How to Cite a Journal Article in Vancouver
Complete guide with examples for citing journal articles in Vancouver style, including those with DOI, from databases, and in print.
Basic Format: Article with DOI
Journal titles are abbreviated according to NLM/PubMed standards. Author names appear surname first, followed by initials with no periods or spaces. Article titles are not italicized.
Reference List Entry
1. Author AA, Author BB. Article title. Abbreviated Journal Title. Year Month Day;Volume(Issue):pages. DOI
Example: Article with DOI
Citation
1. Starr SR, Kautz JM, Sorita A, Thompson KM, Reed DA, Porter BL, et al. Quality improvement education for health professionals: a systematic review. Am J Med Qual. 2016;31(3):209-216. doi:10.1177/1062860614566445
In‑Text Citation
Starr et al. (1) conducted a systematic review of quality improvement education.
Article Without DOI (from a Database or URL)
Example
2. De Temmerman K. Ancient rhetoric as a hermeneutical tool for the analysis of characterization in narrative literature. Rhetorica. 2010;28(1):23-51.
Article with Up to Six Authors
List all authors. For more than six, list the first six followed by "et al."
Example (Three Authors)
3. Singh J, Lee K, Park S. Climate anxiety and youth mental health. Environ Res Lett. 2023;18(4):044012. doi:10.1088/1748-9326/acc123
Advance Online Publication (Epub Ahead of Print)
Example
4. O'Connor M. Artificial intelligence in clinical decision-making: a systematic review. J Med Internet Res. Forthcoming 2026. doi:10.2196/12345
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I abbreviate journal titles?
Use the NLM Title Abbreviation listed in the NCBI Journals database. Search the full journal title or ISSN at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog/journals.[reference:5]
Do I include the month and day?
Include the month and day if available, especially for journals with continuous pagination. Use three‑letter abbreviated months with no period (e.g., Jan, Feb, Mar).