Vancouver Style Guide: Journal articles

This guide explains how to use the Vancouver Style. It includes a short interactive tutorial.

Journal articles

In-Text-Citation:

Use a superscript number (like this: ¹) in the text at the place where you are indicating that you are citing from a source.

Example:

Due to the impact of HIV infection, organ transplantation is often required over the course of the illness.⁸

Reference:

#. Author(s) Last name Initials. Title of article. Abbreviated journal title. Year of publication; Volume (Issue): Pages.

Example:

8. Halpern SD, Ubel PA, Caplan AL. Solid-organ transplantation in HIV-infected patients. N Engl J Med. 2002; 347(4):284-7.

Note: To find out the correct abbreviated journal title go to a database like PubMed and look up the journal (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog/journals).

In-Text-Citation:

Use a superscript number (like this: ¹) in the text at the place where you are indicating that you are citing from a source.

Example:

Long term vision impairment has been observed in animal subjects exposed to microgravity environments.²⁴

Reference:

#. Author(s) Last name Initials. Title of article. Abbreviated journal title. Year of publication; Volume (Issue): Pages.

Example:

24. Lucan NM, Lee JH, Santorini T, Allerdyce MG, O'Carroll KB, Lowe HW. Optical nerve circulation in a zero gravity state. Exp Ani Circ. 2015 Mar; 25(4):55-89.

Note: For journal articles with multiple authors, the Vancouver style stipulates that you list ALL authors, regardless of number.

While not the style practice, if space is a consideration, the number of authors may be limited to a specific number, such as the first three authors or first six authors. Follow the last named author by a comma and "et al." or "and others."

Further details available here.

In-Text-Citation:

Use a superscript number (like this: ¹) in the text at the place where you are indicating that you are citing from a source.

Example:

Abood describes the actions undertaken to improve care in nursing home settings.⁹

Reference:

#. Author(s) last name Initials. Title of article. Abbreviated journal title [Internet]. Year Month Day of publication [cited Year Month Day]; Volume (Issue): Pages. Available from: URL/doi

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):966 - 969. Available from: https://doi.org/10.3928/00989134-20170313-04

Note: If no page numbers are available for you can count the number of pages, paragraphs, screens, or any other appropriate quantifiable chunks. Include in square brackets in place of pages numbers, e.g. [about 5 p.], about 6 paragraphs], [8 p.]. More details here.

Note on URLs: To get shorter URLs you are permitted to use a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) as above. These can usually be found under the title of the journal article either on a database or on the journal article itself. DOIs are permanent links that will not disappear over time.

Note: Further details on citing electronic journal articles is available from NLM here.

In-Text-Citation:

Use a superscript number (like this: ¹) in the text at the place where you are indicating that you are citing from a source.

Example:

Abood describes the actions undertaken to improve care in nursing home settings.¹⁰

Reference:

#. Author(s) last name Initials. Title of article. Abbreviated journal title [Internet]. Year Month Day of publication [cited Year Month Day]; Volume (Issue): Pages. Epub Year Month Day. Available from: URL.

Example:

10. Roeters van Lennep JE. Why women are not small men. Maturitas [Internet]. 2018 Jan [cited 2021 May 31];107:A3-A4. Epub 2017 Sep 22. Available from: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2017.09.008

Note: Further details on citing electronic journal articles is available from NLM here.