Practical examples of AMA format examples for online articles

Real-world examples of AMA format examples for online articles

Let’s start with what you actually need: real examples. Below are several examples of AMA format examples for online articles you’re likely to cite in health, science, and social science assignments.

Each example follows the 11th edition of the AMA Manual of Style and reflects how students and researchers are citing online sources in 2024–2025.

Example 1: Government health web page (CDC)

This is the kind of source every health sciences student cites at some point.

Source: A CDC page on COVID-19 variants.

AMA reference example:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COVID-19 variants and data. CDC. Updated October 15, 2024. Accessed December 1, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/variants/index.html

In-text citation example:
Recent CDC surveillance has identified multiple circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants.1

Why this matters: Government sites like CDC.gov and NIH.gov are standard in public health papers. This example of AMA format for an online article shows how to handle an institutional author, an updated date, and a long URL.

Example 2: Online article from Mayo Clinic (web article with named author)

Source: A Mayo Clinic article on high blood pressure.

AMA reference example:
Mayo Clinic Staff. High blood pressure (hypertension). Mayo Clinic. Updated May 10, 2024. Accessed December 1, 2025. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/symptoms-causes/syc-20373410

In-text citation example:
Lifestyle interventions can significantly lower blood pressure in many patients.2

This is one of the best examples of AMA format examples for online articles from a reputable medical site. Notice:

• “Mayo Clinic Staff” is treated as the author.
• The article title is in sentence case.
• The site name (Mayo Clinic) is listed as the website or organization.

Example 3: News article on a major newspaper’s website

News articles show up in literature reviews, background sections, and policy discussions.

Source: A New York Times health policy article (hypothetical example with realistic structure).

AMA reference example:
Abelson R. Insurers face new rules on mental health coverage. The New York Times. September 8, 2024. Accessed December 1, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/08/health/mental-health-insurance-rules.html

In-text citation example:
Recent reporting has highlighted gaps in enforcement of mental health parity laws.3

This example of AMA format for an online article shows how to handle:

• A traditional news-style author name.
• A specific publication date but no update date.
• A news outlet as the site name.

Example 4: WebMD article with last medical review date

WebMD is everywhere in introductory assignments and patient education projects.

Source: A WebMD article on type 2 diabetes.

AMA reference example:
Shiel WC Jr. Type 2 diabetes. WebMD. Reviewed June 20, 2024. Accessed December 1, 2025. https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/type-2-diabetes

In-text citation example:
Type 2 diabetes is increasingly diagnosed in younger adults.4

This is one of the examples of AMA format examples for online articles where you may see “Reviewed” instead of “Updated.” In AMA style, you can use the wording shown on the page (Reviewed, Updated, Revised) before the date.

Example 5: Online article from a peer-reviewed journal (HTML version)

Many journals publish full-text HTML articles alongside PDFs. You still treat them as journal articles, but students often discover them as “web pages.”

Source: An online article from JAMA.

AMA reference example:
Wang Y, Smith J, Patel R, et al. Telehealth use and patient outcomes in primary care during the COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA. 2024;332(5):421-430. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.12345

In-text citation example:
Telehealth visits increased dramatically without clear evidence of worse clinical outcomes.5

Even though you accessed this article online, you cite it as a standard journal article. This is a good reminder that not every online article needs the full web-page treatment in AMA.

Example 6: Blog post on a university website

Academic blogs and commentary are increasingly used in policy and education papers.

Source: A Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health blog post.

AMA reference example:
Galea S. Rethinking public health in a post-pandemic world. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. April 2, 2025. Accessed December 1, 2025. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/rethinking-public-health-post-pandemic

In-text citation example:
Some public health scholars argue for a broader focus on social determinants of health.6

This example of AMA format for an online article shows how to handle a blog-style piece:

• Individual author.
• Standalone article title.
• Institutional website.

Example 7: Online article with no named author

Sometimes you have to cite a web page that lists no specific author.

Source: An NIH page on clinical trials.

AMA reference example:
National Institutes of Health. Learn about clinical studies. NIH. Updated August 30, 2024. Accessed December 1, 2025. https://www.nih.gov/health-information/nih-clinical-research-trials-you

In-text citation example:
Patients often misunderstand the purpose of clinical trials and research studies.7

Here, the organization (National Institutes of Health) is treated as the author. This is one of the most common examples of AMA format examples for online articles used in health sciences coursework.

Example 8: Online magazine article with a long title

Magazine-style pieces blur the line between journalism and commentary.

Source: A long-form article from The Atlantic (hypothetical but formatted realistically).

AMA reference example:
Khazan O. Why Americans still struggle to access mental health care in 2025. The Atlantic. March 14, 2025. Accessed December 1, 2025. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2025/03/mental-health-care-access/673921

In-text citation example:
Barriers to mental health care persist despite policy changes and increased awareness.8

This example of AMA format for an online article highlights that you:

• Keep the full, long title in sentence case.
• Use the magazine name as the website/source.
• Include the full date when available.

