Among the many referencing styles available to us like Harvard, Chicago and others, one is mainly used in medicine and related fields- the Vancouver style.
Under the Vancouver style of referencing, punctuations and the order of details take precedence. So, be careful of these aspects.
In addition, references in the text are usually indicated by a number corresponding to a detailed list right at the end of your paper.
The rules behind the Vancouver style of referencing are incorporated by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, now handled by the National Library of Medicine (NLM).
In this article, let’s understand how in-text citations and references are done under the Vancouver style.
In-text citations in Vancouver style
- Unlike in the other styles, where you mention the author’s name and the year of publication and/or the page number, the Vancouver referencing style requires the usage of Arabic numerals while referencing in the text. This number ties back to an entry in the references list.
- The Arabic number used for referencing is to be placed either in parentheses or as a superscript. This requirement can vary from one department to another.
- The number is to be used either after a period or a comma or before a colon or semicolon.
- Even if your text mentions the author’s name, the number must be used—for instance, Miller21.
- When you have used one number for a reference, use the same number everywhere in the text.
- If there are multiple references, use a comma to separate them without any space between them (1,6,8,10).
- When citing page numbers, use parentheses and the letters ‘p.’ or ‘pp.’
Citations and References in Vancouver and NLM style
A Guide on References List in Vancouver Style
Here are a few rules that you should remember about the references list.
- It must appear at the end of your essay or paper.
- Only that you have cited in your paper must appear in this list. Make sure to not miss out on any entry.
- When you make your list, you must list your references numerically in the same order as they have appeared in your text.
- Refer to the NLM catalogue for journal-title abbreviations.
- Make sure to use only double line spacing between each entry.
- Check with your department to understand any specific requirements that they may have.
- If you have used additional resources, list them out under ‘Bibliography’.
- Here, list out your references in alphabetical order based on the author’s last name or the book’s title, journal, article, website, etc., that you referred to.
- The entry will begin with the author’s surname, followed by the initials of the first and middle name. If there is more than one, enter their names in the order they appear. If there are more than six, then use ‘et al.’
- The URL must be entered as-is if you’ve referred to a website.
- When entering the place of publication, if in the U.S. or Canada, follow the city up with an abbreviation. If it is any other city, follow it with the ISO code.