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Quick answer: there is no single “scientific” reference format. A scientific paper uses whichever style the target journal prescribes in its author instructions: for example IEEE for IEEE journals, AMA for JAMA-family journals, NLM/Vancouver for journals following the ICMJE Recommendations, or APA author-date where a journal adopts it. This page renders one fictional journal article in four styles, names each element, and shows the in-text form that goes with each. For the CSE system used in many life-science journals, see the CSE science reference style guide.
The format: elements of a journal-article reference
Every style below asks for the same core elements (authors, article title, journal, year, volume, issue, pages, DOI) but arranges and punctuates them differently. Patterns are from the style bodies’ own materials listed under Sources.
| Element | APA 7th | IEEE | Vancouver / NLM | AMA 11th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Author form | Surname, A. A., & Surname, B. B. | J. K. Surname (initials first) | Surname AA, Surname BB | Surname AA, Surname BB |
| Article title | Sentence case, no quotation marks, not italic | In quotation marks, ends with a comma inside the quote | Plain, ends with a period | Plain, ends with a period |
| Journal name | Full title, Title Case, italic | Abbreviated title | MEDLINE-style abbreviation | Abbreviation (PubMed list), italic |
| Date, volume, issue | (Year). Volume italic, then (issue) | vol. x, no. x, with abbreviated month and year | Year Mon day;vol(issue) | Year;Volume(Issue) |
| Pages | #-# after the issue | pp. xxx-xxx | :pages | :pages |
| DOI | https://doi.org/xxxx, no final period | doi: xxx | doi: 10.xxxx | doi:10.xxxx |
Examples: one article in four styles
The article, its authors and its journal below are invented for illustration; the DOI is a placeholder, not a real identifier. Only the pattern is real.
APA 7th
Smith, J., & Lee, K. (2023). Effects of sample size on bias. Journal of Example Studies, 12(3), 45-60. https://doi.org/10.0000/example.123
APA’s own reference guide adds that a DOI should be included for every work that has one, and that the article title takes sentence case while the periodical title takes Title Case. For a fuller APA walk-through see how to cite a journal article in APA.
IEEE
[1] J. Smith and K. Lee, "Effects of sample size on bias," J. Exmpl. Stud., vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 45-60, Mar. 2023, doi: 10.0000/example.123.
IEEE’s guide lists up to six names; with more than six, give the first author followed by “et al.”
Vancouver / NLM
1. Smith J, Lee K. Effects of sample size on bias. J Exmpl Stud. 2023 Mar 1;12(3):45-60. doi: 10.0000/example.123
The NLM sample page shows a DOI as lowercase “doi:”, a space, then the bare DOI after the volume and pages (for example “BMJ. 2009 Jan 7;338:a2752. doi: 10.1136/bmj.a2752.”). ICMJE tells authors to abbreviate journal titles in MEDLINE style and names NLM’s Citing Medicine (2nd edition) as the reference source.
AMA 11th
1. Smith J, Lee K. Effects of sample size on bias. J Exmpl Stud. 2023;12(3):45-60. doi:10.0000/example.123
JAMA’s instructions, which apply AMA style, put the issue in parentheses after the volume and list up to six authors; with more than six, list the first three followed by “et al.” For AMA web-page and book entries see AMA style references.
MLA and Purdue OWL: how do I cite a journal article and a DOI?
The Purdue OWL periodicals page gives the MLA journal pattern as: Author(s). “Title of Article.” Title of Journal, Volume, Issue, Year, pages (its example ends “vol. 15, no. 1, 1996, pp. 41-50.”). For electronic journal articles, Purdue OWL’s electronic-sources page says to use https://doi.org/ before the DOI number. Both pages were read on 2026-11-07. A full step-by-step is on the MLA works cited article page.
In-text citation version
| Style | In-text form |
|---|---|
| APA 7th | Author-date: (Smith & Lee, 2023). For three or more authors, the first author plus “et al.” in every citation, including the first: (Smith et al., 2023). Direct quotes add a page: (Smith & Lee, 2023, p. 20). |
| IEEE | Numbers in square brackets, inside punctuation: [1]. Page detail goes inside the bracket: [1, p. 5]. Multiple works are written out, [1], [2], [3], not as a range. |
| Vancouver / NLM | ICMJE: “Identify references in text, tables, and legends by Arabic numerals in parentheses”, numbered consecutively in order of first mention. |
| AMA 11th | Superscript Arabic numerals, numbered in order of first appearance in text, tables and legends, not alphabetically. |
Because APA is author-date and the other three are numbered, converting a manuscript between them is not only a change to the reference list: every in-text citation changes too, and numbered styles also fix the order of the list.
Common errors
- Mixing styles inside one paper, for example APA sentence-case titles with IEEE brackets. Pick the journal’s style and apply all of its elements.
- Wrong journal-name form. APA spells the periodical out; IEEE, Vancouver and AMA use abbreviations.
- Dropping the DOI. APA requires one wherever it exists; each numbered style’s examples include it.
- Numbering by the reference list instead of by first mention in Vancouver and AMA.
- Using a range such as [1]-[4] in IEEE when the guide asks for each number to be written out.
- Treating a style as universal. The journal’s author instructions override a general style manual, so check them before formatting.
Style-guide edition
- APA: Publication Manual, 7th edition (2020); the official reference examples and reference guide handouts were read 2026-10-28 (examples handout updated 3 March 2026, guide updated 23 March 2026).
- IEEE: IEEE Reference Guide, version 3.28.2025, read 2026-10-28.
- Vancouver / NLM: ICMJE Recommendations with NLM Citing Medicine, 2nd edition, read 2026-10-28.
- AMA: AMA Manual of Style, 11th edition (2020), patterns taken from JAMA’s author instructions, read 2026-10-28.
FAQ
Does scientific writing use APA?
Some scientific journals do, but science as a whole has no single style. APA is the style of the APA Publication Manual; whether a given paper uses it depends on the journal’s author instructions. JAMA-family journals apply AMA, IEEE journals apply IEEE style, and journals following the ICMJE Recommendations use NLM/Vancouver references.
How do I cite a scientific journal article in MLA?
Purdue OWL’s pattern is Author(s). “Title of Article.” Title of Journal, Volume, Issue, Year, pages, with https://doi.org/ before a DOI for electronic articles. See the section above and MLA works cited for an article.
Is there an online converter from APA to MLA?
This page does not recommend a specific converter. The differences between styles are the field order, punctuation, title case and author form shown in the table above. Reference managers apply a style file to stored records, so changing the style re-renders the whole list; always compare the output with the style’s own patterns.
How do I cite a DOI for a website in Purdue OWL format?
Purdue OWL says to place https://doi.org/ before the DOI number for electronic books and journal articles. To decide between a DOI and a plain URL, see DOI vs URL.
What is the scientific paper reference format for a reviewed source?
Peer-review status does not change the format; it affects whether a source belongs in your list. See what peer-reviewed references are.
Sources
- APA Style, reference examples: apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/reference-examples.pdf and reference guide: apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/reference-guide.pdf, read 2026-10-28.
- IEEE Author Center, Reference Guide and Editorial Style Manual: journals.ieeeauthorcenter.ieee.org, read 2026-10-28.
- NLM, Samples of formatted references: nlm.nih.gov/bsd/uniform_requirements.html; ICMJE, Preparing a manuscript for submission, read 2026-10-28.
- JAMA Network, Instructions for authors (AMA style): jamanetwork.com, read 2026-10-28.
- Purdue OWL, MLA periodicals and electronic sources pages: owl.purdue.edu, read 2026-11-07.
