A citation analysis of three American nursing journals published in the United States was conducted in each of the sample journals for the first 7 months of 1996. Any attempt to cite a reference source was considered a citation. Each citation was coded for type and placement in relation to the text of the sample journals. The content of each citation was coded for format, date, place of publication, author type, and completeness. Subjects of referenced citations were determined whenever possible from titles. Findings show that most citations were to publications with dates within the past 5 years printed in the United States. Tabulations regarding format reveal 78% of citations were to journals and 20% to books. Collectively, the three sample journals had 40% of the subjects of the citations classed under the general heading: patient care, procedures, and protocols. The three sample journals had differing percentages of their total citations located after full-length articles; the lowest of these was 66% and the highest 77%. Among the sample journals, citations which qualified as complete for the purpose of this study ranged from 33% to 72%. Concluding remarks consider the need for consistency of referencing style among nursing journals and the need to evaluate bibliographic instruction among nurses. Five tables present results. The coding sheet is appended. (Contains 17 references.) (Author/AEF)