Quick Answer: The Vancouver Journal Reference
Number each source the first time you cite it, put that number in the text (in parentheses, brackets or superscript, as the journal requires), and list the entries in the same order.
Pattern
1. Lastname AA, Lastname BB. Article title, sentence case only. Abbreviated Journal Title. Year Mon;volume(issue):first page-last page. doi: 10.xxxx/xxxxx
Worked example (fictional)
1. Ibarra PL, Voss KD. Nurse practitioner-led follow-up after heart failure discharge: a retrospective cohort study. J Adv Pract Examples. 2022 Jun;9(2):210-8. doi: 10.xxxx/xxxxx
In text
Early follow-up calls improved attendance (1).
What Vancouver Is
The name goes back to 1978, when a group of medical journal editors met in Vancouver, Canada, and agreed on a shared manuscript format. That group is now the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and its recommendations for reference formatting are based on the U.S. National Library of Medicine's style (Citing Medicine). The system is numeric, and each source is numbered the first time it is cited. Many journals follow ICMJE with their own tweaks, and universities publish local versions, so check your program's guide or the target journal's instructions before you format.
About the examples. Authors, journals, publishers and links are fictional placeholders. They show the pattern and are not real sources; take every detail for your list from the source in your hands.
Numbering in the Text
- Mark citations with Arabic numerals in parentheses, square brackets or superscript, whichever your program or journal requires, and keep to one form.
- Number sources in order of first appearance, including those cited only in tables, figures or legends (counted where the table or figure is first mentioned).
- Reuse the original number when you cite a source again.
- Show ranges with a hyphen and separate single numbers with commas: (1-3), (1,4,7).
- Designate accepted but unpublished work as "in press" or "forthcoming", after confirming acceptance and getting the authors' written permission, as ICMJE advises.
- Avoid citing a personal communication unless it supplies essential information found nowhere public. If you must, put the person's name and the date in parentheses in the text and keep it out of the numbered list.
Structured handoff reduced omissions (1). Follow-up calls improved attendance (2,3), though results differed between clinics (4-6).
Reference List Rules
- Head the list References, numbered in citation order.
- Give all authors when there are six or fewer. When there are more than six, ICMJE and NLM list the first six followed by "et al." Some institutions shorten this to three, so follow your guide.
- Journal titles use NLM abbreviations, with no periods and no italics. Article titles use sentence case.
- Journal pattern: year, then month if you have it, then volume, issue in parentheses, and pages (2022 Jun;9(2):210-8). NLM shortens the second page number, though some programs prefer full ranges.
- Books include the place of publication with a state or country code in parentheses, then the publisher and year.
- Online items carry [Internet], the year, the date you consulted it inside square brackets, and "Available from:" before the address.
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Worked Examples by Source Type
Journal article, two authors
1. Ibarra PL, Voss KD. Nurse practitioner-led follow-up after heart failure discharge: a retrospective cohort study. J Adv Pract Examples. 2022 Jun;9(2):210-8. doi: 10.xxxx/xxxxx
Journal article, more than six authors
2. Castellanos JM, Ibarra PL, Voss KD, Okonkwo AL, Haldane RT, Tanaka S, et al. Adoption of a frailty screen in primary care: a pilot. J Adv Pract Examples. 2021;8(1):22-30. doi: 10.xxxx/xxxxx
Book
3. Okonkwo AL. Pharmacology for advanced practice: core principles. 3rd ed. Springfield (IL): Larkspur Academic Press; 2021.
Book chapter with an editor
4. Voss KD. Assessing pain in older adults. In: Okonkwo AL, editor. Fundamentals of assessment. 2nd ed. Springfield (IL): Larkspur Academic Press; 2020. p. 145-68.
Web page
5. Harborview Patient Safety Collaborative. Safe mobility after knee replacement: a patient handout [Internet]. Springfield (IL): Harborview Patient Safety Collaborative; 2023 [cited 2026 Sep 15]. Available from: https://www.example.org/xxxxx
Guidelines, reports and datasets adapt these patterns. See the guideline guide and the grey literature guide for notes on how numbered styles handle them.
Vancouver Compared With AMA
| Feature | Vancouver (NLM/ICMJE) | AMA 11 |
|---|
| In-text marker | Number in parentheses, brackets or superscript | Superscript |
| Journal name | Abbreviated, not italic | Abbreviated, italic |
| Authors before "et al." | First six when more than six | First three when more than six |
| Book publisher place | Included | Omitted |
| Online source | [Internet], [cited date], Available from: | Accessed date, then the URL |
| Journal date | Year Month;volume(issue):pages | Year;volume(issue):pages |
The two are easy to confuse because both number their sources. The AMA guide lays out the other side.
Formatting Checklist
- One in-text number style (parentheses, brackets or superscript) all the way through.
- References numbered in first-citation order, with repeat citations reusing the number.
- NLM journal abbreviations, no italics, sentence-case article titles.
- Author rule (six, or your institution's limit) applied to every entry.
- [Internet] and [cited date] on every online source, and DOIs where they exist.
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|
| Mixing brackets and parentheses in one paper | Choose one form |
| Alphabetizing the list | Number by first citation instead |
| Italicizing journal names out of APA habit | Leave them plain in Vancouver |
| Omitting the cited date on web sources | Add [cited YYYY Mon DD] |
| Copying a journal's reference style without checking its author instructions | Follow the target journal's own version of Vancouver |
Academic integrity. A number in brackets does not replace honest attribution, and your institution's academic-integrity rules apply to numbered styles too. Authoritative guidance is available from the ICMJE and the National Library of Medicine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Vancouver a single, fixed style?
Not exactly. ICMJE and NLM set the core, but journals and universities publish variants covering author limits, punctuation and in-text marks. Use the variant your reader names.
Do I need the place of publication for books?
In NLM-based Vancouver, yes. Some local versions leave it out, so follow your program's guide.
Should I use Vancouver or AMA for a manuscript from my DNP project?
Whichever the target journal's author instructions name. Choose the journal first, then reformat.