How to Cite a Book in Vancouver

Complete guide with examples for citing print books, ebooks, edited volumes, and book chapters in Vancouver referencing style.

Basic Format: Print Book (Single Author)

Author names are listed surname first, followed by initials without periods or spaces. Book titles are not italicized. Only the first word of the title is capitalized. Edition (if not the first) follows the title.

Reference List Entry

1. Author AA. Title of book. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher; Year.

Example: Single Author

Citation

1. Gladwell M. Outliers: the story of success. New York: Little, Brown and Company; 2008.

In‑Text Citation

Gladwell (1) argues that success depends on opportunity as much as talent.
Success depends on opportunity (1).

Book with Multiple Authors

List up to six authors. For more than six, list the first six followed by "et al."[reference:2]

Example (Six Authors)

2. Doornbos MM, Groenhout ER, Hotz GK, Brandsen C, Cusveller B, Flikkema M, et al. Transforming care: a Christian vision of nursing practice. Grand Rapids (MI): William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; 2005.

Edited Book

Example

3. Pryor JA, Ammani Prasad S, editors. Physiotherapy for respiratory and cardiac problems: adults and paediatrics. 4th ed. Edinburgh: Elsevier/Churchill Livingstone; 2008.

Chapter in an Edited Book

Example

4. Meltzer PS, Kallioniemi A, Trent JM. Chromosome alterations in human solid tumors. In: Vogelstein B, Kinzler KW, editors. The genetic basis of human cancer. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2002. p. 93-113.

Ebook (Online)

Example

5. Brown B. Daring greatly: how the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent, and lead [Internet]. New York: Avery; 2015 [cited 2026 Apr 8]. Available from: https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to include the city of publication?

Yes. Vancouver requires the place of publication. Follow Canadian or US cities with the two‑letter state/province abbreviation in parentheses.[reference:3]

What if there is no publication year?

Use the copyright year preceded by "c" (e.g., c2005). If neither is available, use [date unknown].[reference:4]

← Back to Vancouver guides | Try our free Vancouver citation generator →