How to Cite a Book in AMA (11th edition)
Learn how to cite printed and electronic books in AMA format (11th edition). This guide includes the reference list format, in-text citation examples, and key formatting rules.
AMA Reference List Format
Here is the standard AMA format for citing a book in your reference list:
Author AA. Title of Book. Edition. City, State: Publisher; Year.
AMA Example for a Book
A complete AMA reference for a book, formatted by the official AMA CSL style definition — the same engine that powers the generator on this site:
1. Okafor A. The Craft of Research Writing. 2nd ed. University Press; 2019.
Matching in-text citation: 1
AMA In-Text Citation
Use one of these formats when referencing this source within your paper:
Parenthetical
1(p45)
Narrative
Smith1 explains...
Key AMA Formatting Rules
- Do not italicize the book title.
- Abbreviate author first names to initials.
- Include edition, city/state, publisher, and year.
- Use a semicolon before the year.
- References are numbered consecutively in order of first citation.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Gather source information: Collect the author name, title, publication date, and URL or DOI for your book.
- Format the reference: Arrange the elements following the AMA (11th edition) template shown above.
- Create the in-text citation: Add a parenthetical or narrative citation in your paper where you reference this source.
- Add to your reference list: Include the full formatted citation at the end of your paper.
- Double-check formatting: Verify italics, punctuation, capitalization, and hanging indents match AMA requirements.
Evidence and review notes
Worked examples are generated by citeproc from the published CSL definition, not written by a language model. Editorial guidance and sources in this section were reviewed on 2026-08-14.
CSL style record: ama.csl
Metadata to collect
- author or editor
- book title
- edition
- publisher
- publication year
- ISBN
Common metadata traps
- Match the ISBN and year to the edition you actually used.
- Do not cite the whole book when your source is a chapter by another author.
Editorial sources
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I cite a book in AMA?
- To cite a book in AMA (11th edition), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.
- What is the AMA format for a book citation?
- The AMA format for a book is: Author AA. Title of Book. Edition. City, State: Publisher; Year.
- What does the in-text citation look like for a book in AMA?
- In AMA, the in-text citation for the example above is 1(p45)
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