Your project report has to be written in the style of an article submitted to the PNAS journal. See the References section of their guidance for authors for some examples to follow:
Since these instructions are so brief we've added more detailed guidance below. Contact your Academic Liaison Librarian, Jackie Skinner, for advice if you want to cite a publication which is not covered below.
It is recommended that you use EndNote to manage the references you want to cite for your project. There's more support with using EndNote and a customised PNAS style available below.
The PNAS style has elements of Vancouver and Harvard. Just like Vancouver PNAS is a numbered style. Each piece of work cited should have a unique number, assigned in order (your first reference is 1, your second is 2 etc.). However, it uses italics and bold formatting, so is more like Harvard is this respect.
When adding an in-text citation to your document write the number in brackets:
Medical systems need to be carefully considered and designed to reduce the likelihood of medication errors (1).
For example:
There are many studies that have examined the effect of alcohol on cognitive impairment (1,2, 4-7, 9).
No. You can have citation numbers within the sentence if you have taken the information from multiple sources.
Around 1 in 20 people in the UK suffer with asthma (1), with most developing it during childhood (2).
You do not have to refer to the authors' names in the text but it may help the flow of your writing to do so.
Two authors: give both author's surnames linked with 'and'. For example:
A recent study by Chen and Lee (4) found that...
Three or more authors: use the first author's surname followed by "et al.". For example:
A recent study by Rang et al. (2) found that...
An organisation: give the full name with any recognised abbreviation in brackets afterwards e.g. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Thereafter you can refer to it using the abbreviation. Give the full name and abbreviation in the full reference. For example:
A survey by Asthma UK found that one in 20 people suffer from severe asthma (6).
If directly quoting from a work, you need to use single quotation marks. Include a page number in the in-text citation. For example:
More recently, a paper by Walker et al. (3) stated that 'student pharmacists are valuable and important to practice model transformation' (p. 47).
A paper by Walker et al. stated that 'student pharmacists are valuable and important to practice model transformation' (3, p. 47).
This type of referencing is known as secondary referencing and should be avoided wherever possible, as the author citing the work may have their own bias or misinterpretation. It is better to seek out the original reference (in this example, Ahmed’s) and cite it directly if it is useful.
You need to include both authors' names in the body of your text to show that you have not read the original article. In the final reference list, you should only include the reference you have read yourself (Jones in this example):
According to Ahmed as cited in Jones (5)...
References must be listed at the end of your document in numerical order based on the order of citation. If you use the same source more than once, the original citation number should be used.
Cited using Initials followed by Surname. Place a space between the initials and surname. Full stops between initials. For example:
Z.L. Chen
T. Boller
Authors should be listed in the order they appear on the publication separated by commas. If there are more than five authors just give the first author's name followed by et al. in italics. For example:
Two authors: N.L. Monzer, M. Hartmann
Three authors: N.L. Monzer, M. Hartmann, M. Buckert
Four authors: N.L. Monzer, M. Hartmann, M. Buckert, K. Wolff
Five authors: N.L. Monzer et al.
Include the following in your reference:
Copy the format and punctuation of these examples:
M.N. Rana, I.J. Neeland, Adipose tissue inflammation and cardiovascular disease: an update. Curr. Diab. Rep. 22, 27-37 (2022).
V.A. Vartiainen, F. Lavorini, A.C. Murphy, K.F. Rabe, High inhaler resistance does not limit successful inspiratory maneuver among patients with asthma or COPD. Expert Opin. Drug. Deliv. 20, 385–393 (2023).
N.L. Monzer et al., The cardiac autonomic response to acute psychological stress in type 2 diabetes. PloS One 17, e0265234 (2022).
Include the following in your reference:
Copy the format and punctuation of these examples:
H. Pepple, M. Boumechache, Errors and the inappropriate use of medicines in UK care homes. Pharm. J., 309 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1211/PJ.2022.1.161321 (accessed 18 June 2025).
F. Azpiroz et al., Effects of scFOS on the composition of fecal microbiota and anxiety in patients with irritable bowel syndrome: a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study. Neurogastroenterol. Motil. (2017). https://doi.org/10.1111/nmo.12911 (accessed 18 June 2025).
Note: if an article is in press and doesn't yet have a volume number just add 'in press' after the journal name.
