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Vancouver

Vancouver Citation Style Guide

The Vancouver style is an international standard for biomedical and health sciences publications.

When to Use Vancouver

  • International medical journals
  • Nursing research papers
  • Public health publications
  • Biomedical sciences
  • ICMJE-compliant journals

Citation Format Overview

Vancouver uses a numbered citation system with references in square brackets [1]. Similar to IEEE but with medical-specific formatting.

In-Text Citations

Single: Recent studies [1] show...

Multiple: Several studies [1-3] demonstrate...

Non-consecutive: Previous work [1,5,7] indicates...

Journal Article Example

1. Smith J, Johnson M, Lee A. Effects of medication on blood pressure. JAMA. 2024;331(4):567-80.

Important Vancouver Rules

  • Author names: Surname Initials (no periods)
  • Up to 6 authors: List all
  • 7+ authors: List first 6, then "et al."
  • Journal abbreviations: Use ICMJE/NLM standard abbreviations

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