Set up the paper before polishing the references
AMA Paper Format for Title Pages, Abstracts, and Headings
Compare a university course guide with a journal’s manuscript instructions, then fill in the layout rules for your own paper.
Set your AMA paper format from the assignment or submission instructions before you style the first page. Liberty University’s course guide specifies Times New Roman for body text. Academic Medicine uses Calibri and asks Research Report authors to follow its own abstract labels. We checked both sets of instructions to see which choices you need to make before opening an AMA paper template.
Start with the course or journal instructions
For coursework, open the assignment and rubric together. Write down the type of paper, whether an abstract is required, and the version of the template your instructor supplied. The university guide can fill in details the rubric leaves open. If the documents give conflicting directions, ask the instructor which one governs the assignment.
For a journal submission, pick the article type first. Keep the general manuscript instructions open beside that article type’s requirements. A word limit for the main text and a word limit for the abstract belong in separate entries. Record what the journal counts so you can check the right portion of your draft.
Compare two published sets of requirements
Start with the body font and heading size. These choices affect page breaks, so set them before you judge how the paper fits. The journal column applies to Research Reports. Check the article type again if you switch categories.
| Decision | Liberty University coursework | Academic Medicine Research Report |
|---|---|---|
| Body type | 12-point Times New Roman | 12-point Calibri |
| Main headings | 14-point Arial | 16-point bold with title case |
| Title page | Use the course sample and check the assignment fields | Supply author names, affiliations, and corresponding author details |
| Structured abstract | The Quick Guide lists Importance, Objective, Design, Setting, Participants, Main Outcome and Measures, Results, and Conclusion. Confirm the labels in your assignment. | Purpose, Method, Results, Conclusions. Up to 300 words and include the study year. |
| Page setup | Follow the course template and rubric | US Letter, 1-inch margins, left aligned and double spaced, including references |
Plan the title page and abstract
Build your AMA title page from the required fields. A course template may ask for information that identifies your assignment, while a manuscript title page helps the editorial office identify the authors and contact the corresponding author. Check the exact fields and whether the submission system also asks for them separately.
Put the abstract on the page specified by the destination. Academic Medicine places it between the title page and main text. For a Research Report, draft the abstract under the journal’s four labels and check the study year and word count. When you revise a result in the manuscript, compare the abstract with the updated results and tables before you submit.
Illustrative page order for a course paper
Title page → abstract if assigned → main text → references → appendices if used → tables or figures if directed
This example shows a possible sequence. Use the assignment to confirm which pages and exhibits belong in your file.
Set a consistent heading and body structure
Sketch the sections before you style them. Give sections that do the same job the same heading level. If a main section has only one subsection, see whether the subsection earns its own heading or reads better as part of the section.
Apply named styles in your editor so a change to the first-level heading reaches every heading at that level. Set paper size, margins, paragraph spacing, and page numbers before you review line breaks. A change in margins can push a heading to the bottom of a page, so inspect the layout after setting the page dimensions.
Review tables, appendices, and the final layout
Give each table a clear title and check that the text points to the correct table number. Verify that a table still makes sense when read on its own. Define abbreviations where readers need them and compare the table’s totals with the text. If a journal asks for a separate exhibit file, check that you have attached the final version.
Liberty’s guide places appendices after references for its online coursework and puts attached tables or figures after any appendices. For a journal submission, check the article type’s limits for tables and figures, then read the instructions for supplementary material. An appendix that travels in the paper and a supplement uploaded separately need different places on your checklist.
Open the file you will submit and inspect the pages in order. Check that the title page fields survived the export, the abstract starts where it should, and headings stay with the paragraphs they introduce. Review page numbers at section breaks and scan the final table on each page for cut-off text.
Fill in the layout checklist before submitting
Save a copy of the worksheet and enter the rule beside each item. Record where you found it, including the rubric section or journal heading. Mark an item as checked only after comparing it with the final file. Leave unresolved items visible so you can address them before export.
Finish the numbered references
Trace the superscripts to their reference entries after the last round of edits. Start with passages you moved, since moving a citation can change when a source first appears. Keep the paper’s page layout in your document editor and use the citation builder for individual reference entries.