Journal title abbreviations

Literature references are often written with abbreviated terms.  Abbreviated journal titles can make finding a journal difficult.  It is often necessary to know the full title in order to locate the journal. To find journal title abbreviations you could use:

If you are unable to find the abbreviation you are looking for, please ask a member of the Library staff for assistance.

Unofficial abbreviations

Sometimes very short unofficial abbreviations are employed in reference books or journals. Here are some examples that you may encounter:

Veterinary titles:

JAAHA - Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association
JAVMA - Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
JSAP - Journal of Small Animal Practice

Medical titles:

  • 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

  • JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

  • JBC - Journal of biological chemistry

  • JBJS - Journal of bone and joint surgery

  • JCI - Journal of clinical investigation

  • JCP - Journal of clinical pathology

  • JLR - Journal of lipid research

  • JMB - Journal of molecular biology

  • MMBR - Microbiology and molecular biology reviews

  • 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

Please note: these should not be used in the references that you write, unless they are stipulated by the body or journal that you are submitting your work to.