K. Sato, K. Ogawa, T. Tagami, T. Ozeki, Photothermal therapeutic effect by gold nanostars/extracellular vesicles nanocomplex on melanoma cells. J. Pharm. Sci., in press.
You should be able to download details for most articles from databases such as Summon, Web of Science, Scopus and PubMed. If you need to type one in from scratch this is the information to include.
Most books and e-books can be cited in the same way. If you are viewing the PDF of a printed book there is no need to include the web address in your reference if you have the place published and publisher.
Include the following in your reference:
Copy the format and punctuation of these examples:
Some books are born digital and are not published in a traditional format. If the book does not have a Place published and Publisher then you will need to follow this guidance. Include the following in your reference:
Copy the format and punctuation of these examples:
Note: Using StatPearls? Follow the guidance on citing an online only book chapter.
Follow this guidance to cite a printed book or an e-book which has the publisher and place published information. Include the following in your reference:
Copy the format and punctuation of this example
Some books are born digital and are not published in a traditional format. When citing chapters in these include the following in your reference:
Copy the format and punctuation of these examples:
You should avoid citing webpages unless you are clear of their quality and suitability for inclusion in your project.
Include the following in your reference:
Webpage with a personal author
M. Reynolds, How the team monitoring new and emerging infectious diseases could help prevent the next pandemic. UK Health Security Agency (2023). https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2023/08/08/how-the-team-monitoring-new-and-emerging-infectious-diseases-could-help-prevent-the-next-pandemic/ (accessed 12 June 2025).
Webpage without a personal author
DrugBank, Ranitidine. (2024). https://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB00863 (accessed 15 June 2025).
Office for Health Improvement & Disparities. Cardiovascular disease. Fingertips (2024). https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/cardiovascular (accessed 9 June 2025).
Webpage without a publication date
IUPHAR/BPS, Ibuprofen. IUPHAR/BPS Guide to Pharmacology
https://www.guidetopharmacology.org/GRAC/LigandDisplayForward?ligandId=2713 (accessed 9 June 2025).
NICE guidelines
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), Acute heart failure: diagnosis and management (CG187). (2021). https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg187 (accessed 31 July 2025).
SmPC (Electronic Medicines Compendium)
Wokhardt UK Ltd, Aciclovir 400mg tablets summary of product characteristics. Electronic Medicines Compendium (2017). https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/2352/smpc (accessed 28 July 2025).
PIL (Electronic Medicines Compendium)
Dermal Laboratories Ltd, Ibugel patient information leaflet. Electronic Medicines Compendium (2024). https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/3759/pil (accessed: 28 July 2025).
Update July 2024: Licence conditions imposed by Pharmaceutical Press mean you are not permitted to use the BNF on the NICE website or app. Instead you must use and cite the BNF either in print or on the MedicinesComplete website following the guidance given below.
When citing the BNF you only need one generic reference, not specific references for each drug or piece of information you have used. Just make it clear in your text which drug/section you are referring to.
Include the following in your reference:
Use the format and punctuation shown in this example - update the edition and year to the one you are using:
Include the following in your reference:
Use the format and punctuation of this example (make sure you change the Version and dates to match the one you use):
Joint Formulary Committee, British National Formulary (BNF). 10 June 2025. MedicinesComplete (2025). https://www.medicinescomplete.com (accessed 30 June 2025)
Use the link below to search the BNF on MedicinesComplete:
Provides access to the British National Formulary, British National Formulary for Children and Stockley’s Drug Interactions.
Please note, due to licensing restrictions students and staff must access the BNF and BNF for Children on the MedicinesComplete platform. Use of the NICE BNF platform is only permitted for those working for, or on placement with, the NHS.
For the print version
For the online version:
Update July 2024: Licence conditions imposed by Pharmaceutical Press mean you are not permitted to use the BNFC on the NICE website or app. Instead you must use and cite the BNFC either in print or on the MedicinesComplete website following the guidance given below.
When citing the BNFC you only need one generic reference, not specific references for each drug or piece of information you have used. Just make it clear in your text which drug/section you are referring to.
