Vancouver referencing essentials
The numbered style of medicine and health sciences
- Numbered in orderFirst source cited is 1, then 2, and so on.
- Reuse numbersA repeated source keeps its first number.
- Brackets or superscript(1) or ¹, as your institution prefers.
- Up to six authorsMore than six: first six plus et al.
- Abbreviated journalsUse NLM abbreviations, e.g. N Engl J Med.
- Minimal punctuationNo italics, no full stops in initials.
Vancouver style is the most widely used referencing style in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health and the biomedical sciences. It's a numbered system that keeps citations short and unobtrusive, which suits scientific writing with many references.
This guide explains how Vancouver works, how to format the reference list, and gives examples for journal articles, books, chapters, websites, reports and more.
What Is Vancouver Style?
Vancouver style takes its name from a 1978 meeting of medical journal editors in Vancouver, Canada, which led to uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals. Today, the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) recommendations refer authors to the US National Library of Medicine's guide, Citing Medicine, for detailed reference examples.
Like Harvard, Vancouver has variations between institutions, especially in punctuation and how citations appear in the text. Always follow your university's or journal's Vancouver guide.
Vancouver In-Text Citations
- Number sources consecutively in the order you first cite them.
- Use the same number every time you cite the same source.
- Show numbers in round brackets (1), square brackets [1] or superscript¹, depending on your guide.
- Multiple sources: (1,3,5) or a range (2-4).
- Naming the author: "Smith (3) found that..." or "Smith and Lee (4) reported..."
Place the citation number consistently, usually after the relevant statement, before or after punctuation according to your guide.
Formatting the Reference List
- Title it "References".
- List references in numerical order, matching the order of first citation.
- Write surnames first, followed by initials with no full stops or spaces: Smith J, Lee MA.
- List up to six authors. For more than six, list the first six followed by "et al."
- Use sentence case for article and book titles.
- Don't italicise or underline titles.
- Abbreviate journal titles using National Library of Medicine abbreviations, found in the NLM Catalog.
- Shorten page ranges: 101-20 rather than 101-120.
Vancouver Reference Examples
These examples use invented sources to show the general format.
Journal article
1. Smith J, Lee M. Remote work and employee wellbeing. J Workplace Stud. 2024;12(3):45-67. doi:10.xxxx/xxxxx
More than six authors
2. Brown A, Green C, White D, Black E, Grey F, Silver G, et al. Title of article. Abbrev Journal. 2025;5(2):10-20.
Book
3. Smith J. Modern workplaces. 2nd ed. City: Example Press; 2023.
Chapter in an edited book
4. Lee M. Supporting remote teams. In: Brown A, Green C, editors. Leadership in practice. City: Example Press; 2022. p. 101-20.
Organisation as author
5. World Health Organization. Title of the report. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2025.
Webpage
6. Example Organization. Title of webpage [Internet]. City: Example Organization; 2025 [cited 2026 Oct 1]. Available from: https://www.example.com
Online journal article without a DOI
7. Smith J. Title of article. Abbrev Journal [Internet]. 2024 [cited 2026 Oct 1];12(3):45-67. Available from: https://www.example.com
Thesis
8. Author A. Title of thesis [dissertation]. City: University Name; 2024.
Vancouver for Nursing and Health Students
Health science programs often use Vancouver alongside strict rules on evidence quality. When building your reference list:
- Prioritise peer-reviewed research, systematic reviews and clinical guidelines.
- Use recent sources, often within five to ten years, unless citing a landmark study.
- Search databases such as PubMed, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library.
- Check that every number in the text matches the correct reference.
Learn more in how to find reliable academic sources.
Vancouver vs. APA at a Glance
| Vancouver | APA 7 | |
|---|---|---|
| In-text | (1) or ¹ | (Smith, 2024) |
| List order | Numerical | Alphabetical |
| Journal titles | Abbreviated, not italicised | Full title, italicised |
| Author initials | Smith J | Smith, J. |
| Main fields | Medicine, health sciences | Nursing, psychology, social sciences |
Common Vancouver Mistakes
- Numbering references alphabetically instead of by first citation.
- Giving a repeated source a new number.
- Adding full stops or spaces between initials.
- Italicising titles.
- Using full journal names instead of NLM abbreviations.
- Mixing bracket and superscript styles.
Vancouver Referencing Checklist
- Sources numbered in order of first citation.
- Same number used for repeated citations.
- Consistent bracket or superscript style.
- Reference list in numerical order.
- Up to six authors listed, then "et al."
- NLM journal abbreviations and no italics.
See also our guides to APA 7, MLA 9, Chicago, Harvard and IEEE.
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