Vancouver Book Citations
Learn to cite medical textbooks, clinical handbooks, and health science references using the Vancouver referencing style.
Basic Book Citation Format
Vancouver style uses numerical citations for books. Include all essential information about the publication in a specific order.
Standard Format:
Author AA. Title of book. Edition (if not first). City: Publisher; Year.
Medical Textbooks
Single Author Textbook:
1. Harrison TR. Harrison's principles of internal medicine. 21st ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Education; 2022.
In-text citation: Comprehensive medical principles are outlined (1).
Multiple Authors:
2. Kumar V, Abbas AK, Aster JC. Robbins basic pathology. 10th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2023.
In-text citation: Pathological mechanisms are well-documented (2).
Edited Medical Textbook:
3. Brunton LL, Hilal-Dandan R, Knollmann BC, editors. Goodman & Gilman's the pharmacological basis of therapeutics. 13th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Education; 2022.
In-text citation: Pharmacological principles are established (3).
Clinical Handbooks and Guides
Clinical Manual:
4. Sabatine MS. Pocket medicine: the Massachusetts General Hospital handbook of internal medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer; 2023.
Diagnostic Guide:
5. Kasper DL, Fauci AS, Hauser SL, Longo DL, Jameson JL, Loscalzo J. Harrison's manual of medicine. 20th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Education; 2023.
Surgical Atlas:
6. Townsend CM, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL, editors. Sabiston textbook of surgery: the biological basis of modern surgical practice. 21st ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2022.
Book Chapters
Chapter in Medical Textbook:
7. Johnson MK, Smith AR. Cardiovascular pharmacology. In: Chen L, Wilson PJ, editors. Clinical pharmacology for healthcare professionals. 4th ed. Boston: Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2023. p. 245-267.
Chapter with Different Authors:
8. Rodriguez CA, Thompson LK. Infectious disease management in intensive care. In: Davis SR, Anderson PJ, Brown KE, editors. Critical care medicine: principles and practice. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2023. p. 456-489.
Electronic Books and Online Resources
E-book with DOI:
9. Miller JD, Foster EM. Advanced cardiac life support: a comprehensive guide. 2nd ed. London: Academic Press; 2023. doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-67890-1.00001-2
Online Medical Database Entry:
10. Williams SK, Lee JH. Antibiotic resistance mechanisms. In: Medical microbiology online [Internet]. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Education; 2023 [cited 2023 Mar 15]. Available from: https://accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?bookid=692
Specialized Medical Publications
Clinical Guidelines:
11. American Heart Association. Guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care. Dallas: American Heart Association; 2020.
Reference Manual:
12. World Health Organization. International classification of diseases. 11th revision (ICD-11). Geneva: World Health Organization; 2022.
Atlas:
13. Netter FH. Netter's atlas of human anatomy. 8th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2023.
Vancouver Book Citation Guidelines
Edition Information:
Always include edition information if it's not the first edition. Use standard abbreviations: 2nd ed., 3rd ed., etc.
Publisher Location:
Use the city where the publisher is located. If multiple cities are listed, use the first one mentioned.
Multiple Authors/Editors:
List up to 6 authors. If more than 6, list the first 6 followed by "et al." Use "editors" for edited volumes.
Medical Literature Quality:
When selecting medical books, prioritize:
- Recent editions (within 5 years for clinical content)
- Texts from established medical publishers
- Books with peer-reviewed content
- References endorsed by professional medical organizations
- Texts used in accredited medical programs
Page Numbers for Chapters:
When citing book chapters, include specific page ranges. Use "p." for single pages and "p." for ranges (e.g., p. 245-267).