| name | vancouver-style |
| category | publication |
| discipline | medical |
| description | Vancouver (numbered) reference system commonly used in medical journals |
Vancouver Style
Citation and formatting rules based on the ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors) Recommendations, commonly known as the Vancouver style. Widely used in biomedical journals worldwide, including The Lancet, BMJ, and many others.
When to Use
- When the target journal specifies "Vancouver" or "ICMJE" citation style
- When the journal uses numbered references in order of appearance
- As the default style for biomedical manuscripts outside AMA-specific journals
- When journal instructions reference "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts"
Protocol
1. In-Text Citations
- Use Arabic numerals in parentheses (1), superscript, or square brackets [1], depending on journal preference
- Number references in the order they first appear in the text
- Most common format: parentheses or superscript
- Multiple citations: separate with commas (1,2) or use hyphens for ranges (1-3)
- No spaces between citation numbers within parentheses
Examples (parenthetical style):
The treatment showed significant improvement in outcomes (1).
Several studies (2-4) have demonstrated this effect.
As reported by Smith et al (5), the intervention was effective.
Prior research supports these findings (1,3,7).
Examples (superscript style):
The treatment showed significant improvement in outcomes.1
Several studies2-4 have demonstrated this effect.
As reported by Smith et al,5 the intervention was effective.
Note: Check the specific journal's instructions for whether to use parentheses, superscript, or square brackets. The underlying numbering and reference format remains the same.
2. Reference List Format
References are listed numerically at the end of the manuscript in the order cited.
2.1 Author Names
- Format: Last name followed by initials (no periods between or after initials)
- Multiple authors: separate with commas
- Up to 6 authors: list all, followed by the last author
- 7 or more authors: list the first 6, then add "et al"
- No "and" before the last author
Examples:
Smith JA, Jones BR, Williams CD
Smith JA, Jones BR, Williams CD, Brown EF, Davis GH, Wilson IJ, et al.
2.2 Journal Article
Format:
Author(s). Title of article. Abbreviated Journal Name. Year Mon;Volume(Issue):Pages. doi:
Rules:
- Article title: sentence case, no quotation marks
- Journal name: abbreviated per Index Medicus/NLM catalog
- No italics for journal names (unlike APA)
- Year and month follow the journal abbreviation
- Period only at the very end (or after DOI if included)
Example -- 6 or fewer authors:
1. Halpern SD, Ubel PA, Caplan AL. Solid-organ transplantation in HIV-infected patients.
N Engl J Med. 2002 Jul 25;347(4):284-7. doi: 10.1056/NEJMsb020632.
Example -- 7 or more authors:
2. Rose ME, Huerbin MB, Melick J, Marion DW, Palmer AM, Schiding JK, et al. Regulation
of interstitial excitatory amino acid concentrations after cortical contusion injury.
Brain Res. 2002;935(1-2):40-6. doi: 10.1016/S0006-8993(02)02445-9.
Example -- article with no author:
3. 21st century heart solution may have a sting in the tail. BMJ. 2002;325(7357):184.
Example -- volume with supplement:
4. Geraud G, Spierings EL, Keywood C. Tolerability and safety of frovatriptan with
short- and long-term use for treatment of migraine and in comparison with sumatriptan.
Headache. 2002;42 Suppl 2:S93-9.
Example -- epub ahead of print:
5. Yu WM, Bhatt DL. Cardiovascular outcomes in special populations. Circulation. 2024
Mar 5. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.123.067891. Epub ahead of print.
2.3 Book
Format -- personal author(s):
Author(s). Title of book. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher; Year.
Example:
6. Murray PR, Rosenthal KS, Pfaller MA. Medical microbiology. 4th ed. St. Louis: Mosby;
2002.
Format -- editor(s) as author:
Editor(s), editor(s). Title of book. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher; Year.
Example:
7. Gilstrap LC 3rd, Cunningham FG, VanDorsten JP, editors. Operative obstetrics. 2nd ed.
New York: McGraw-Hill; 2002.
2.4 Book Chapter
Format:
Author(s) of chapter. Title of chapter. In: Editor(s), editor(s). Title of book.
