---
name: citation-style-vancouver
description: Use when asked to cite sources, format in-text citations, or build a reference list in Vancouver citation style, used in medicine, nursing, and the biomedical sciences; numbered like [[citation-style-ieee]] and [[citation-style-ama]], with a plain, compact reference format.
---

# Vancouver Citation Style

Vancouver citation style is the style commonly required in medicine, nursing, and the biomedical sciences. Family: Numbered, in order of first citation.

## Input required

- The sources to cite, with author, title, date, publisher or journal, volume, issue, pages, and DOI or URL.
- The edition, institution, or journal whose rules apply.

## Questions to ask first

1. Which edition or institutional variant must the work follow?
2. Is the output in-text citations, reference-list entries, or both?
3. What type is each source (book, article, web page, report, legal authority)?
4. Is any information missing, such as the date, pages, or DOI?

## In-text citations

- Number each source in the order it is first cited, and reuse that number for every later citation.
- Numbers appear in square brackets `[1]`, parentheses `(1)`, or superscript, depending on the journal or institution.
- Several sources: `[1,3]` or `[2–4]`.

## Reference format

A numbered `References` list in order of first citation, not alphabetical. Author names are surname plus initials with no periods or commas between initials; journal titles use the National Library of Medicine abbreviations. Long author lists are cut to a set number followed by `et al.`, and the number varies by journal.

## Example pattern

The names, title, and numbers below are placeholders showing the pattern, not a real source.

```text
1. Smith JA, Lee K. Title of the article in sentence case. J Abbrev. 2020;12(3):45-67. doi:xx.xxxx/xxxxx
```

## Ground rules

- Use only the details the user supplied or that can be checked. Never invent authors, dates, DOIs, page numbers, or sources.
- If a detail is missing, leave a clear placeholder and say so.
- Apply one style consistently throughout the document.
- When the user's institution or journal differs from this guide, follow theirs.

## Self-check before answering

- Does every in-text citation have a matching reference entry, and the reverse?
- Are the ordering, capitalization, punctuation, and italics consistent with this style?
- Were any details guessed? Remove or flag them.

## Common pitfalls

- **Alphabetizing the list** — order is by first appearance in the text.
- **Renumbering errors** — adding or removing a citation shifts every later number; recheck them all.
- **Unabbreviated journal names** — use the NLM abbreviation.
- **Ignoring the journal's own rules** — brackets versus superscript and author-count limits vary.

## Learn more

- Compare with the other styles: [[citation-style-apa]], [[citation-style-mla]], [[citation-style-chicago]], [[citation-style-harvard]], [[citation-style-ieee]], [[citation-style-ama]], [[citation-style-oscola]].
- Official guidance: [Citing Medicine (National Library of Medicine)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK7256/).