Vancouver citation is a style often required in history, political science, and humanities courses at Canadian universities. It relies on notes and bibliography, using author-date in-text citations paired with detailed footnotes or endnotes.
This guide explains how to format Vancouver style consistently, avoid common mistakes, and manage sources efficiently for academic writing. The tables and examples below clarify rules for books, journal articles, and online sources.
| Source Type | In-text Citation | Footnote Example | Bibliography Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Book (Single Author) | (Smith 2020, 45) | 1. John Smith, Theories of Power (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2020), 45. | Smith, John. Theories of Power. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2020. |
| Journal Article | (Chen and Lee 2018, 112) | 2. Mei Chen and David Lee, "Urban Policy in Vancouver," Canadian Journal of Political Science 51, no. 2 (2018): 112. | Chen, Mei, and David Lee. "Urban Policy in Vancouver." Canadian Journal of Political Science 51, no. 2 (2018): 105–120. |
| Webpage (No Author) | ("City Budget" 2023) | 3. "City Budget 2023," City of Vancouver Open Data, accessed October 10, 2023, https://data.vancouver.ca/budget. | "City Budget 2023." City of Vancouver Open Data. Accessed October 10, 2023. https://data.vancouver.ca/budget. |
| Government Report | (Statistics Canada 2022, 8) | 4. Statistics Canada, Income and Expenditure in Canadian Metropolitan Areas, catalogue no. 11-621-X (Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2022), 8. | Statistics Canada. Income and Expenditure in Canadian Metropolitan Areas. Catalogue no. 11-621-X. Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2022. |
Formatting Notes and Citation Rules
Italics, Capitalization, and Punctuation
In Vancouver style, italicize book and journal titles while using sentence-style capitalization for titles and subtitles. Use commas to separate author names in notes and place a comma before the year in in-text citations. End each footnote with a period before the next sequential number.
Creating Accurate Bibliography Entries
Ordering Elements for Different Sources
Organize bibliography entries alphabetically by the author’s last name or, if no author is listed, by title. For books, include author, title, place of publication, publisher, year, and page range. For journal articles, add journal title, volume, issue, year, and inclusive page numbers. For webpages, provide the author or organization, title of page, name of the website, publication or update date, URL, and access date.
Vancouver Style for Online and Digital Sources
Citing Webpages, PDFs, and DOIs
When citing online sources, prioritize stable identifiers such as DOIs over URLs. Include the access date only when no publication date is provided. Maintain consistency by formatting digital sources with the same core elements as print sources, adapting as needed for medium-specific details like file format or version.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Consistency in Punctuation and Abbreviations
Errors often arise from mixing footnote punctuation or omitting place names and publisher information. Use tools and style sheets to standardize abbreviations for publishers and jurisdictions. Double-check numerical order of footnotes and ensure that each in-text citation matches a corresponding footnote or bibliography entry.
Referencing Practices for Vancouver Academic Writing
- Verify each citation against the original source to capture accurate details.
- Use a consistent reference manager and export style set to Vancouver.
- Double-check punctuation, italics, and capitalization in every entry.
- Keep a template for common source types to speed up revisions.
- Save access dates and URLs for online resources used in research.
FAQ
Reader questions
How do I cite a chapter in an edited book using Vancouver style?
List the chapter author first, then the chapter title in quotation marks, followed by "In:" and the edited book title in italics. Include editor names, place, publisher, year, and page range in the bibliography, and mirror this structure in footnotes.
What do I do when a source has no page numbers in Vancouver notes?
Use paragraph numbers, section headings, or another stable locator if page numbers are unavailable. In the footnote, indicate the locator clearly, such as "para. 5" or "sec. 2," so readers can find the exact reference.
Should I include the URL in a Vancouver footnote for a webpage?
Yes, include the full URL in the footnote and in the bibliography entry. Add the access date unless a publication or revision date is provided, and prefer DOIs when they are available for more permanent linking.
Are footnotes numbered consecutively throughout the entire document in Vancouver style?
Yes, numbering should run sequentially through the entire paper, restarting only if specifically instructed otherwise. This ensures that each footnote can be traced easily and that cross-references remain accurate.