Much is new in the 11th Edition of the American Medical Association (AMA) Manual of Style. Over the course of 4 years, the committee of more than 10 professionals has revised 23 chapters and added updates to policies and previous recommendations. The 11th edition will be published in January 2020. It will be available in both print and online versions.1
Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing (DCCN), publishes in AMA format. This publication style is used consistently with many scholarly publications as it provides clarity and structure to enhance readability and interpretation. Our journal will adhere to the new guidelines and work closely with authors to incorporate these updates.
In the 11th edition, new content has been added, and much has been updated to address progressive thinking, contemporary usage, and advances in science. Terms related to gender and socioeconomic and health status have been reinterpreted and revised. Some abbreviations no longer need expansion, such as CME, HIV, OMIM, and PMID. Other abbreviations have been discontinued, such as CD (compact disc) and PDA (personal digital assistant). Additionally, terminology on addiction directs authors to avoid the use of "alcoholic," "addict," "user," and "abuser" and replace such words with the patients was addicted, people with opiate addictions, or alcohol misuse disorder.
Updates and announcements are provided on twitter @amamanual. Here, authors may find new examples of references in scientific publications, including newer sources such as trial registries, data repositories, preprints, and social media. The AMA Style Insider blog, also a rich source for updates, may be accessed at http://AMAstydleinsider.com. Many updates have been incorporated over the last few years. For example, the preferred inclusion of DOI was implemented on June 28, 2018, and the hyphen was removed from email in December 2014. And, the internet lost its capital letter in April 2016. So, many changes may be familiar to authors.2
On the AMA style website, http://amamanualofstyle.com, a partial list of updates is summarized below
* preferred inclusion of DOI
* HIV can be used without expansion
* death dagger discontinued
* DOIs in reference lists
* Internet now internet
* disclosure requirements for authors
* new ICMJE criterion and guidance on authorship
* E-mail now email
* clarification of multivariable vs multivariate
* removal of independent statistical analysis requirement
* SD and SE
* IMRAD: comment vs discussion
* citing articles published online ahead of print
* Web site now website
* manufacturer information for equipment, devices, and reagents
* expressing P values to more than 3 significant digits
* no need to expand CI
* WHO updates nomenclature for factors of the HLA System
This revision explains each change by discussing the rationale for change and providing updated examples. In addition to references and document organization, other substantive updates include new tables and figures, updates on grammar, punctuation, and abbreviations. Some updates address preferred and correct usage of new terms and usage examples, such as grammar for social media. Each section includes rationale and examples of nomenclature and language for areas such as genetics, updated statistics, and study design. Contemporized revisions essential for current ethical and legal considerations as well as updates on authorship policies and intellectual property considerations are clear and concise.
As the publication is released, AMA will provide podcast, quizzes, and other educational opportunities for publishers, authors, and production teams to ensure a smooth transition. At DCCN, we will continue to inform authors, reviewers, and editors of these changes.
Kathleen Ahern Gould, RN, MSN, PhD
Editor-in-Chief DCCN Duxbury, Massachusetts
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