Abbreviated journal titles can make finding a journal difficult. It is often necessary to know the full title in order to locate the journal or to request it on inter-library loan. To find journal title abbreviations you could use:
- PubMed Journal Browser or All that JAS (Journal Abbreviation Sources)
- List of journals indexed in Index Medicus - in the Medical Library; current copy at REF AA6d LIS.
- Embase list of journals indexed - in the Medical Library at Ref AA6g EMT
- BIOSIS Serial Sources - in the Medical Library at Ref AA6d SER
- For older references try World list of scientific periodicals - in the Medical Library at Ref AA6d WOR
If you are unable to find the abbreviation you are looking for please ask a member of Library staff.
Unofficial abbreviations
Sometimes very short unofficial abbreviations are employed in reference books or journals. Here are some example that you may encounter:
- AJCP - American journal of clinical pathology
- ABB - Archives of biochemistry and biophysics
- BBRC - Biochemical and biophysical research communications
- BBA - Biochimica et biophysica acta
- BDJ - British dental journal
- BJA - British journal of anasthesia
- BJC - British journal of cancer
- BJCP - British journal of clinical pharmacology
- BJO - British journal of ophthalmology
- BJR - British journal of radiology
- BMB - British medical bulletin
- BMJ - British medical journal
- EJN - European journal of neuroscience
- JAC - Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy
- JAAHA - Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association
- JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association
- JAVMA - Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- JSAP - Journal of small animal practice
- JBC - Journal of biological chemistry
- JBJS - Journal of bone and joint surgery
- JCI - Journal of clinical investigation
- JCP - Journal of clinical pathology
- JIDR - Journal of intellectual disability research
- JJATS - Journal of the Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery
- JLR - Journal of lipid research
- JMB - Journal of molecular biology
- MMBR - Microbiology and molecular biology reviews
- MMWR - Morbidity and mortality weekly report
- MVR - Microvascular research
- MCB - Molecular and cellular biology
- MGG - Molecular and general genetics
- NEJM - New England journal of medicine
- PNAS - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- PSEBM - Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine
- SAMJ - South African medical journal
Please note: these should not be used in the references that you write, unless they are stipulated by the body or journal to which you are submitting your work.
Other resources
For general information, please visit the journal abbreviations page.