What does a NLM reference list entry look like?

A journal article formatted in NLM looks like this: [1] Rivera M, Chen D. The mapping of meaning: A study of citation practice. Journal of Scholarly Communication. 2021;12(3):145–162.

How can I generate a NLM citation?

Use the free generator on this page: paste a DOI, URL (e.g. a news article), or BibTeX, or search for a book by title or author. Select NLM as the citation style and click Generate to get a formatted reference you can copy into your paper or bibliography.

NLM Citation Generator

Create accurate NLM citations for books, articles, and websites in one click.

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NLM citation examples

The same three sources formatted in NLM — a numeric style: sources are numbered in the order they are first cited, and in-text citations use those numbers:

Journal article: [1] Rivera M, Chen D. The mapping of meaning: A study of citation practice. Journal of Scholarly Communication. 2021;12(3):145–162.
Book: [2] Okafor A. The craft of research writing. 2nd ed. Cambridge: University Press; 2019.
Website: [3] Larsen S. How peer review works [Internet]. Open Science Digest. 2023 [cited 2024 Jan 10]. Available from: https://www.example.org/peer-review.
In-text citation (for the journal article): [1]

About NLM

NLM style is used in medicine and life sciences. It uses numbered references.

When to use NLM: Medical and life sciences when NLM format is required. Common in: United States.

Subject areas: medicine.

How to use this NLM generator

Paste a DOI, a URL to a news article or webpage, or raw BibTeX into the box above. You can also search for a book by title or author and cite it by ISBN. Choose "NLM" in the style dropdown (it's pre-selected on this page), then click "Generate citation." Copy the result into your reference list or bibliography. You can edit the generated entry (e.g. fix a title or add a date) before copying.

Frequently asked questions about NLM

What is National Library of Medicine (NLM)?: NLM style is used in medicine and life sciences. It uses numbered references.
When should I use NLM?: Medical and life sciences when NLM format is required.
What does an in-text citation look like in NLM?: NLM is a numeric style: sources are numbered in the order they are first cited, and in-text citations use those numbers. Citing our sample journal article in the text looks like: [1]
What does a NLM reference list entry look like?: A journal article formatted in NLM looks like this: [1] Rivera M, Chen D. The mapping of meaning: A study of citation practice. Journal of Scholarly Communication. 2021;12(3):145–162.
How can I generate a NLM citation?: Use the free generator on this page: paste a DOI, URL (e.g. a news article), or BibTeX, or search for a book by title or author. Select NLM as the citation style and click Generate to get a formatted reference you can copy into your paper or bibliography.

CitationEasy supports many citation styles from around the world. Our generator uses Citation Style Language (CSL) styles from the official CSL repository.