How to Cite a Book in AMA 11
Complete guide with examples for citing print books, ebooks, edited volumes, and book chapters in AMA 11th edition.
Basic Format: Print Book (Single Author)
AMA uses authors' last names followed by initials without periods or spaces between initials. Include edition number if not the first.
Reference List Entry
Author AA. Title of Book. Edition number. Publisher; Year.
Example: Single Author
Citation
Gawande A. Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End. Metropolitan Books; 2014.
In‑Text Citation (Superscript)
Gawande1 argues that...
Book with Multiple Authors
List up to six authors. If more than six, list the first three followed by "et al."
Example (Three Authors)
Levitin DJ, Byrne D, Smith JA. I Heard There Was a Secret Chord: Music as Medicine. WW Norton; 2025.
Edited Book
Example
Johnson P, ed. Contemporary Indigenous Poetics. Talonbooks; 2024.
Chapter in an Edited Book
Example
Wong M. Reclaiming narrative sovereignty. In: Johnson P, ed. Contemporary Indigenous Poetics. Talonbooks; 2024:45-67.
Ebook with DOI or URL
Example
Brown B. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead. Avery; 2015. Accessed April 8, 2026. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I include the city of publication?
No. AMA style omits the place of publication for books.
How do I format author names?
List last name first, followed by initials without periods or spaces (e.g., Smith JA, not Smith J.A.).