Vancouver Style Citation: Rules, Format, and Examples
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0 sourcesVancouver Style Citation is a numbered referencing system used in medicine and science. You cite sources with sequential numbers in the text, then list full references in that same number order at the end of the paper.
What is Vancouver style citation?
Vancouver style is an author-number citation system in which each source gets a number the first time it appears, and that number is reused for every later mention. It dominates medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and the biological sciences. The style originated at a 1978 meeting of editors in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is now maintained through the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).
Because Vancouver is numeric, the text stays clean and compact. Instead of names and dates, readers see small numbers, and the full source details live in a numbered reference list. This suits research papers that cite dozens of studies in a single paragraph.
How do Vancouver in-text citations work?
Vancouver in-text citations are numbers that mark each source at the point of use. Number sources consecutively in order of first appearance. Reuse the same number every time you cite that source again, no matter how far apart the mentions are.
Numbers appear in parentheses (1), square brackets [1], or as superscript ¹, depending on the journal or institution. Place the number after the relevant fact, usually before the full stop.
- Single source:
Statins reduce cardiovascular events in high-risk adults (1). - Multiple, non-sequential:
Several trials confirm this effect (1,4,7). - A range of sources:
Earlier reviews reached the same conclusion (2-5). - Naming the author:
Petitti et al. (1) reported a similar pattern.
You do not include the author’s name or year in the citation itself. The number alone points the reader to the reference list.
How do you format a Vancouver reference?
A Vancouver journal reference lists the numbered entry, author surnames with initials, article title in sentence case, the abbreviated journal title, and then year, volume, issue, and page range. Titles are not italicised, and journal names use standard NLM abbreviations.
Blood pressure levels before dementia.
Arch Neurol.
2005;62(1):112-6.
doi:10.1001/archneur.62.1.112
- Authors — surname then initials, no periods between initials, authors separated by commas.
- Article title — sentence case, not italic, ending in a full stop.
- Journal — abbreviated per NLM/Index Medicus, followed by a full stop.
- Year;Volume(Issue):Pages — no spaces; page range abbreviated (112-6).
- DOI — optional but recommended when available.
How do you cite different sources in Vancouver?
Each source type follows a fixed element order, but all use the same numbered-list format. The table shows the pattern, and the copy-ready examples below give real, correctly formatted references you can adapt.
| Source | Element order |
|---|---|
| Journal article | Authors. Title. Journal Abbrev. Year;Vol(Issue):Pages. |
| Book | Authors. Title. Edition. Place: Publisher; Year. |
| Book chapter | Authors. Chapter title. In: Editors, editors. Book title. Place: Publisher; Year. p. Pages. |
| Website | Author/Org. Title [Internet]. Place: Publisher; Year [cited date]. Available from: URL |
JournalPetitti DB, Crooks VC, Buckwalter JG, Chiu V. Blood pressure levels before dementia. Arch Neurol. 2005;62(1):112-6.
BookCarlson BM. Human embryology and developmental biology. 4th ed. St. Louis (MO): Mosby; 2009. 541 p.
ChapterBlaxter PS, Farnsworth TP. Social health and class inequalities. In: Carter C, Peel JR, editors. Equalities and inequalities in health. 2nd ed. London: Academic Press; 1976. p. 165-78.
WebsiteDiabetes Australia. Gestational diabetes [Internet]. Canberra: Diabetes Australia; 2015 [cited 2017 Nov 22]. Available from: https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/gestational-diabetes
Online journalKanneganti P, Harris JD, Brophy RH, Carey JL, Lattermann C, Flanigan DC. The effect of smoking on ligament and cartilage surgery in the knee. Am J Sports Med. 2012 Dec;40(12):2872-8. doi:10.1177/0363546512458223.
How do you list authors in Vancouver?
Write each author’s surname first, then initials with no full stops and no comma between surname and initials. Separate authors with commas. List up to six authors; if there are seven or more, give the first six followed by et al.
- One author:
Carlson BM. - Two to six:
Petitti DB, Crooks VC, Buckwalter JG, Chiu V. - Seven or more:
Smith JD, Jones RP, Ahmed K, Lopez M, Chen Y, Rossi G, et al. - Organisation as author:
World Health Organization.
Some journals now ask you to list every author regardless of number, so always check the target journal’s instructions before submitting.
How does Vancouver differ from APA and MLA?
Vancouver is numeric, while APA and MLA are author-date and author-page systems. In Vancouver the text carries only a number, so the reference list is ordered by appearance rather than alphabetically. This is the biggest practical difference for writers switching styles.
| Feature | Vancouver | APA | MLA |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-text marker | Number (1) | (Author, Year) | (Author page) |
| List order | Order of appearance | Alphabetical | Alphabetical |
| List title | References | References | Works Cited |
| Author initials | No periods (JD) | Periods (J. D.) | Full first name |
| Main fields | Medicine, science | Social sciences | Humanities |
How accurate is this guide, and what are its limits?
This guide follows the ICMJE Recommendations and NLM Citing Medicine, the authoritative sources for Vancouver style. Those standards are stable, but Vancouver is a family of closely related variants rather than one rigid manual, so details differ between publishers.
Journals and universities customise small points: brackets versus superscript, whether to list all authors, whether to include DOIs, and how to abbreviate journal names. Always confirm the exact rules in your target journal’s author instructions or your institution’s Vancouver guide. When in doubt, match the formatting of a recent article in the journal you are submitting to. Our generator produces standard ICMJE-style output; treat any unusual house rule as an override.
Vancouver style citation FAQ
Is Vancouver style the same as ICMJE style?
They are effectively the same. Vancouver is the informal name; ICMJE and NLM’s Citing Medicine provide the formal, maintained specification most biomedical journals follow.
Do Vancouver citations use brackets or superscript?
Both are accepted. Round brackets (1), square brackets [1], and superscript numbers all appear in Vancouver-based journals; use whichever your journal or institution specifies and apply it consistently.
Are references alphabetical in Vancouver style?
No. Vancouver references are numbered and listed in the order they first appear in the text, not alphabetically by author surname as in APA or MLA.
How many authors do you list before using “et al.”?
List up to six authors in full. For seven or more, list the first six followed by et al. Some journals require every author, so check first.
Do you italicise titles in Vancouver style?
No. Vancouver does not italicise article titles, book titles, or journal names. Journal names are abbreviated using standard NLM/Index Medicus abbreviations.
How do you cite the same source twice in Vancouver?
Reuse its original number every time. If source 3 is cited again on page ten, it stays number 3; you never create a new entry for a source already listed.