Vancouver: journal article (with DOI)
- Surname then initials, with no full stops or spaces in the initials; authors separated by commas.
- List the first six authors, then “et al.” when there are more than six.
- Use the NLM abbreviation of the journal title, with no italics.
Vancouver: book
- Book titles are in sentence case with no italics.
- A semicolon separates publisher and year.
Vancouver: chapter in an edited book
- Give the chapter's page range after the year, preceded by “p.”
Vancouver: web page
- Add [Internet] after the title and the date you viewed the page in [cited …].
- Dates run year, abbreviated month, day: 2024 Mar 12.
Vancouver: report
Vancouver: thesis or dissertation
- Use [master's thesis] for a master's thesis.
Vancouver in-text citations
Cite with Arabic numerals in the order sources first appear: in parentheses, square brackets or superscript, as your journal or course specifies.
| Parentheses | …as reported previously (1). |
| Superscript | …as reported previously.¹ |
| Several sources | (1,3,5) · (1–4) |
- Number sources in order of first citation; a source keeps its number when cited again.
- Use the same bracket or superscript format throughout.
Common Vancouver mistakes
- Adding italics. NLM style uses none, not even for journal or book titles.
- Numbering references alphabetically. Number them in order of first citation.
- Putting full stops in initials (Jergas H., not Jergas H).
Format a reference in Vancouver
Fill in a journal article once and our free in-browser formatter gives it to you in Vancouver, ready to copy, with the author-list rules applied. It opens with Vancouver highlighted.
Vancouver questions
What's the difference between Vancouver and AMA?
Both are numbered medical styles. AMA (used by JAMA) italicises journal names and uses superscript citations; Vancouver follows NLM's Citing Medicine, which uses no italics. Their author rules also differ: Vancouver lists six before “et al.”, AMA lists three when there are more than six.
How many authors do I list in Vancouver?
Under the ICMJE convention, list the first six followed by “et al.” when there are more than six.
Where do I find the journal abbreviation?
In the NLM Catalog (search the journal's name). Many short titles, such as PeerJ, are not abbreviated.
Brackets or superscript?
Either, depending on your journal or course. What matters is using one format consistently.
About the examples
Every style guide on this site formats the same six sources, so you can compare styles side by side. The journal article is real; the others are fictional, with placeholder names.
- Journal article (with DOI) (real): Hannah Jergas and Christopher Baethge, “Quotation accuracy in medical journal articles—a systematic review and meta-analysis,” PeerJ, volume 3, article e1364, published 27 October 2015, DOI 10.7717/peerj.1364.
- Book: Jane A. Doe, Evidence and argument in student research, Example University Press, London, 2021.
- Chapter in an edited book: Richard B. Roe, “Reading statistics critically,” pages 45–67 of A handbook of research methods, edited by Maria C. Sample and Lee D. Example, Example University Press, London, 2020.
- Web page: Pat Q. Public, “How to check that a source exists,” Example Research Hub (London), published 12 March 2024, https://www.example.org/guides/check-a-source, accessed 15 October 2026.
- Report: Example Institute for Education (author and publisher, London), Student research practices in higher education, 2023, https://www.example.org/reports/student-research-2023, accessed 15 October 2026.
- Thesis or dissertation: Alex B. Placeholder, Peer feedback and revision in first-year writing, unpublished PhD thesis, Department of Education, Example University, London, 2022.
Based on the Citing Medicine: The NLM Style Guide for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, 2nd edition. Last reviewed 2026-11. Your instructor's or journal's own guidelines take precedence. Spotted an error? Email support@moremind.ai.