Overview
The Vancouver referencing style was developed by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and is widely used in medicine, health sciences, biology, and clinical research.
It is a numbered citation system, where each reference is assigned a number in the order it appears in the text.
This system promotes clarity, precision, and brevity, making it ideal for medical and scientific writing where numerous citations are common.
General Structure of Vancouver Style
| Section | Requirement |
|---|---|
| In-text citations | Numbers in parentheses (1), brackets [1], or superscript¹ |
| Reference list | Numbered sequentially as they appear |
| Authors | Up to 6 authors; if more, list first 6 followed by “et al.” |
| Titles | Use sentence case (only first word capitalized) |
| Journals | Abbreviate per Index Medicus |
| Order | Numerical order, not alphabetical |
| Spacing | Single-spaced with one line between references |
| Fonts | Times New Roman 12 pt or equivalent |
In-text Citation Examples
| Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Single source | (1) or [1] |
| Multiple consecutive sources | (2–5) |
| Multiple non-consecutive sources | (1,3,7) |
| Citing a table or figure | (Table 2)(5) |
Example sentence:
The study confirmed earlier findings regarding cardiac function (3,6,8).
Reference List Examples
| Source Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Journal article | 1. Smith J, Brown R. Effects of diet on blood pressure. BMJ. 2022;378(4):12–17. |
| Book | 2. Anderson P. Clinical Pharmacology. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press; 2019. |
| Book chapter | 3. Clarke K. Heart diseases. In: Adams J, editor. Manual of Cardiology. London: Elsevier; 2021. p. 55–67. |
| Conference paper | 4. Davis R. Artificial intelligence in diagnostics. In: Proceedings of the AI in Medicine Symposium; 2020. Paris: Springer; 2021. p. 32–38. |
| Website | 5. World Health Organization. Cardiovascular diseases [Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2023 [cited 2024 Jan 12]. Available from: https://www.who.int. |
| Thesis | 6. Patel S. Machine learning in radiology [dissertation]. London: University College London; 2022. |
| Dataset | 7. National Health Service. UK Mortality Dataset 2022. NHS Open Data; 2023. DOI:10.1234/nhs2023data. |
Comparison with Other Citation Styles
| Feature | Vancouver | APA | MLA | Harvard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-text | Numbered | Author–Year | Author–Page | Author–Year |
| Reference order | Sequential | Alphabetical | Alphabetical | Alphabetical |
| Disciplines | Medicine, Science | Psychology, Social | Humanities | General academic |
| Author listing | Up to 6 + “et al.” | Up to 20 |
Ethical and Technical Standards
- All references must be verifiable.
- Always use PubMed-indexed journals when possible.
- Cite DOIs whenever available.
- Verify all references in reference manager software (EndNote, Mendeley).
- Ensure that patient data and clinical trial numbers are ethically approved.
Best Practices
- Maintain consistency: use the same number system throughout.
- Avoid referencing abstracts unless unavoidable.
- Prefer peer-reviewed, indexed sources.
- Use recent references (last 5 years preferred for clinical topics).
- Always check journal-specific author guidelines.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using alphabetical instead of numerical ordering.
- Failing to update numbering after adding/removing citations.
- Missing DOIs or journal abbreviations.
- Mixing citation styles (e.g., APA + Vancouver).
- Using “et al.” incorrectly (must follow after 6th author).
Submission Ready Formatting Example
Text:
Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases (1,2).
References:
- World Health Organization. Global Report on Diabetes. Geneva: WHO; 2022.
- Kumar A, et al. Epidemiology of diabetes in South Asia. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2023;11(5):410–422.
Useful Resources
FAQ — Vancouver Style (Extended)
Formatting & General
Q1: What fields commonly use Vancouver?
A: Medicine, dentistry, nursing, biology, pharmacy, and public health.
Q2: Is Vancouver the same as ICMJE?
A: Yes — Vancouver is based on ICMJE’s Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts.
Q3: Can I use superscript citations?
A: Yes, e.g., “… has been proven effective¹.”
Q4: Do I include all authors?
A: Only the first six, followed by et al. if there are more.
Q5: Should I include access dates?
A: Yes, for online and unpublished materials.
Reference List Details
Q6: How to abbreviate journal names?
A: Use Index Medicus abbreviations.
Q7: What if a DOI is missing?
A: Use “Available from:” and provide a valid URL.
Q8: How to cite preprints?
A: Add “[Preprint]” after the title.
Q9: How to cite an online-only journal?
A: Include DOI and mention “[Internet]” after the title.
Q10: Are reference managers recommended?
A: Yes, tools like EndNote, Zotero, and Mendeley are essential.
Ethics & Compliance
Q11: Can I cite patient data?
A: Only if anonymized and approved by an ethics board.
Q12: Is Vancouver mandatory for PubMed journals?
A: Yes, nearly all PubMed-indexed journals follow it.
Q13: Are gray literature and preprints acceptable?
A: Only if clearly indicated and relevant.
Q14: How to cite conference posters?
A: Include event name, year, and location.
Q15: Should I verify citations?
A: Yes, double-check against PubMed or DOIs before submission.
Technical FAQ
Q16: How do I cite datasets?
A: Include author, title, repository, year, and DOI.
Q17: How to cite websites?
A: Author. Title [Internet]. Place: Publisher; Year [cited Year Month Day]. Available from: URL.
Q18: How to cite Epub ahead of print?
A: Add “Epub [date] ahead of print.”
Q19: How do I cite institutional reports?
A: Include institution name as author.
Q20: How do I ensure correct numbering?
A: Always renumber automatically using citation software.
For Authors Submitting to Europub Journals
Q21: Does Europub accept Vancouver style?
A: Yes, it’s required for all biomedical and health journals indexed in the Europub database.
Q22: Can I get a Certificate for Citation Accuracy?
A: Yes, via https://cms.europub.co.uk.
Q23: Will my submission be checked for reference format?
A: Yes, all manuscripts are automatically screened for reference accuracy.
Q24: Is the Vancouver guide available as a PDF?
A: Yes, Europub offers a downloadable citation checklist.
Q25: How often should I update my citation tools?
A: Regularly, at least every 6 months.
Prepared by: Europub Publishing Company Ltd. UK
Certificate Verification & Reference Accuracy Portal: https://cms.europub.co.uk
