Cracking the Code: A Guide to NLM/Index Medicus Journal Abbreviations
Most medical and scientific journals still have strict page or character limits for reference sections. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine Interface takes up 40 characters; its abbreviation J R Soc Med Interface takes 18. Over a 50-reference bibliography, the savings is significant. Cracking the Code: A Guide to NLM/Index Medicus
“Tell your grandfather,” she said softly, “that his citation is correct. And that the library always remembers.” “Tell your grandfather,” she said softly, “that his
For anyone venturing into the world of biomedical research, writing a scientific paper, or performing a literature search, a seemingly small but critical hurdle appears early on: journal title abbreviations. The NLM follows the standard (International Standard for
: Articles ( the , a ), conjunctions ( and ), and prepositions ( of , in ) are almost always removed.
The NLM follows the standard (International Standard for the Abbreviation of Titles of Serials). The goal is to create a unique, concise identifier for each journal.