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EndNote Library Management

Important Information on Using EndNote for AMA

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Styles for AMA 11

Depending upon the version of EndNote you are using, the EndNote style you need may be AMA 11 or JAMA.

Despite EndNote making formatting citations a breeze, you will still need to be familiar enough with the AMA Manual of Style to determine if the formatted references are correct. The Mulford Health Science Library has a print copy of AMA 11 on reserve. The University Libraries also has a copy of the manual online [access restricted to UToledo affiliates].

Updating the Journals List to Handle Journal Title Conversions

AMA 11 requires that citations to journal articles use abbreviated journal titles (NCBI NLM abbreviations). While some health science database exports use the abbreviated journal titles, some do not. EndNote can convert full journal titles to abbreviations, so long as it has the information. To provide it with the information needed, update your EndNote library's journals list with the list of medical journals.

In EndNote 21: Library menu >> Open Term Lists >> Journals Term List. In the window, click on the Lists tab.

  • Windows: Click on Import List, then select medical from the resulting list then Open. The list should be imported.
  • MacOS: Click on Import List, then browse to Applications >> EndNote >> Terms. Select medical then OK. The list should be imported

Close the windows until you are back to the EndNote library window. This will take care of many journal titles, but be aware that you may need to make corrections in your EndNote library.

Cleaning References

As noted above, you need to know enough about AMA style to determine if the EndNote-formatted references are correct. Things that commonly need to be edited in EndNote include the following. To edit a reference in EndNote, double-click the reference, and make sure you are viewing the reference in edit mode.

  • Organization as an author is wrong in my reference list (editing instructions)
  • Capitalization of article titles (first word of title, but not the subtitle, plus proper names). Capitalization can be changed in EndNote using the Change Case feature:
    Windows: Highlight the words needing the case to be changed. From Edit menu, select Change Case, then choose the option you need.
    Mac: Highlight the words needing the case to be changed.  __________________
  • Abbreviated journal title (see information above on importing the medical.txt journals term list; you may need to make corrections within the EndNote record)
  • Including the DOI (check the article on the publisher's web site to see if a DOI has been assigned)
  • Tweaking dates (sometimes the import from a database will bring over additional information, such as a date, that is not needed for AMA style; that info will need to be deleted from the EndNote record)

Customized styles for AMA 11

Depending on your program and the project you are working on, you may have need of a customized style for AMA 11 (such as the PA students needing to create annotated bibliographies). If the standard AMA11/JAMA style isn't working for a project, consult your liaison librarian.

Getting Additional Help

If you need additional help with using EndNote for AMA style, consult your liaison librarian or email MulfordReference@utoledo.edu. We are unable to provide assistance to people outside of the University of Toledo.