Edition. Place of publication: Publisher; Year. p. Pages.
Example:
8. Meltzer PS, Kallioniemi A, Trent JM. Chromosome alterations in human solid tumors.
In: Vogelstein B, Kinzler KW, editors. The genetic basis of human cancer. 2nd ed.
New York: McGraw-Hill; 2002. p. 93-113.
2.5 Electronic / Online Sources
Format -- journal article online:
Author(s). Title of article. Abbreviated Journal Name [Internet]. Year [cited date];
Volume(Issue):Pages. Available from: URL
Example:
9. Abood S. Quality improvement initiative in nursing homes: the ANA acts in an advisory
role. Am J Nurs [Internet]. 2002 Jun [cited 2002 Aug 12];102(6):[about 1 p.].
Available from: https://journals.lww.com/ajnonline/
Format -- website:
Organization or Author. Title of page [Internet]. Place of publication: Publisher;
Date of publication [updated date; cited date]. Available from: URL
Example:
10. Cancer Research UK. Cancer statistics for the UK [Internet]. London: Cancer Research
UK; 2022 [updated 2023 Jan 15; cited 2024 Feb 20]. Available from:
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics
Example -- database on the internet:
11. Who's Certified [Internet]. Evanston (IL): The American Board of Medical Specialties.
c2000 [cited 2001 Mar 8]. Available from: https://www.abms.org/
2.6 Government / Agency Document
Format:
Issuing body. Title of document. Place of publication: Publisher; Year. Report No.:
Number.
Example:
12. World Health Organization. World health report 2002: reducing risks, promoting
healthy life. Geneva: WHO; 2002.
Example with report number:
13. National Institute of Mental Health. Genetics and mental disorders. Bethesda (MD):
National Institute of Mental Health; 1998. NIH Pub. No.: 98-4268.
2.7 Conference Paper (Published)
Format:
Author(s). Title of paper. In: Editor(s), editor(s). Title of conference proceedings;
Date of conference; Place of conference. Place of publication: Publisher; Year. p. Pages.
Example:
14. Christensen S, Oppacher F. An analysis of Koza's computational effort statistic for
genetic programming. In: Foster JA, Lutton E, editors. Genetic programming. EuroGP
2002; 2002 Apr 3-5; Kinsale, Ireland. Berlin: Springer; 2002. p. 182-91.
2.8 Dissertation / Thesis
Format:
Author. Title [dissertation/thesis]. Place: University; Year.
Example:
15. Borkowski MM. Infant sleep and feeding: a telephone survey of Hispanic Americans
[dissertation]. Mount Pleasant (MI): Central Michigan University; 2002.
3. Journal Name Abbreviations
Use Index Medicus / NLM abbreviations. The official list is maintained by the NLM.
Common abbreviations:
| Full Name | Abbreviation |
|---|
| New England Journal of Medicine | N Engl J Med |
| The Lancet | Lancet |
| British Medical Journal | BMJ |
| Annals of Internal Medicine | Ann Intern Med |
| Journal of the American Medical Association | JAMA |
| The Lancet Oncology | Lancet Oncol |
| Nature Medicine | Nat Med |
| Journal of Clinical Investigation | J Clin Invest |
| American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine | Am J Respir Crit Care Med |
| European Heart Journal | Eur Heart J |
4. Page Number Conventions
- Abbreviate page ranges by omitting redundant digits from the end page:
- 321-328 becomes 321-8
- 1087-1095 becomes 1087-95
- 200-204 becomes 200-4
- Use "p." for pages in books and chapters, but not for journal articles
- For online articles with no page numbers, use article number or [about X p.]
5. Key Differences from AMA Style
| Feature | Vancouver | AMA |
|---|
| Citation format | Varies (parentheses, superscript, or brackets) | Superscript only |
| Authors before "et al" | 6 | 3 (when 7+) |
| Month in reference | Included after year | Not typically included |
| Place of publication (books) | Included | Not required |
| Page abbreviation | Abbreviated (321-8) | Full (321-328) |
| DOI format | doi: 10.xxx | doi:10.xxx (no space) |
Checklist
Citations
References
Format Verification
References
