Vancouver

About Vancouver referencing

The Vancouver referencing style is a numeric style used in the medical sciences. 

Vancouver style is based on guidelines established by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). In this style: 

References in the text, tables, and legends are sequentially numbered using numbers enclosed in parentheses. These numbers correspond to the full citations listed numerically in the reference list. Numbers in superscript format are also acceptable, depending on the specific requirements of individual journals or academic departments.

Journal titles in the Vancouver style are abbreviated according to National Library of Medicine abbreviations. 

Manuals and resources

• For a comprehensive set of examples of the style: Citing Medicine: the NLM style guide for authors, editors, and publishers
• For a complete style guide for writing from the American Medical Association: AMA Manual of style: a guide for authors and editors
• For recommendations from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE): Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly work in Medical Journals
• To locate the abbreviation of a journal title to use in the Vancouver style: PubMed Journals in the NCBI Databases
• General information on academic referencing, including why it is essential.

Quick links

Here are some quick links to commonly used chapters in Citing Medicine: the NLM Style Guide for Authors, Editors, and Publishers: 

• Books & chapters
• Newspaper Articles
• Scientific and Technical Reports
• Dissertations and Theses
• Citing Unpublished Material
• Citing Material on the Internet (Online)