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NUMERIC SYSTEM

Free NLM Style (National Library of Medicine) Citation Generator

The National Library of Medicine standard developed for PubMed and NCBI databases. Characterized by strict punctuation, standardized date formats, and unique digital object identifiers.

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Reference List / Bibliography Entry
In-Text Citation (Parenthetical or Numeric)

Core Formatting Rules (NLM)

Standards derived directly from Citing Medicine: The NLM Style Guide for Authors, Editors, and Publishers (2nd ed.).

Unpunctuated Initials

Author initials formatted without periods (Patel RK, Gomez ME).

Year;Month Day Format

Specific date notation: 2024 Mar 15;42(6):100-108.

Standard Database Citing

Direct rules for citing GenBank records, clinical trial registries, and preprints.

Numeric Sequential Order

Matches Vancouver in numbering order and Index Medicus title standards.

Worked NLM Example: Preprint

Reference list entry and corresponding in-text citation correctly formatted in NLM.

Reference List Entry
Watanabe S, Brooks H. Genomic variation in multi-drug resistant hospital isolates. medRxiv 2024.02.14.24302811 [Preprint]. 2024 [cited 2024 Aug 10]. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.02.14.24302811
In-Text Citation
[4]

Disciplines & Target Fields

Academic subjects and publications that require NLM formatting.

Health SciencesBioethicsMedical InformaticsPublic Health

Compare with Other Citation Styles

Switch between style manuals to see different in-text patterns and bibliography rules.

APA 7th Edition (APA) MLA 9th Edition (MLA) Chicago 17th Edition (Notes & Bibliography) (Chicago) Harvard Referencing System (Harvard) IEEE Style (IEEE) Vancouver Style (Vancouver) ACS Style (American Chemical Society) (ACS) AMA Manual of Style (AMA) CSE Style (Council of Science Editors) (CSE) ASA Style (American Sociological Association) (ASA) The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (Bluebook) Turabian 9th Edition (Turabian) APSA Style (American Political Science Association) (APSA) ASME Style (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) (ASME)

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the golden rules of NLM citation formatting?

Unpunctuated Initials: Author initials formatted without periods (Patel RK, Gomez ME). Year;Month Day Format: Specific date notation: 2024 Mar 15;42(6):100-108. Standard Database Citing: Direct rules for citing GenBank records, clinical trial registries, and preprints. Numeric Sequential Order: Matches Vancouver in numbering order and Index Medicus title standards.

Which academic fields use NLM?

NLM Style (National Library of Medicine) is primarily used across Health Sciences, Bioethics, Medical Informatics, Public Health.

What official manual defines NLM rules?

Official guidelines and standards are documented in "Citing Medicine: The NLM Style Guide for Authors, Editors, and Publishers (2nd ed.)".

How do I generate and copy a citation with this tool?

Select your source type (journal, book, website, etc.), fill in the metadata fields, and click "Copy Reference" or "Copy In-Text". It runs 100% in your browser without tracking.

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