As we all know, referencing is important because every time we use someone else’s work, we must acknowledge that.
In the world of medicine, any academic document or essay must be referenced using either the Vancouver or the National Library of Medicine (NLM).
In most schools and establishments, the two systems are used interchangeably. In this article, let’s explore how NLM and Vancouver are similar yet different.
The Vancouver referencing system
Under the Vancouver system, you typically use numbers for in-text citations and references. So it is a citation-sequence system. Authors’ names, publication dates, etc., are usually not mentioned.
In-text citations
A number (in Arabic numerals) in parentheses or as a superscript is used in the text, which correlates to a references list. Unlike other styles, the entries are listed in a sequence and not in alphabetical order.
Even if you include the author’s name in the text, you must provide the number associated with your references list. Whether you place it in parentheses or as a superscript depends on your school/department.
References list
As we discussed earlier, the references list is made in chronological order and in the order that they appear in your text. Always place the references list at the end of your document and use the heading ‘References’.
Make sure to use double spacing in between entries and if they go beyond a single line, then use a hanging indent on the second line.
The NLM referencing system and in-text citations
The Vancouver system is one of the three accepted formats to reference your papers under the NLM system, and the other two are name-year and citation-name.
Under the former, you mention the author’s surname and the year of publication in the text and the references, list alphabetically based on the author’s surname.
Under the latter, you use numbers in the text (superscript), and in the references, you list the authors’ names alphabetically.
References list
Under the title ‘References’, you list the authors’ names in alphabetical order.
Make sure to start your list only at the end of your paper on a new page.
Just like in the Vancouver style, start with the author’s last name and then the initials of the first and middle name. If there are multiple authors, separate using a comma.
Capitalize only the first word of the title and other proper nouns. Abbreviate the title if necessary.
Mention the edition and shorten it to ‘ed.’ Also provide the place of publication, publisher details, and the year.