How to recognize when an online article should use AMA web format

After seeing these examples of AMA format examples for online articles, a pattern starts to emerge. Most online articles that are not peer-reviewed journal PDFs will follow a similar structure:

• Author or organization name
• Article or page title
• Website or publisher
• Publication or update date
• Accessed date
• URL

You lean on the “web page” style of AMA format when:

• The content is on a general website (.gov, .org, .edu, .com), not in a journal database.
• The page looks like an article or informational piece, not a PDF of a journal article or book chapter.
• There is a visible publication or update date (or at least a year).

If you can identify those elements on the page, you can usually map them to the kind of examples of AMA format examples for online articles shown above.

AMA format details that trip people up (with online article examples)

The rules themselves are not complicated; the messy part is what happens in real life. Here are common problem areas, each tied to a practical example of AMA format for an online article.

No date on the web page

If there is truly no date anywhere on the page (no year, no updated line, no copyright specific to that page), AMA allows you to omit the date and rely on the access date.

Example:
American Public Health Association. Public health policy priorities. APHA. Accessed December 1, 2025. https://www.apha.org/advocacy/policy-priorities

You still include the access date and the URL. This is a realistic example of AMA format for an online article with missing publication information.

Very long URLs

AMA does not require URL shortening. Use the full URL, even if it looks awkward. In practice, instructors care more that you cited the correct page than that the URL is tidy.

Multiple update dates

Some sites show a “published” date and a later “updated” date. In AMA, you typically use the most recent date that reflects the version you accessed. If both are clearly labeled, you can include “Updated” before the newer date, as in the CDC and NIH examples of AMA format examples for online articles above.

Organization as author vs. website name

When the organization is clearly responsible for the content, it can appear as both the author and the website name.

Example:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Flu vaccine: What you need to know. CDC. Updated September 12, 2024. Accessed December 1, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/keyfacts.htm

Here, “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention” is the author, and “CDC” is the site name.

Why accurate AMA examples for online articles matter in 2024–2025

In 2024–2025, instructors are paying more attention to how students handle online sources. Two trends make examples of AMA format examples for online articles especially important right now:

• Explosion of web-based health information. Students are citing CDC, NIH, Mayo Clinic, WebMD, and similar sites constantly. Bad citations make it harder for readers to verify claims.
• AI-generated content and misinformation. Faculty want to see that you’re pulling from reputable sources and that you can document exactly where information came from.

Using clean, consistent AMA citations for online articles does a few things for you:

• Signals that you understand how to work with evidence.
• Makes it easy for readers (and graders) to check your sources.
• Reduces the chance you’ll be flagged for sloppy or incomplete referencing.

The real best examples of AMA format examples for online articles are the ones that let someone else find your source in two clicks, without guessing.

Quick AMA structure guide, using online article examples

Instead of memorizing rules, anchor them to the real examples you’ve already seen.

For a typical online article (like the Mayo Clinic or WebMD examples):

• Start with the author’s last name and initials, or the organization.
• Add the article title in sentence case.
• Add the website or publisher.
• Add the publication or update date.
• Add “Accessed” and the date you last viewed the page.
• End with the URL.

Read this against the NIH and CDC examples of AMA format examples for online articles above and you’ll see the pattern repeat.

If you’re ever unsure, check the AMA Manual of Style (11th ed.) or your library’s AMA guide. Many universities host public AMA quick guides on their .edu sites.

FAQ: AMA format examples for online articles

How do I know if I should treat something as an online article or a journal article in AMA?
If your source is in a database like PubMed and looks like a formal journal article with volume, issue, and page numbers (or an e-location), you use the journal article format, even if you read it online. If it’s a web page on a site like CDC.gov, NIH.gov, MayoClinic.org, WebMD.com, or a news outlet, follow the online article/web page pattern shown in the examples of AMA format examples for online articles above.

Can you give an example of AMA format for an online article with no author?
Yes. When there is no individual author, use the organization as the author, as in the NIH and CDC examples. For instance: National Institutes of Health. Learn about clinical studies. NIH. Updated August 30, 2024. Accessed December 1, 2025. URL. This is a standard example of AMA format for an online article with an institutional author.

Do I always need an access date for online articles in AMA?
For web pages and online articles, yes, AMA expects an access date. The web changes constantly, and the access date documents when you saw that version of the page. Every one of the examples of AMA format examples for online articles in this guide includes an access date for that reason.

Should I include the DOI for an online article if it has one?
If the article is a journal article with a DOI, follow the journal article format and include the DOI instead of a URL, even if you read it on the journal’s website. The JAMA example in this guide shows that pattern. For general web pages (CDC, NIH, Mayo Clinic, etc.), you normally will not have a DOI and should use the URL.

Where can I see more AMA examples for web and online sources?
Check your university library’s AMA guide (many are public), the AMA Manual of Style (11th ed.), and reputable academic sites. For health-related online articles, looking at how CDC, NIH, and major academic medical centers are cited in institutional guides will give you more real examples that match what instructors expect.