Do not abbreviate journal or magazine names, but omit definite articles (eg the, a) at the start of the name.
Full journal names are listed on several websites (eg Web of Science, National Library of Medicine). However, it is best to use the name that is shown on the journal cover. For journals that use both the full title and an abbreviated form on the cover, include both:
JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association
PNAS: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
but
BMJ
If working with an author or publisher who requires journal names to be abbreviated, note that accepted abbreviations differ between lists of journals:
JAMA [National Library of Medicine] JAMA-J Am Med Assoc [Web of Science]
Choose a system of abbreviations to use and use it consistently throughout the reference list. Do not use full stops in abbreviations.
Cite a journal or magazine name as it was published at the time. For example, the British Medical Journal officially changed its name to BMJ in 1985. Articles published before 1985 should be cited as British Medical Journal.
Reminder. Each journal has its own style for references. If writing or editing a paper for a journal, ensure that the journal’s reference style is followed; check both the notes available on the journal’s website and a recent copy of the journal.
The format for an articles is:
