House Style for Copyeditors

Based on AMA Style

ABBREVIATIONS  AND  ACRONYMS   2  

CAPITALIZATION   3  
ITALICS   4  
LANGUAGE/PREFERRED  SPELLING   4  
LATIN  WORDS/PHRASES     6  
NUMBERS  AND  PERCENTAGES   6  
PUNCTUATION   8  

1
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
All abbreviations and acronyms must be defined at their first use. Once defined, only the

abbreviation or acronym should be used. Exception: Spell out in headings; see “Abbreviations

That Do Not Need to Be Defined or Spelled Out” section.

Abbreviations and acronyms may start a sentence.

Plurals: No plural forms are used for abbreviated units of measure. Add a lowercase s to

acronyms. Do not add an apostrophe. Example: RBCs

Genus and species: After the singular form of the genus has been mentioned once, abbreviate

it thereafter in the same discussion when it is accompanied by the species name and when

there is no possibility of confusion (e.g., E. coli). Do not abbreviate the genus name when it is

used without the species. Never abbreviate the species name. Retain periods on genus

abbreviations.

Latin abbreviations: Use the following abbreviations in parenthetical material only. Use the

English translation in running text:

cf. compare

e.g., for example,

, etc. , and so forth

i.e., that is,

viz., namely,

vs. versus, against

Abbreviations That Do Not Need to Be Defined or Spelled Out:

2
 AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome)

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)

IQ (intelligence quotient)

REM (rapid eye movement)

United States vs. U.S.

Spell out United States when it is used as a noun; abbreviate it and use periods when it

precedes a noun as a modifier.

Time

Units of time (days, months, years) can be abbreviated only in tables and figures and in virgule

constructions (i.e., regimens, as in 2 mg/kg/d) in text. In tables and figures, the goal is to be as

concise as possible, and, therefore, familiar units of all kinds are abbreviated.

Use “sec,” not “s,” to abbreviate seconds, and “msec,” not “ms,” for milliseconds.

Units of Measure

Include a space between the number and unit (e.g., 5 cm).

When used in a range, do not repeat the unit (e.g., 5 to 8 cm).

CAPITALIZATION
Capitalize the first word in all entries of lists, boxes, tables, and outlines.

Capitalize names included with eponym’s:

Babinski sign

Kawasaki disease

3
 Apgar score

Capitalize nouns followed by numbers:

Day 5

Chapter 4

Table 2-1

Experiment 8

Do not capitalize nouns that denote common parts of books or tables:

page 2

column 5

row 6

ITALICS
Italics are used for genus and species names, terms (e.g., “The term caregiver has been

used . . .”), and search terms in studies (e.g., “MEDLINE, EMBASE, and International

Pharmaceutical Abstracts [1966–June 2010] were searched for studies relating to the clinical

efficacy and safety of antiplatelet therapy after DES placement using the terms antiplatelet

therapy, thienopyridine, aspirin, clopidogrel, cilostazol, prasugrel, ticlopidine, paclitaxel-eluting

stent, sirolimus-eluting stent, and drug-eluting stent”).

LANGUAGE/PREFERRED SPELLING
bloodstream

brainstem

childbearing

cost-effective, cost-effectiveness

4
counseling

decision making (n); decision-making (adj)

end organ

examination (not exam)

laboratory (not lab)

mm Hg

most common (not commonest)

t test

x-ray

-ic and –ical Words

aeronautic epidemiologic
alphabetical ethnographic
analytical etiologic
anatomic etymologic
anthropological genealogic
anthropometric geographic
arithmetical geometric
astronomical gynecologic
atypical histologic
bacteriologic historic (celebrating history)
biochemical historical (relating to history)
biographic hypothetical
biologic (n.)/biological (adj.) hysterical
botanic immunologic
bronchoscopic logic (n.)/logical (adj.)
chronologic macroscopic
classic (typical) meteorologic
classical (pertaining to classical civilization methodical
and languages) methodological
criminologic microscopic
cylindrical morphologic
cytologic neurologic
dermatologic nosologic
economic (pertaining to economics) numerical
economical (thrifty) obstetric
elliptical ophthalmologic
embryologic optic (pertaining to the eye)
empiric (n.)/empirical (adj.) optical (pertaining to light or the science of
entomologic optics)

