When citing a book in AMA, you should provide the author’s last name and initials, the title in italics, the publisher, and year. The general format of book citations will look like this:
Structure:
Last Name Initials. Book Title: Subtitle. Publisher; Year.
Example:
Jameson H. Principles of Management. Cengage; 2022.
In our citation examples, we use the following color coding:
- Red – Author
- Blue – Title of book/article/charter/webpage
- Pink – Date
- Orange – Website/Publisher
- Violet – Editor/Translator
- Sienna – Pages
- Gray – URL/database/website where the source is retrieved
- Gold – Book, a part/chapter of which is being cited
- Peach – Additional information about the source (i.e. its type, specific features etc.)
Two to Six Authors
For such sources, you should list all authors.
Example:
Robbins SP, Bergman R, Stagg I, Coulter M. What Management Is: Learn the Secrets.
MacMillan; 2022.
More than Seven Authors
Give last names and initials for the first three authors of the work and add “et al.” after the third author.
Example:
Barton JS, Muchinsky PM, Schneier CE, et al. Intensive Care Unit: Nurse Guide. Pearson;
2024.
Corporate/Organization Author
Example:
World Health Organization. A Guide on Pandemics. Cengage; 2021.
Unknown Author
Start with the title of the book.
Example:
Doing the Right Thing: The Ethics of Euthanasia. Routledge; 2022.
Edited Book without an Author
Move the editor name to the author position and follow it with the abbreviation ed. for one editor or eds. for multiple editors.
Example:
Millingstone FG, ed. The Development of World Religions. Springer; 2024.
Edited Book with an Author/s
Place the editor’s last name and initials immediately after the book’s title, followed by the abbreviation ed. for one editor or eds. for multiple editors after a comma.
Example:
Kast FE. Fundamentals of Management. Griffin RW, ed. Jossey-Bass; 2023.
Author with a Translator
Place the name(s) of the translator(s) immediately after the book’s title, add the abbreviation trans.
Example:
Stoner JA. Study of World Opinion Regarding the Development of Science. Marcic DS, trans.
Pearson; 2022.
Different Editions
Add the edition number after the title.
Example:
Smith A. Management Studies. 2nd ed. Pearson; 2024.
Chapter in an Edited Book
Put the author/s of the chapter in the author’s position and cite the name of the chapter without italics or capitalization. Enter the word In followed by a colon and state the editors’ names followed by abbreviation ed/s. Make sure to indicate the page range.
Example:
Bowey AI. Post-Pandemic Economic Crisis. In Orchid ER, ed. COVID-19: Are We Done with
the Aftermath? MacMillan; 2023: 211-225.
Multivolume Work
Give volume number preceded by Vol / Vols after the subtitle with no period.
Example:
Hamel GA. The Evolution of the Philosophical Thought. Vol 2. Springer; 2023.
Encyclopedia/Dictionary
Follow the rule ‘edited book with no author’ or ‘chapter in an edited book’ if you are citing a specific entry.
Structure:
1. Last Name Initials, ed. Book Title: Subtitle. Publisher; Year.
2. Author’s Last Name Initials. Chapter title. In Last Name Initials, ed. Book Title: Subtitle. Publisher; Year: pages.
Example:
1. Blake AD, ed. The Routledge Encyclopedia of Psychology. Routledge; 2023.
2. Rodgers TN. Cognitive-Behavioral Approach. In Blake AD, ed. The Routledge Encyclopedia
of Psychology. Routledge; 2023: 304-305.
Online Book
Cite as printed books but add URL and access date. Follow the same rule for online encyclopedias and book chapters: just like print ones but with the addition of access date and URL.
Example:
Adams AS, Bacon CJ, Cooper ST, et al. Principles of Finance. OpenStax; 2022. Accessed
June 24, 2024. https://openstax.org/details/books/principles-finance