpharmacology.com. Accessed:
November 15, 2011.
2. Gold Standard, Inc. Alpha Blockers. Clinical Pharmacology [database online]. Available at: http://www.clinicalpharmacology.com. Accessed:
August 12, 2014.
If citing content other than a drug monograph from Clinical Pharmacology, use the general database referencing format:
Clinical Pharmacology [database online]. Tampa, FL: Gold Standard, Inc.; current year of copyright. URL: http://www.clinicalpharmacology.com.
Updated Month, Year.
Example:
Clinical Pharmacology [database online]. Tampa, FL: Gold Standard, Inc.; 2014. URL: http://www.clinicalpharmacology.com. Updated August 2014.
Facts and Comparisons
Name of document. Drug Facts and Comparisons or Name of Reference. Facts & Comparisons® eAnswers [online]. Current copyright year.
Available from Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.. Accessed: Month day, year.
Examples:
1. Minoxidil. Drug Facts and Comparisons. Facts & Comparisons® eAnswers [online]. 2011. Available from Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. Accessed:
August 8, 2011.
2. Kava. Review of Natural Products. Facts & Comparisons® eAnswers [online]. 2011. Available from Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. Accessed:
August 8, 2011.
Lexi-Comp Online
Name of monograph, special topic, or chart. Platform accessed, database accessed, publisher location: publisher; Accessed: Month day, year.
Examples:
1. Furosemide. Lexi-Comp OnlineTM , Pediatric & Neonatal Lexi-Drugs OnlineTM , Hudson, Ohio: Lexi-Comp, Inc.; Accessed: Nov 29, 2011.
2. Desensitization Protocols. Lexi-Comp OnlineTM, Lexi-Drugs Online, Hudson, Ohio: Lexi-Comp, Inc.; Accessed: Dec 10, 2011.
Micromedex
Title of monograph or document. In: specific Micromedex database [Internet database]. Greenwood Village, Colo: Thomson Micromedex. Updated
periodically. Accessed: Month day, year.
Examples:
1. Etanercept. In: DRUGDEX® Evaluations [Internet database]. Greenwood Village, Colo: Thomson Micromedex. Updated periodically.
Accessed: Aug. 26, 2014.
2. St. John's Wort. In: AltMedDex® Evaluations [Internet database]. Greenwood Village, Colo: Thomson Micromedex. Updated periodically.
Accessed: Aug. 26, 2014.
3. REDBOOK® [Internet database]. Greenwood Village, Colo: Thomson Micromedex. Updated periodically. Accessed: Aug. 26, 2014.
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Natural Standard
Name of monograph. Natural Standard. Cambridge, MA. http://www.naturalstandard.com. Accessed: Month day, year.
Examples:
1. Echinacea professional monograph. Natural Standard. Cambridge, MA. http://www.naturalstandard.com. Accessed: November 15, 2011.
2. Leech therapy bottom line monograph. Natural Standard. Cambridge, MA. http://www.naturalstandard.com. Accessed November 11, 2011.
Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database
For individual monograph
Name of monograph. In: Jellin JM, Gregory PJ, Calvillo A, et al. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. Therapeutic Research Center.
Stockton, CA. http://www.naturaldatabase.com/ . Accessed: Month day, year.
Example:
Ginkgo. In: Jellin JM, Gregory PJ, Calvillo A, et al. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. Therapeutic Research Center. Stockton, CA.
http://www.naturaldatabase.com/ . Accessed: November 15, 2011.
For Clinical Management Series
Title. In: Jellin JM, Gregory PJ, Calvillo A, et al. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. Therapeutic Research Center. Stockton, CA.
http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed: Month day, year.
Example:
Natural medicines in the clinical management of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. In: Jellin JM, Gregory PJ, et al. Natural Medicines
Comprehensive Database. Therapeutic Research Center. Stockton, CA. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed: Dec. 9, 2011.
Pharmacist’s Letter
For detail documents and charts:
The bottom of each detailed document tells you how to cite that particular document.
Example:
Statin dose comparison. Pharmacist’s Letter/Prescriber’s Letter 2009 (Full update October 2011);25(8):250801.
For general Pharmacist’s Letter articles:
Title of article. Pharmacist’s Letter. Year; volume(issue no): page. Pharmacist’s Letter Online. Therapeutic Research Center. Stockton CA.
http://www.pharmacistsletter.com/. Accessed: Month day, year.
Example:
Tanzeum (TAN-zee-um, albiglutide) will be another GLP-1 agonist for diabetes. Pharmacist’s Letter. 2014;30(8). Pharmacist’s Letter Online.
Therapeutic Research Center. Stockton CA. http://www.pharmacistsletter.com/. Accessed: August 12, 2014.
For Rumor versus Truth:
Title of rumor. Rumor vs Truth. Month/Day/Year. Pharmacist’s Letter Online. Therapeutic Research Center, Stockton CA.
http://www.pharmacistsletter.com/. Accessed: Month day, year.
