What is it?
The Journal of Animal Science, known as JAS, is a top research journal, published by the American Society of Animal Science. In many animal science courses, writers must follow JAS formatting. It may seem unfamiliar at first, but just know that, like most style guides, writers aren’t expected to memorize the rules. Instead, it’s more important to know why the rules exist and how they help writers clearly present research using standard sections like Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion, and how to properly cite sources — skills that are valuable for both academic and industry careers.
For more information on JAS style, visit the JAS website.
General formatting
- 1-inch margins on all sides
- Double-spaced
- 12-point font
- Page numbers on top right corner
Title page with:
- Title
- Author name(s) and affiliation(s)
- Department, city, state, and country
- Course Name Section Number and/or TA name
- Statement of Originality
Reference list
- New page titled “Literature Cited”
- Title is centered
- Entries are double-spaced in alphabetical order
- Hanging indent (first line flush left; subsequent lines indented 0.5")
In-text citation examples
- One author: (Smith, 2023)
- Two authors: (Smith and Jones, 2023)
- Three or more authors: (Smith et al., 2023)
Literature-cited examples
Journal article
Last name, Initials, Initials Last name, and Initials Last name. Year. Article Title. Journal name abbreviated. Volume (issue): page range. DOI.
Example
Castellini,C., C.Mugnai, and A.DalBosco.2002.Effect of organic production system on broiler carcass and meat quality. 60 (1):219-225. doi:10.1016/s0309-1740(01)00124-3
Book
Last name, Initials, and Initials Last name. Year. Title of Book. Edition. Publisher. Location Published.
Example
Donhan, K.J, and A. Thelin. 2016. Agricultural medicine: Rural occupational and environmental health, safety, and prevention. 2nd ed. John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ.
Book chapter
Last name, Initials, and Initials Last name. Year. Chapter title. In: editor. Book title. Publisher's name, Publisher's location, pages.
Example
Czarick, M., and B. D. Fairchild. 2008. Poultry housing for hot climates. In: N. J. Daghir, editor, Poultry production in hot climates. CABI, Cambridge, MA. p. 42-61.
Website
Author(s). Year Published. Website Title. URL. Date you accessed page.
Example
Center for Veterinary Medicine. 2014. FDA issues warning letters for unapproved Omeprazole drugs marketed for use in horses.
http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/CVMUpdates/ucm422694.html (Accessed 2 July 2025).
Lecture and class notes
Speaker Last Name, First initial. Year. Title of Lecture [Lecture]. Course/Event Name, University/Institution, Location.
Crull, C. 2024. Rhetorical Moves [Lecture], Writing Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA