Vancouver referencing is a numbered citation style used widely in medicine, nursing and the health sciences. Each source gets a number in the order it is first cited, and the reference list follows that order.
Vancouver is based on the US National Library of Medicine's recommendations, and universities and journals often adapt it slightly. This page covers the core rules and common entry types; follow your own guide where it differs. The examples are invented to show the format.
Vancouver Style in Five Rules
- Number sources in the order you first cite them.
- Use the same number every time you cite that source again.
- Show the number as a superscript or in brackets, as your guide specifies.
- Write authors as surname then initials, with no full stops: Omondi JA.
- Abbreviate journal titles in the standard medical form, with no full stops.
In-Text Citations
Universities differ on the look of the number. The three common forms are below; choose one and use it throughout.
Superscript: Early mobilization reduces post-operative complications.1
Round brackets: Early mobilization reduces post-operative complications (1).
Square brackets: Early mobilization reduces post-operative complications [1].
- Separate non-consecutive numbers with commas: (2,5).
- Use a hyphen for a range: (3-6).
- You can name an author in the sentence and add the number: Mensah (4) found...
- Check your guide for whether the number goes before or after the full stop.
The Reference List
Title the list "References" and arrange it in numerical order, matching the in-text numbers.
- List the first six authors, then add "et al." if there are more. Some guides ask for all authors; follow yours.
- Separate authors with commas and end the author list with a full stop.
- Use sentence case for article and book titles, without italics or quotation marks.
- Abbreviate journal titles as listed in the NLM Catalog, such as "J Adv Nurs" for the Journal of Advanced Nursing.
Journal Articles
1. Author AA, Author BB, Author CC. Title of article. Abbrev Journal Title. Year;Volume(Issue):pages.
1. Omondi JA, Kariuki PM, Lindqvist S. Early mobilization after hip surgery in older adults. J Orthop Nurs Res. 2022;14(3):201-9.
With a DOI: 2. Mensah R, Osei K. Nurse-led discharge calls and readmission in heart failure. Int J Cardiol Nurs. 2023;8(2):55-63. doi:10.0000/ijcn.2023.0082
Page ranges are often shortened, so 201-209 becomes 201-9. There is no space between the year, volume, issue and pages.
Some guides also add the month after the year, such as 2022 Mar;14(3):201-9, and online articles may carry [Internet] after the journal title with a cited date. Your university guide will show which version it expects.
Books and Chapters
3. Author AA. Title of book. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher; Year. 4. Author AA. Title of chapter. In: Editor AA, editor. Title of book. Edition. Place: Publisher; Year. p. xx-xx.
3. Chen L. Foundations of community nursing. 3rd ed. London: Northfield Press; 2021.
4. Wanjiku A. Health literacy in primary care. In: Hart J, editor. Public health in practice. Edinburgh: Harbor Academic; 2020. p. 88-112.
Leave out the edition for a first edition. Use "editors" when there is more than one editor.
Websites, Reports and Theses
5. Author or Organization. Title of page [Internet]. Place: Publisher; Year [updated date; cited date]. Available from: URL 6. Organization. Title of report. Place: Publisher; Year. 7. Author AA. Title of thesis [dissertation]. Place: Institution; Year.
5. Coastal Health Trust. Falls prevention in hospital [Internet]. Leeds: Coastal Health Trust; 2024 [updated 2025 Mar 3; cited 2026 Oct 9]. Available from: https://www.coastalhealth.example/falls
6. Northern Nursing Council. Safe staffing review. Manchester: Northern Nursing Council; 2023.
7. Wanjiku A. Digital health literacy among university students in East Africa [dissertation]. Lakeside (Kenya): Lakeside University; 2022.
The cited date records when you viewed an online source. Dates in Vancouver are written year, month abbreviation, day.
Vancouver Compared with APA
| Feature | Vancouver | APA 7th |
|---|---|---|
| In-text | Number: (1) or superscript | Author and year: (Omondi, 2022) |
| List order | Order of first citation | Alphabetical by author |
| Author format | Omondi JA | Omondi, J. A. |
| Journal title | Abbreviated, plain text | Full title, italic |
| Common in | Medicine and many nursing schools | Nursing, psychology and social sciences |
Nursing schools vary: some use Vancouver, many use APA, and some use Harvard. Always use the style your program names.
Common Vancouver Mistakes
- Listing references alphabetically instead of in citation order.
- Giving a source a new number when it is cited again.
- Adding full stops to initials or journal abbreviations.
- Italicizing journal or book titles.
- Mixing superscripts and bracketed numbers in the same paper.
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Frequently Asked Questions
A numbered citation style used mainly in medicine and health sciences, based on the US National Library of Medicine's recommendations.
Both are numbered styles, but the formats differ. Vancouver writes authors as "Omondi JA" and uses plain abbreviated journal titles; IEEE writes "J. A. Omondi" and italicizes journal titles.
It depends on your university or journal. Pick the one your guide specifies and use it consistently.
Commonly the first six, followed by "et al." Some guides ask for all authors.
In the NLM Catalog, which lists the standard abbreviation for each indexed journal.
No. It follows the order in which sources are first cited.
Generally no. Titles of books and journals are not italicized in standard Vancouver style.
Give the author or organization, title, [Internet], place, publisher, year, updated and cited dates, and the URL after "Available from:".
No. A source keeps the number it was given the first time you cited it, however many times you cite it later.