Format References

Referencing style follows the AMA (American Medical Association, 11th edition) guidelines of the American Medical Association.
1. References
References include documents that are cited, used, and mentioned in books, scientific articles, reports, etc.
2. Forms and principles of referencing
2.1 Forms of citation
Direct citation is the verbatim quotation of part of a sentence, a full sentence, a paragraph, images, diagrams, processes, etc., from the original source into the manuscript. It must ensure absolute accuracy in every word, sentence, and punctuation mark as in the original source. “The quoted content must be placed within quotation marks,” and the reference number should be written in superscript immediately after the quoted content. Excessive use of direct quotations should be avoided as it reduces the originality of the manuscript.
Indirect citation is the use of ideas, results, or opinions from a source and rewriting them in one’s own words while preserving the original meaning. This is the recommended form of citation. Care must be taken to avoid misinterpretation and to ensure fidelity to the original content.
Secondary citation is citing information through another author’s document. For example, when the writer wants to cite information originally from author A but cannot access A’s original work and instead uses a document by author B. In this case, the original source (author A) is not listed in the reference list. Secondary citation should be limited, and original sources should be accessed whenever possible.
2.2 Principles of referencing
References may be cited in the Introduction, literature review, Methods, and Discussion sections. References should not be used in the Abstract, Results, or Conclusion sections.
The citation format must be consistent throughout the manuscript, follow the order of appearance, and comply with the journal’s citation style.
References should be cited immediately when information is used. The reference number is placed at the end of a sentence, paragraph, or direct quotation (e.g., figures, diagrams, formulas, or verbatim text).
References are numbered according to their order in the reference list. When citing multiple sources, numbers are arranged in ascending order, separated by commas without spaces:
Superscript numbers are used, placed immediately after the cited content and increasing in order of appearance
Numbers are placed outside quotation marks “….,”¹ and parentheses (…)², but before semicolons³; commas⁴, colons⁵: and periods⁶.
Use commas to separate citation numbers¹,⁴ or hyphens for consecutive numbers²–⁴
No space is used before or between citation numbers⁸
Do not cite immediately after a number (…there were 153 patients); instead, cite after the related word (…there were 15 patients³)
Do not cite immediately after measurement units (…previous study was 12 cm²); instead, cite elsewhere (…previous study² was 12 cm)
Be specific (…many studies show 20% complication⁷,⁹ and 10% mortality¹⁰)
If citing author names, the reference number must immediately follow (this result is similar to Nicholls et al. and Prusiner et al. in the hypothesis of disease mechanisms.)
The use or citation of other authors’ research results (tables, figures, formulas, graphs, and other materials) must be fully and clearly referenced.
Do not include academic titles, ranks, or social status of authors in citations or in the reference list.
All cited references must appear in the reference list and vice versa. Do not cite documents that have not been read. Authors must have access to and have read all cited materials. Avoid citing trivial details, personal opinions, subjective experiences, or widely known knowledge.
When multiple sources discuss the same information, priority should be given to the highest-quality studies/articles.
References should preferably be recent and valuable, ideally within the last 5 years.
3. Construction and presentation of the reference list
The reference list is arranged in the order of citation (order of appearance in the manuscript), regardless of language (Vietnamese, English, French, etc.). References are cited by number (as assigned in the reference list), not by author name and year. Foreign-language references must be kept in their original form, without transliteration or translation. For less commonly known foreign languages, a Vietnamese translation may be added. Theses, dissertations, and website articles should not be used, and general textbook titles should be limited as references.