Vancouver is a footnoting referencing system sometimes used in the health sciences. Like the Harvard system there is no official style guide, but the US National Library of Medicine's (NLM) style guide is now considered the most authoritative manual on Vancouver referencing.
Vancouver style guides
- , 2nd edition
Referencing in Vancouver
Let's go through the steps of how to use a style guide to reference in Vancouver, using the .
The reference list entry
Start by doing the reference list entry. If you get this right early on, it will save you a lot of time.
1. Identify what the source is, where it's from, and who it's by.
Is it a book? A journal article? A government report? A podcast? A blog post? Did you access it online? How many authors does it have? The source's characteristics influence how to reference it. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;
2. Find a matching example in your style guide.
The aim is to find the closest example possible in the . &²Ô²ú²õ±è;
3. Write out the reference following the style guide examples.
Your aim at this point is to make the information you have match the order and formatting of the example in the style guide. This includes details such as punctuation, italicisation, and case (e.g. Title Case).  
If you're unsure about how to cite a particular source, remember that the person marking your assignment cares most of all about consistency and having enough information to be able to locate the source themselves. Check over your references to make sure they're following the same principles and formatting.
Note that in Vancouver style, each source is numbered according to when they first appear in your work. In the reference list, the first source that appeared in your work is labelled (1), the second source (2) and so on. To see an example reference list, check out the .
In-text citations
When you use Vancouver, you use parenthetical citations in the body of your work to show where the information comes from. Note that in the Vancouver style, each source is numbered according to when they first appear in your work. In the reference list, the first source that appeared in your work is labelled (1), the second source (2) and so on.
Include page numbers in your in-text citation whenever you use quotes, specific data or a paraphrase. For examples, see the
If you are summarising the main idea of the source (e.g. a book or journal article), you don't need a page number.  
Check your guide
Always remember to have your chosen style guide open while you are referencing, even if you use referencing software. It's useful to look out for inconsistencies and to make sure that you have all the right information in the correct order and format. Check out the style guides listed at the top of this page.
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