Include the following in your reference:
Use the format and punctuation of this example (make sure you change the edition and date to match the one you use):
Include the following in your reference:
Use the format and punctuation of this example (make sure you change the Version and dates to match the one you use):
Pediatric Formulary Committee, British National Formulary for Children (BNFC). 10 June 2025. MedicinesComplete (2025). https://www.medicinescomplete.com (accessed 30 June 2025).
Provides access to the British National Formulary, British National Formulary for Children and Stockley’s Drug Interactions.
Please note, due to licensing restrictions students and staff must access the BNF and BNF for Children on the MedicinesComplete platform. Use of the NICE BNF platform is only permitted for those working for, or on placement with, the NHS.
For the print version
For the online version:
When citing Stockley's you only need one generic reference, not specific references for each interaction you have looked up. Just make it clear in your text which drugs you are referring to.
Include the following in your reference:
Use the format and punctuation of this example:
Preston CL, Ed.. Stockley's Drug Interactions. MedicinesComplete (2025). https://www.medicinescomplete.com (accessed 31 July 2025)
Use the link below to search Stockley's on MedicinesComplete:
Provides access to the British National Formulary, British National Formulary for Children and Stockley’s Drug Interactions.
Please note, due to licensing restrictions students and staff must access the BNF and BNF for Children on the MedicinesComplete platform. Use of the NICE BNF platform is only permitted for those working for, or on placement with, the NHS.
When citing the British Pharmacopoeia you only need one generic reference, not specific references for each drug or section you have used. Just make it clear in your text which drug/section you are referring to.
Include the following in your reference:
Use the format and punctuation shown in this example (make sure you change the Version and dates to match the one you use):
British Pharmacopoeia Commission, British Pharmacopeoia. Ph. Eur. 11.8. Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (2025). https://www.pharmacopoeia.com (accessed 31 July 2025)
Access to the latest edition of The British Pharmacopoeia (BP), the leading collection of standards for UK medicinal products and pharmaceutical substances.
Include the following in your reference:
Use the format and punctuation shown in this example:
I. Morag, Y.T. Xiao, M. Bruschettini, Cycled light in the intensive care unit for preterm and low birth weight infants.The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 12, CD006982 (2016).
Systematic reviews, protocols and trials on the effects of interventions in health care. Free to UK residents
If a trial is still ongoing you may need to refer to it directly instead of to a published paper.
Include the following in your reference:
Use the format and punctuation shown in these examples:
M. Crooks, An investigation into how adding an inhaled steroid to COPD treatment may potentially protect against heart disease. ISRCTN Registry (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN29148209 (accessed 18 June 2025).
P. Lingor, Safety, tolerability and symptomatic efficacy of the ROCK-inhibitor Fasudil in patients with Parkinson's disease. ClinicalTrials.gov (2023). https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05931575 (accessed 18 June 2025).
The PNAS referencing style is available in EndNote but it does not cover all the types of publication you might want to reference. Instead download and use the style below:
Once downloaded click on the file to open it. Then go to 'File' and 'Save as' and 'Save'. This should save the style into a location where EndNote can find it and use it. To apply it to your Word document go to the Style selector on the EndNote toolbar in Word and click 'Select Another Style' and browse for 'PNAS_for_Reading'.
If you have any issues using the style make sure it is saved into the Styles folder in the EndNote program folder on your computer.
If you are not already using EndNote here's how to get started.
The University has a site licence for EndNote which covers installation on personal computers. Go to the DTS Self-Service Portal to get the software. Note that you will need to have the full version of Office installed before installing EndNote so that the EndNote toolbar can be added to Word (it will not work with the online version of Word). You can install Office by logging in to Microsoft 365 Copilot with your University credentials, go to 'Apps' and click on 'Install Apps' in the top right of the screen.
When you have installed the software and create your library file. Make sure you save the file to the hard drive of your computer not iCloud or OneDrive, or to a location which is being automatically backed up to the cloud. The Applications area on a Mac, or the Program Files area on a Windows computer should be okay.
Important note for Mac users: If you are Mac user please be aware that once you have installed EndNote it won’t be obvious it is open as it won’t fill the screen until you create a file. Look for the EndNote toolbar across the top of your screen and click ‘File’ then ‘New’ to create a file. It will then fill your screen.
This guide covers:
Watch this series of videos to find out how to use Desktop EndNote.
If you are unable to view these videos on YouTube they are also available on YuJa (University username and password required):