5
otolaryngologic rhinologic
paradoxical rhythmic
parasitic roentgenologic
parasitologic serologic
parenthetic skeptic (n.)/skeptical (adj.)
pathogenic sociologic
pathognomonic spherical
pathologic statistical
pediatric symmetric
periodic systemic
pharmaceutical teleologic
pharmacologic theoretic
philosophic therapeutic
physiologic topographic
problematic toxicologic
psychiatric urologic
psychic zoologic
psychological

Jargon

Avoid jargon and medicalese:

Incorrect Correct

patient on antihypertensives patient taking antihypertensives

left heart failure left-sided heart failure

patient presents with patient has; the presenting symptoms were

LATIN WORDS/PHRASES
Do not italicize or hyphenate a priori, ad hoc, in vitro, in vivo, per capita, post hoc, etc., and don’t

add a hyphen when these phrases are used as adjectives (e.g., “post hoc study”).

NUMBERS AND PERCENTAGES

Commas with Numbers

6
Close up 4-digit numbers (e.g., 7259), but use a comma in numbers of 5 digits or more (e.g.,

72,590). The same hold true for money (e.g., $1234.56 and $23,456.78).

Fractions

Do not use a hyphen with fractions unless it’s in a compound adjective (e.g., one-third share but

one third of participants).

Spelling Out of Numbers

Numerals should be used to express numbers in all but the following circumstances:

• Numbers that begin a sentence, title, subtitle, or heading

• Common fractions (e.g., one third, one half)

• “One” used as a pronoun (e.g., “The conclusion would be different if one looked only at

the initial findings.”)

• Idiomatic expressions, as in the following:

“The study was plagued by one problem after another.”

“Please include an example or two for comparison.”

“On one hand, . . .”

“The study includes a number of one-time variables.”

“We have experienced zero cooperation so far.”

“The minister quoted the Ten Commandments in his sermon.”

• Ordinals first through ninth.

• Numbers spelled out in quotes or published titles.

Percentages

Use the % symbol for percentages. Repeat the symbol in ranges: 50% to 60%

7
PUNCTUATION
En Dashes

Note: Where an en dash is required, an en dash should be inserted; that is, do not write a

note to the typesetter to insert an en dash and do not use a code for an en dash.

Use an en dash with a compound adjectival construction created from words/terms at

least one of which already contains a hyphen or is composed of more than 1 word (e.g., tumor

necrosis factor-α–mediated function, TNF-α–mediated function).

Use an en dash to indicate a relationship or comparison between items of equal weight

(e.g., blood–brain barrier, case–control study, concentration–time curve, physician–patient

relationship).

Use an en dash in ranges of years, page numbers, and superscript reference citations;

to indicate minus signs; and for blank cells in tables.

Hyphens

In the case of compounds created from 2 recognizable words, use Dorland’s, then Webster’s,

as your guide. If the dictionary doesn’t list the combination as a single word, it should be treated

as 2 words in the case of well-recognized expressions (e.g., health care, not healthcare) or

hyphenated in the case of adjectives that are not generally used. Please note that hyphens are

not needed in the predicate (e.g., The effect was treatment related, The drug was well tolerated,

The effect was short term).

Prefixes: Close up all prefixes, even if a double consonant or double vowel is created (e.g.,

antiinflammatory, posttraumatic).

