Vancouver Style: Numbered Citation and Reference Formatting
Vancouver Citation and Referencing Style · Also known as: Vancouver style, numbered citation, ICMJE style
Vancouver style is the standard citation format for biomedical and clinical research journals, established by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and detailed in their Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals. In Vancouver style, citations are numbered sequentially in the text (e.g., [1], [2], [3]) and linked to a numbered reference list at the end of the manuscript. The style emphasizes conciseness and is widely used in medicine, nursing, and life sciences. Unlike author-date systems (APA), Vancouver style de-emphasizes author names in the text, allowing more natural prose flow.
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When to use it
Use Vancouver style for original research, case reports, and reviews in biomedical and clinical journals. Most medical journals indexed in MEDLINE explicitly require Vancouver style (JAMA, Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, BMJ, etc.). Nursing, dentistry, and public health journals typically also use Vancouver. Do not mix Vancouver with APA or other styles. If your target journal's guidelines do not specify a style, check whether it is indexed in MEDLINE; if yes, use Vancouver. Some journals provide an author template or example article to show their specific variations (e.g., whether to include PMID, where to place citation brackets).
Strengths & limitations
- Conciseness: Vancouver style abbreviates journal titles and uses et al. after six authors, conserving space in dense biomedical literature.
- Minimal text interruption: numbered citations [1] are less intrusive than author-date citations (Smith, 2021), supporting narrative flow.
- Sequential logic: readers trace the argument and can refer to the numbered list at the end; transparent chain of evidence.
- Support for clinical decision-making: in-text references are compact, allowing clinicians to read rapidly and verify sources as needed.
- Standardization: ICMJE Recommendations are used globally by hundreds of medical journals, ensuring consistency across clinical literature.
- Loss of author information in text: readers cannot immediately see who conducted a study (see reference list); this can reduce trust or make it harder to assess author expertise.
- Difficulty in editing: if you add a new citation in the middle, all subsequent numbers change, requiring careful renumbering throughout the manuscript.
- Citation order dependence: citations must appear in order of first mention; you cannot reorganize text without updating citation numbers.
- Author et al. ambiguity: after six authors, all names are hidden; readers cannot distinguish between 'Smith et al.' (different papers by Smith and different co-authors) without consulting the reference list.
- Journal abbreviations: using non-standard abbreviations or misspelling abbreviated titles is a common error (e.g., writing 'JAMA' vs 'Jama').
Frequently asked
When should I place the citation bracket—before or after the period?
Most journals place the citation after the period: 'The treatment was effective[1].' However, some journals prefer before the period: 'The treatment was effective.[1]' Check your target journal's guidelines or author instructions. If not specified, after the period is now the more common convention.
What if there are multiple citations for a single statement, such as [1], [2], [3]?
Use a range if citations are consecutive: [1-3]. If they are not consecutive, use commas: [1,3,5]. Example: 'Multiple studies support this[1-3,7].' Some journals prefer [1,2,3] without commas; check author guidelines.
How do I abbreviate journal titles correctly?
Use the official NLM abbreviation from the MEDLINE database. Search PubMed journals (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/journals/); find your journal and copy the abbreviation exactly. Common examples: JAMA, N Engl J Med, Lancet, BMJ, Pediatrics. If unsure, check the journal's website or a recent article in that journal.
Should I include PMID or DOI in the reference list?
Include both if available. PMID format: PMID: 12345678 (at the end). DOI format: https://doi.org/10.XXXX/XXXXX. Many modern journal articles have both; including them facilitates easy electronic verification and access. Some journals still consider these optional, but best practice is to include them.
How many authors should I list?
List all authors up to six. For seven or more authors, list the first six followed by 'et al.' Example: 'Smith A, Jones B, Brown C, Lee D, Miller E, Davis F, et al.' Do not include 'and' before the final author; use commas throughout.
Can I use Vancouver style for works in press or under review?
Yes, but the format differs. In press (accepted but not yet published): Author A, Author B. Title of article. Journal Title. [In press]. Under review: do not cite unpublished manuscripts or works under review in formal publications; if essential, cite as: 'Author A. Unpublished manuscript [Internet]. 2023.' Include access date if known.
Sources
- International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (2023). Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals. Retrieved from https://www.icmje.org/ link ↗
- National Library of Medicine (2023). Citing Medicine: The NLM Style Guide for Authors, Editors, and Publishers (3rd ed.). Retrieved from https://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/formats/recommendedformats.html link ↗
How to cite this page
ScholarGate. (2026, June 3). Vancouver Citation and Referencing Style. ScholarGate. https://scholargate.app/en/academic-writing/vancouver-style
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