Vancouver (numbered) reference system commonly used in medical journals
Citation and formatting rules based on the ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors) Recommendations, commonly known as the Vancouver style. Widely used in biomedical journals worldwide, including The Lancet, BMJ, and many others.
Examples (parenthetical style):
The treatment showed significant improvement in outcomes (1).
Several studies (2-4) have demonstrated this effect.
As reported by Smith et al (5), the intervention was effective.
Prior research supports these findings (1,3,7).
Examples (superscript style):
The treatment showed significant improvement in outcomes.1
Several studies2-4 have demonstrated this effect.
As reported by Smith et al,5 the intervention was effective.
Note: Check the specific journal's instructions for whether to use parentheses, superscript, or square brackets. The underlying numbering and reference format remains the same.
References are listed numerically at the end of the manuscript in the order cited.
Examples:
Smith JA, Jones BR, Williams CD
Smith JA, Jones BR, Williams CD, Brown EF, Davis GH, Wilson IJ, et al.
Format:
Author(s). Title of article. Abbreviated Journal Name. Year Mon;Volume(Issue):Pages. doi:
Rules:
Example -- 6 or fewer authors:
1. Halpern SD, Ubel PA, Caplan AL. Solid-organ transplantation in HIV-infected patients.
N Engl J Med. 2002 Jul 25;347(4):284-7. doi: 10.1056/NEJMsb020632.
Example -- 7 or more authors:
2. Rose ME, Huerbin MB, Melick J, Marion DW, Palmer AM, Schiding JK, et al. Regulation
of interstitial excitatory amino acid concentrations after cortical contusion injury.
Brain Res. 2002;935(1-2):40-6. doi: 10.1016/S0006-8993(02)02445-9.
Example -- article with no author:
3. 21st century heart solution may have a sting in the tail. BMJ. 2002;325(7357):184.
Example -- volume with supplement:
4. Geraud G, Spierings EL, Keywood C. Tolerability and safety of frovatriptan with
short- and long-term use for treatment of migraine and in comparison with sumatriptan.
Headache. 2002;42 Suppl 2:S93-9.
Example -- epub ahead of print:
5. Yu WM, Bhatt DL. Cardiovascular outcomes in special populations. Circulation. 2024
Mar 5. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.123.067891. Epub ahead of print.
Format -- personal author(s):
Author(s). Title of book. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher; Year.
Example:
6. Murray PR, Rosenthal KS, Pfaller MA. Medical microbiology. 4th ed. St. Louis: Mosby;
2002.
Format -- editor(s) as author:
Editor(s), editor(s). Title of book. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher; Year.
Example:
7. Gilstrap LC 3rd, Cunningham FG, VanDorsten JP, editors. Operative obstetrics. 2nd ed.
New York: McGraw-Hill; 2002.
Format:
Author(s) of chapter. Title of chapter. In: Editor(s), editor(s). Title of book.
Edition. Place of publication: Publisher; Year. p. Pages.
Example:
8. Meltzer PS, Kallioniemi A, Trent JM. Chromosome alterations in human solid tumors.
In: Vogelstein B, Kinzler KW, editors. The genetic basis of human cancer. 2nd ed.
New York: McGraw-Hill; 2002. p. 93-113.
Format -- journal article online:
Author(s). Title of article. Abbreviated Journal Name [Internet]. Year [cited date];
Volume(Issue):Pages. Available from: URL
Example:
9. Abood S. Quality improvement initiative in nursing homes: the ANA acts in an advisory
role. Am J Nurs [Internet]. 2002 Jun [cited 2002 Aug 12];102(6):[about 1 p.].
Available from: https://journals.lww.com/ajnonline/
Format -- website:
Organization or Author. Title of page [Internet]. Place of publication: Publisher;
Date of publication [updated date; cited date]. Available from: URL
Example:
10. Cancer Research UK. Cancer statistics for the UK [Internet]. London: Cancer Research
UK; 2022 [updated 2023 Jan 15; cited 2024 Feb 20]. Available from:
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics
Example -- database on the internet:
11. Who's Certified [Internet]. Evanston (IL): The American Board of Medical Specialties.
c2000 [cited 2001 Mar 8]. Available from: https://www.abms.org/
Format:
Issuing body. Title of document. Place of publication: Publisher; Year. Report No.:
Number.
Example:
12. World Health Organization. World health report 2002: reducing risks, promoting
healthy life. Geneva: WHO; 2002.
Example with report number:
13. National Institute of Mental Health. Genetics and mental disorders. Bethesda (MD):
National Institute of Mental Health; 1998. NIH Pub. No.: 98-4268.
Format:
Author(s). Title of paper. In: Editor(s), editor(s). Title of conference proceedings;
Date of conference; Place of conference. Place of publication: Publisher; Year. p. Pages.
Example:
14. Christensen S, Oppacher F. An analysis of Koza's computational effort statistic for
genetic programming. In: Foster JA, Lutton E, editors. Genetic programming. EuroGP
2002; 2002 Apr 3-5; Kinsale, Ireland. Berlin: Springer; 2002. p. 182-91.
Format:
Author. Title [dissertation/thesis]. Place: University; Year.
Example:
15. Borkowski MM. Infant sleep and feeding: a telephone survey of Hispanic Americans
[dissertation]. Mount Pleasant (MI): Central Michigan University; 2002.
Use Index Medicus / NLM abbreviations. The official list is maintained by the NLM.
Common abbreviations:
| Full Name | Abbreviation |
|---|---|
| New England Journal of Medicine | N Engl J Med |
| The Lancet | Lancet |
| British Medical Journal | BMJ |
| Annals of Internal Medicine | Ann Intern Med |
| Journal of the American Medical Association | JAMA |
| The Lancet Oncology | Lancet Oncol |
| Nature Medicine | Nat Med |
| Journal of Clinical Investigation | J Clin Invest |
| American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine | Am J Respir Crit Care Med |
| European Heart Journal | Eur Heart J |
| Feature | Vancouver | AMA |
|---|---|---|
| Citation format | Varies (parentheses, superscript, or brackets) | Superscript only |
| Authors before "et al" | 6 | 3 (when 7+) |
| Month in reference | Included after year | Not typically included |
| Place of publication (books) | Included | Not required |
| Page abbreviation | Abbreviated (321-8) | Full (321-328) |
| DOI format | doi: 10.xxx | doi:10.xxx (no space) |