Vancouver referencing is the numbered citation style used across medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy and many health science courses in the UK, Australia and beyond. It is compact and easy to read once you know the rules — but small inconsistencies in punctuation and numbering are where most marks are lost. This guide covers in-text citations, the reference list, and examples for the source types health students cite most.
Vancouver vs author-date styles
| Vancouver | Harvard / APA | |
|---|---|---|
| In-text citation | Number: [1] or superscript | Author and year: (Smith, 2021) |
| Reference list order | Numerical, in order of first citation | Alphabetical by author surname |
| Same source cited again | Reuse the original number | Repeat author and year |
| Typical disciplines | Medicine, nursing, health sciences | Business, social sciences, education, psychology |
In-text citations
- Number sources in the order you first cite them: the first source is 1, the next new source is 2, and so on.
- Reuse the same number every time you cite that source again.
- Place the number immediately after the fact or author it supports: Hand hygiene reduces transmission [1].
- Cite several sources with commas and ranges: [1,4] or [2–5].
- You can still name authors in your sentence: Watson and Crick [3] described the double helix.
The reference list
Title the list References and list sources in numerical order, matching your in-text numbers. Author names are written Surname Initials with no full stops or spaces between initials (Watson JD), separated by commas.
Journal article
Author AA, Author BB. Title of article. Abbreviated Journal Title. Year;Volume(Issue):pages.
Watson JD, Crick FHC. Molecular structure of nucleic acids. Nature. 1953;171(4356):737-8.
Note the punctuation that trips students up: a full stop after the journal abbreviation, then year;volume(issue):pages with no spaces. Many guides shorten page ranges (737-8). If your university wants DOIs, add them at the end.
Book
Author AA. Title of book. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher; Year.
Chapter in an edited book
Chapter Author AA. Title of chapter. In: Editor AA, editor. Title of book. Edition. Place: Publisher; Year. p. pages.
Web page or professional standard
Nursing and Midwifery Council. The Code: professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses, midwives and nursing associates [Internet]. London: NMC; 2018 [cited 2026 Oct 15]. Available from: https://www.nmc.org.uk/standards/code/
Online sources include [Internet] after the title and a [cited Year Month Day] access date — record it when you read the page.
Journal article with more than six authors
Author AA, Author BB, Author CC, Author DD, Author EE, Author FF, et al. Title of article. Abbreviated Journal Title. Year;Volume(Issue):pages.
Use this form only if your university's version limits the author list; otherwise list every author as Citing Medicine does.
Clinical guideline or organisational report
Organisation Name. Title of guideline or report. Place: Publisher; Year. Report or guideline number if given.
Guidelines from bodies such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) are cited with the organisation as author. If you accessed it online, add [Internet], an access date and the URL, as for web pages.
How Vancouver varies between universities
| Element | Common variations |
|---|---|
| In-text number | [1], (1) or superscript¹ |
| Author limit | All authors, or first six then et al. |
| DOIs | Required by some universities, optional at others |
| Page ranges | Shortened (737-8) or full (737-738) |
| Reference list title | References or Reference list |
Whichever version you use, the marks come from consistency: once you choose a format for a variable element, apply it to every reference.
Pre-submission checklist
- Every in-text number has a matching entry in the reference list, and vice versa.
- Numbers run in order of first citation, with no gaps or duplicates.
- Repeat citations reuse their original number.
- Author names use Surname Initials with no full stops.
- Journal titles use NLM abbreviations.
- Online sources include an access date.
Common Vancouver mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Numbering the reference list alphabetically | Order it by first citation in your text. |
| Giving a source a new number when you cite it again | Reuse the original number. |
| Full stops between initials (J.D. Watson) | Write Watson JD. |
| Italicising or writing out journal titles in full | Use the NLM abbreviation, no italics. |
| Mixing brackets and superscript | Use one format, as your guide specifies. |
| Missing access date for web sources | Add [cited Year Mon Day]. |
If your module uses an author-date style instead, see our Harvard referencing guide or the referencing styles comparison. Our free citation generator can help you draft references to check against these rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Vancouver referencing numbered?
Yes. Vancouver is a citation-sequence style: each source gets a number the first time you cite it, and the same number is reused whenever you cite that source again. The reference list is in that numerical order, not alphabetical.
Do I use brackets or superscript numbers in Vancouver?
Both are used. Some universities require square brackets [1], others round brackets (1) or superscript numbers. Use whichever form your university's Vancouver guide specifies and apply it consistently.
How many authors do I list in Vancouver?
Citing Medicine, the style manual from the US National Library of Medicine, lists all authors, but many university versions list the first six followed by et al. Follow your institution's rule.
Should journal titles be abbreviated in Vancouver?
Usually yes. Vancouver uses the standard abbreviations from the NLM Catalog, for example N Engl J Med for the New England Journal of Medicine, without italics or full stops.
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