8
 AMERICAN  MEDICAL  ASSOCIATION  (AMA)  CITATION  STYLE  
Rev.  10/24/2012  
th
General  rules  from  the  10  edition  
• Items  are  listed  numerically  in  the  order  they  are  cited  in  the  text  
• Include  up  to  6  authors    
• For  more  than  six,  provide  the  names  of  the  first  three  authors  and  then  add  et  al  
• If  there  is  no  author,  start  with  the  title  
• Periodicals  (journals,  magazines,  and  newspapers)  should  have  abbreviated  titles;  to  check  for  the  proper  
abbreviation,  search  for  the  Journal  Title  through  LocatorPlus  at  the  National  Library  of  Medicine  website  
Citation  Type   Example  
Journal  article  –  in  print  –  one  author   Spencer  J.  Physician,  heal  thyself  –  but  not  on  your  own    
         please.  Med  Educ.  2005;  89:  548-­‐549.  
Journal  article  –  in  print  –  2-­‐6  authors   Salwachter  AR,  Freischlag  JA,  Sawyer  RG,  Sanfey  HA.  The    
         training  needs  and  priorities  of  male  and  female  surgeons    
         and  their  trainees.  J  Am  Coll  Surg.  2005;  201:  199-­‐205.  
Journal  article  –  in  print  –  more  than  6  authors   Fukushima  H,  Cureoglu  S,  Schachern  P,  et  al.  Cochlear    
         changes  in  patients  with  type  1  diabetes    
         mellitus.        Otolaryngol  Head  Neck  Surg.  2005;  133:  100-­‐6.  
Journal  article  –  online   Coppinger  T,  Jeanes  YM,  Hardwick  J,  Reeves  S.  Body  mass,    
*if  there  is  no  DOI,  provide  the  URL  for  the  specific  article            frequency  of  eating  and  breakfast  consumption  in  9-­‐13-­‐  
         year-­‐olds.  J  Hum  Nutr  Diet.  2012;  25(1):  43-­‐49.  doi:    
         10.1111/j.1365-­‐277X.2011.01184.x  
Journal  article  –  online  from  a  library  database*   Calhoun  D,  Trimarco  T,  Meek  R,  Locasto  D.  Distinguishing    
*there  is  no  specific  way  to  cite  articles  found  in  library            diabetes:  Differentiate  between  type  1  &  type  2  DM.    
databases  according  to  the  AMA  so  double  check  with  your            JEMS  [serial  online].  November  2011;  36(11):32-­‐48.    
professor            Available  from:  CINAHL  Plus  with  Full  Text,  Ipswich,  MA.    
           Accessed  February  2,  2012.  
Newspaper  article  –  in  print   Wolf  W.  State’s  mail-­‐order  drug  plan  launched.      
*if  the  city  name  is  not  part  of  the  newspaper  name,  it  may            Minneapolis  Star  Tribune.  May  14,  2004:1B.  
be  added  to  the  official  name  for  clarity  
*  if  an  article  jumps  from  one  page  to  a  later  page  write  the  
page  numbers  like  D1,  D5  
Newspaper  article  –  online   Pollack  A.  FDA  approves  new  cystic  fibrosis  drug.    
         New  York  Times.  January  31,  2012.    
         http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/01/business  
         /fda-­‐approves-­‐cystic-­‐fibrosis-­‐    
         drug.html?ref=health.  Accessed  February  1,  2012.  
Websites   Outbreak  notice:  Cholera  in  Haiti.  Centers  for    
         Disease  Control  and  Prevention  Web  site.    
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/outbreak-­‐  
         notice/haiti-­‐cholera.htm  
         Published  October  22,  2010.  Updated  January  9,        
         2012.  Accessed  February  1,  2012.  
Entire  book  –  in  print   Modlin  J,  Jenkins  P.  Decision  Analysis  in  Planning    
         for  a  Polio  Outbreak  in  the  United  States.  San    
         Francisco,  CA:  Pediatric  Academic  Societies;  2004.  
Book  chapter  –  in  print   Solensky  R.  Drug  allergy:  desensitization  and    
         treatment  of  reactions  to  antibiotics  and  aspirin.  In:            
         Lockey  P,  ed.  Allergens  and  Allergen  Immunotherapy.  3rd      
         ed.  New  York,  NY:  Marcel  Dekker;  2004:585-­‐606.  

To  find  more  AMA  style  citations,  go  checkout  the    

AMA  Manual  of  Style:  A  Guide  for  Authors  and  Editors.  10th  ed.  Oxford:  Oxford  UP.