Bibliography & Citation Guide
Learn how to format references using Vancouver style citation format
Vancouver Style Overview
Our journal uses the Vancouver citation style, which is widely used in medical and scientific publications. This style uses numbered references in the order they appear in the text.
In-Text Citations
- • Use superscript numbers: ¹, ², ³
- • Place after punctuation marks
- • Number references in order of appearance
- • Use ranges for consecutive references: ¹⁻³
Reference List
- • Number references sequentially
- • Use standard abbreviations
- • Include all authors (up to 6)
- • No DOI or URL links required
Journal Articles
Format
Author(s). Title. Journal Abbreviation. Year; Volume(Issue): Page range.
Example:
1. Smith J, Doe A, Johnson B. Cardiovascular disease in diabetic patients. J Cardiovasc Med. 2023; 15(3): 123-130.
Multiple Authors
2-6 Authors:
2. Smith J, Doe A, Johnson B, Wilson C, Brown D, Davis E. Treatment outcomes in hypertension. Med Res. 2023; 8(2): 45-52.
More than 6 Authors:
3. Smith J, Doe A, Johnson B, Wilson C, Brown D, Davis E, et al. Large-scale clinical trial results. Clin Trials. 2023; 12(4): 201-215.
Books
Format
Author(s). Book Title. Edition. Place of Publication: Publisher; Year.
Example:
4. Harrison TR. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 21st ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2022.
Book Chapters
Chapter Author(s). Chapter Title. In: Book Editor(s), editor(s). Book Title. Edition. Place: Publisher; Year. p. Page range.
Example:
5. Johnson A. Diabetes management. In: Smith B, editor. Endocrinology Handbook. 3rd ed. Boston: Medical Press; 2023. p. 45-78.
Online Sources
Websites
Author(s). Title. Website Name. [Internet]. Place: Publisher; Year [cited Year Month Day]. Available from: URL
Example:
6. World Health Organization. Global health statistics 2023. WHO. [Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2023 [cited 2023 Dec 15]. Available from: https://www.who.int/health-topics
Online Articles
Author(s). Title. Journal Name. Year; Volume(Issue): Page range. [Internet]. [cited Year Month Day]. Available from: URL
Example:
7. Brown C, Wilson D. Telemedicine in rural areas. Rural Health J. 2023; 5(2): 89-95. [Internet]. [cited 2023 Dec 15]. Available from: https://ruralhealth.org/articles/telemedicine
Special Cases
Conference Proceedings
Author(s). Title. In: Editor(s), editor(s). Conference Name; Year Month Day; Place. Publisher; Year. p. Page range.
Example:
8. Davis E, Miller F. AI in medical diagnosis. In: Johnson G, editor. International Medical AI Conference; 2023 Oct 15-17; San Francisco. MedAI Press; 2023. p. 234-240.
Theses and Dissertations
Author. Title [dissertation]. Place: Institution; Year.
Example:
9. Anderson K. Machine learning applications in cardiology [dissertation]. Boston: Harvard University; 2023.
Government Reports
Organization. Title. Place: Publisher; Year. Report No.: Report number.
Example:
10. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diabetes surveillance report 2023. Atlanta: CDC; 2023. Report No.: 2023-001.
Journal Abbreviations
Use standard abbreviations from the NLM Catalog of Journals. Here are some common examples:
Common Abbreviations
Specialty Journals
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Don't Do
- • Use "et al." in the reference list
- • Include DOI or URL links
- • Use full journal names
- • Mix citation styles
- • Number references alphabetically
- • Use square brackets for in-text citations
Do Instead
- • List all authors (up to 6), then "et al."
- • Omit DOI and URL information
- • Use standard journal abbreviations
- • Stick to Vancouver style consistently
- • Number references in order of appearance
- • Use superscript numbers for citations