Manuscript Writing

Vancouver Style: A Guide to Formatting References

A guide to Vancouver referencing with tips, tricks and citation examples.

The Vancouver referencing style is widely used in medical and scientific writing, particularly in journals, dissertations, and professional reports. It follows a numeric citation system that allows concise in-text references while keeping full details in a numbered reference list.

For researchers, mastering Vancouver style is essential for meeting publication requirements and maintaining academic integrity. This guide outlines the key rules, formatting principles, and examples you can follow to ensure consistency.

Understanding the Vancouver Referencing Style

What it is and where it’s used

Vancouver style originated at a 1978 meeting of medical journal editors in Vancouver, Canada. It is now maintained by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and is the standard for many health science publications.

Key characteristics of Vancouver style

  • Uses numbers in the text to indicate references, either in parentheses (1) or superscript¹
  • The reference list is numbered in the order sources appear in the text, not alphabetically
  • Author names are written as surname followed by initials, without periods between initials
  • Journal titles are abbreviated as to not clutter the references significantly using the National Library of Medicine’s abbreviation list

General Rules for Vancouver Referencing

In-text citation format

Two common styles are accepted:

  • Parentheses: (1)
  • Superscript: ¹

Numbers are assigned in the order sources are first cited, and the same number is reused for repeated citations of the same source.

Example: 

  • Recent studies suggest an increase in antibiotic resistance (3).

Reference list format

  • Place at the end of the document
  • Number entries sequentially in the same order as they appear in the text
  • Use single spacing and no extra line between references (unless otherwise required by a journal)

Punctuation, order, and abbreviations

  • Separate authors with commas; list up to six authors, followed by “et al.” if more.
  • Use standard punctuation: commas between author names, periods after initials, and semicolons between journal year, volume, and issue.

Formatting Different Source Types in Vancouver Style

Journal articles

Format: Author(s). Title of article. Abbreviated Journal Title. Year;Volume(Issue):Page numbers.

Example: Smith AJ, Kumar R, Lee T, et al. Trends in antibiotic use in primary care. J Clin Med. 2022;15(4):233–240.

Books

Format: Author(s). Title of Book. Edition (if not first). Place of publication: Publisher; Year.

Example: Murray PR, Rosenthal KS, Pfaller MA. Medical Microbiology. 9th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2020.

Book Chapter

Format: Author(s) of chapter. Title of chapter. In: Editor(s), editors. Title of Book. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher; Year. p. page numbers.

Example: Thompson J. Infection control in healthcare. In: Green B, editor. Public Health Essentials. 2nd ed. London: Routledge; 2018. p. 120–138.

Websites and online reports

Format: Author(s) or Organization. Title [Internet]. Place of publication: Publisher; Year [cited Year Month Day]. Available from: URL

Example: World Health Organization. Antimicrobial resistance [Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2023 [cited 2025 Jan 10]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antimicrobial-resistance

Conference papers

Format: Author(s). Title of paper. In: Editor(s), editors. Title of conference proceedings. Place of publication: Publisher; Year. p. page numbers.

Example: Perez L, Ahmed K. Advances in malaria diagnostics. In: Carter J, White D, editors. Proceedings of the International Tropical Medicine Conference; 2024 Jun 12–14; Nairobi, Kenya. London: Global Health Press; 2024. p. 45–52.

Government or organizational reports

Format: Organization. Title. Place of publication: Publisher; Year. Report No.: if available.

Example: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National diabetes statistics report. Atlanta: CDC; 2022.

How to Avoid Common Mistakes

  • Make sure reference numbers appear in the same order as first mentioned in the text. Reordering after editing can lead to mismatches.
  • Always use official journal abbreviations from the NLM database to maintain standardization.
  • Leaving out page ranges, publication year, or author initials can result in incomplete references that fail submission checks.

Practical Tips for Accuracy

Use authoritative style guides

Refer to the latest ICMJE or journal-specific Vancouver style guide. 

Double-check journal abbreviations

Use the NLM Catalog or PubMed to find the correct standard abbreviation. 

Final Notes for Researchers

As with other styles, Vancouver referencing is precise and highly structured. Applying it consistently will ensure your work meets academic standards and avoids unnecessary revision requests from journals or supervisors. By following these rules and examples, you can produce a professional, error-free reference list. Check out Livewrite manuscript reformatting to ensure references, in-text citations and structure of your manuscript eliminate unnecessary delay in publishing your research.