Nearly all major medical journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine , The Lancet , and JAMA , strictly require NLM-style abbreviations in their reference lists. How to Find the Correct Abbreviation
For over a century, from 1879 to 2004, Index Medicus served as the definitive bibliographic index of life sciences, biomedical science, and medical research articles. Medical history experts have called it “America’s greatest contribution to medical knowledge”. Beginning in the 1960s, it was also published as an electronic database known as MEDLARS (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System), a precursor to today’s PubMed. Ultimately, Index Medicus content from the 1940s to 2004 was incorporated into MEDLINE and PubMed, forming the backbone of modern digital medical information systems.
Index Medicus was a comprehensive bibliographic index of medical journal articles, published by the NLM from 1879 until 2004. Although the print index was discontinued, its legacy lives on in the NLM's electronic databases. Nearly all major medical journals, including the New
A: Not always. Some journals print incorrect or inconsistent abbreviations on their covers or websites. Always verify with the NLM Catalog for manuscript submission.
: This NLM style guide provides the foundational rules used to construct these abbreviations if you encounter a rare title not found in standard catalogs. Wits University The Golden Rules of Abbreviation Beginning in the 1960s, it was also published
Enter the full title in the NLM Catalog search box; the abbreviation will appear in the search results.
This public link is valid for 7 days and shares a thread, including any personal information you added. This link or copies made by others cannot be deleted. If you share with third parties, their policies apply. Can’t copy the link right now. Try again later. JACC Instructions for Authors Although the print index was discontinued, its legacy
If you are preparing a manuscript, let me know if you need help finding the for specific journals, or if you need assistance formatting a reference list to match Index Medicus standards. Share public link
The Future of Medical Knowledge NLM Abbreviation: NLM Ind Med