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Numbered · ICMJE · 2026 Guide

Vancouver style — numbered (1) in-text & references

The Vancouver numbered style for medicine and biomedical sciences: in-text numbers in order of appearance and a numeric References list.

Updated June 2026·6-min read·By LivoDraft
Quick answer

Vancouver is a numbered style for medicine and the biomedical sciences, defined by the ICMJE/NLM. In the text you cite each source with a number in order of appearance — e.g. (1) or superscript — and the References list follows that same numeric order, not alphabetical. Authors are surname + initials and journal names are abbreviated per NLM.

Overview

What is Vancouver citation style?

Vancouver is the numbered citation style of medicine, defined by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the US National Library of Medicine. Each source gets a number on first citation, reused thereafter.

It is required by ICMJE journals and standard across medicine, nursing and the health sciences. Like IEEE, the reference list is ordered by appearance rather than alphabetically. See the full set on the citation-styles hub.

In-text

Vancouver in-text citations

Cite each source by number in order of appearance, shown either in parentheses or as a superscript depending on the journal. Reuse the number for repeat citations.

ParentheticalThe trial in (1) reported similar results.
MultipleSeveral trials (1,3–5) confirm the effect.
References

The References

List references numerically in order of appearance under References. Authors are surname + initials (up to six, then et al.), the journal name is abbreviated per NLM, and the year, volume, issue and pages follow.

Journal article1. Sharma R, Rao P. Machine learning for structural health monitoring. J Civ Eng. 2023;12(3):45–67.
Book2. Mehta A. Foundations of research design. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2022.
At a glance

Vancouver vs the other styles

Vancouver is one of six styles LivoDraft generates. Choose the one your department or journal requires:

APA (Author, Year)MLA (Author 45)HarvardIEEE [1]ChicagoVancouver (1)
When to use

Who uses Vancouver?

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Use Vancouver for

Medicine, nursing, biomedical and health sciences, and all ICMJE journals. Engineering uses IEEE; social sciences use APA; humanities use MLA or Chicago.

Cite in Vancouver — automatically & verified

LivoDraft formats every in-text citation and the full references in Vancouver style, building the bibliography from real, DOI-verified papers — never fabricated entries.

Draft & cite my document  →All styles
FAQ

Vancouver citation FAQ

What is Vancouver citation style?+
Vancouver is a numbered citation style used in medicine and the biomedical sciences, defined by the ICMJE/NLM. Sources are cited in the text with a number in order of appearance — (1) or superscript — and listed in that same numeric order in the References section.
How do you write a Vancouver in-text citation?+
Insert the source number where you cite it, either in parentheses (1) or as a superscript, depending on the journal. Reuse the same number on every later mention, and cite several as (1,3–5).
Are Vancouver references alphabetical?+
No. Vancouver references are numbered in the order they first appear in the text, exactly like IEEE. Reference 1 is the first source you cite.
Which subjects use Vancouver?+
Medicine, nursing, biomedical and health sciences, and all ICMJE journals. Engineering uses IEEE; social sciences use APA; humanities use MLA or Chicago.