Example:
Multivitamins lower the risk of cancer. Rumor vs Truth. August 30, 2013. Pharmacist’s Letter Online. Therapeutic Research Center, Stockton CA.
http://www.pharmacistsletter.com/. Accessed: August 12, 2014
For New Drugs:
New Drugs Approved by the FDA in year. Pharmacist’s Letter Online. Therapeutic Research Center, Stockton CA.
http://www.pharmacistsletter.com/. Accessed: Month day, year.
Example:
New Drugs Approved by the FDA in 2014. Pharmacist’s Letter Online. Therapeutic Research Center, Stockton CA.
http://www.pharmacistsletter.com/. Accessed: August 12, 2014.
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UpToDate
Author(s). Title of document. In: UpToDate, Post TW (Ed), UpToDate, Waltham, MA. Current year.
Example:
Marion, DW. Diaphragmatic pacing. In: UpToDate, Post TW (Ed), UpToDate, Waltham, MA, 2014.
Clinical Key (formally MD Consult)
Not all the information found in Clinical Key is referenced the same way!! Always provide the citation for the specific type of resource, which may or
may not include Clinical Key.
For Books, Journals, and Clinics
Books, journals, and clinics should be cited according to the American Medical Association's Manual of Style. Refer to the COPHS guidelines above
when citing a book, journal, or clinic found in Clinical Key. Do NOT cite Clinical Key!!!
For Original First Consult Content
Authors last names First letter of first names (if available). Title of the material. Type of article, Clinical Key Website. Available at: appropriate URL.
Posted Month day, year. Accessed: Month day, year.
Examples:
1. Hessen MT, Thompson A, Murphy P, Pearson RL. Community-acquired pneumonia in adults. First Consult, MD Consult Website. Available at
https://www.clinicalkey.com/#!/ContentPlayerCtrl/doPlayContent/21-s2.0-5091406/. Revised December 14, 2013. Accessed: August 12, 2014.
2. Marcellin L, Hessen MT. Influenza. First Consult, Clinical Key Website. Available at:
www.clinicalkey.com/#!/ContentPlayerCtrl/doPlayContent/21-s2.0-1014549/. Revised September 4, 2013. Accessed: August 8, 2014.
Handheld programs (PDAs, smartphones,/iPhones/iPad, etc.)
Authors, if specified. Content accessed. Database Name and Version (when applicable) [device or platform]. Database vendor city, state.
Accessed: Month day, year.
Example:
Dabigatran (Pradaxa®) drug monograph. Epocrates Rx Pro® Version 4.0.3 [iPhone]. Epocrates, Inc. San Mateo, CA. Available from
http://www.epocrates.com . Accessed: December 13, 2011.
Handouts, Pamphlets, or Brochures
Authors, if specified. (Year of publication).Title of brochure or pamphlet [brochure] or [pamphlet]. Location: Publisher; year. Web address, if
accessed on-line. Accessed: Month day, year.
Example:
Denham, S. (2009). What you and your family need to know about diabetes [brochure]. Ohio University; 2009. www.diabetesfamily.net. Accessed:
Dec. 21, 2012.
Items presented at a professional meeting, but not fully published
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If it’s a poster or paper presentation, place the word “poster” (or “paper”) before the word “presented.” (Do not use quotes.)
If you are referencing an abstract of something that was discussed at a professional meeting, but do not have access to the full presentation or
poster, reference as an abstract only.
Use the following general format:
Author. Title of presentation/poster/paper. Presented at: Name of meeting; Date of presentation; Location of meeting.
Examples:
1. Zorn J, Snyder J, Koebcke T, Satterblom K. Starting incomes of graduate physician assistants by gender. Poster presented at the American
Academy of Physician Assistant National Conference; June 3, 2011. Las Vegas, NV.
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2.
3.
Cohen AT. MAGELLAN: Rivaroxaban compared with enoxaparin for the prevention of venus thromboembolism in acutely ill medical patients.
Presented at: American College of Cardiology Annual Meeting April 2, 2011. Presentation available at
http://my.americanheart.org/professional/Sessions/AdditionalMeetings/AdditionalMeetingsResources/ACC-2011MAGELLAN_UCM_425291_Article.jsp. Accessed December 10, 2011.
Johnson TJ, Van Metre T. Evaluation of medication reconciliation documentation using pharmacy students in an adult ICU. Presented at:
American Society of Health System Pharmacy Midyear Clinical Meeting; December 6, 2011. New Orleans, LA. Abstract accessed December
11, 2011 from International Pharmaceutical Abstracts database.
Personal communications and other non-published information
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Personal communication should not routinely be used in professional writing. However, occasionally there are times when citing personal
communications may be appropriate.
Do not include personal communications in the list of references. In the body of the paper, provide the name of the person with whom you
were communicating, the date of the communication, and indicate if the communication was verbal or written.
Place the period at the end of the sentence, outside the parenthesis.
Examples:
1. According to the manufacturer, the drug became available in Japan in January 2010 (JD Smith, oral communication, August 20, 2011).
2. Results of an unpublished study conducted by Kinney demonstrate that Mary’s Magic Mouthwash is only stable for five days when refrigerated
(G. Kinney, written communication, August 20, 2011).
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