Free Vancouver Referencing Generator

Build a correctly numbered Vancouver reference in seconds. Choose your source type, enter the details exactly as they appear on the source, and add each reference to a numbered list in the order you cite them. Vancouver is the numbered style used widely in medicine, nursing and the health sciences, following the ICMJE recommendations: sources are numbered in citation order, and the reference list follows that same order rather than alphabetical order.

How to use the Vancouver referencing generator

Start by choosing the source type: journal article, book, book chapter or website. Enter authors as "Surname Initials" with no full stops, for example Smith JA, one author per line or separated by semicolons. The generator lists up to six authors in full; if there are seven or more, it lists the first six followed by "et al.", which is the Vancouver rule. Journal titles should be entered in their abbreviated form, as they appear in the NLM catalogue, for example N Engl J Med. Page ranges are shortened the Vancouver way, so 245–252 becomes 245–52, and DOIs are shown as doi:10.xxxx. When you have checked the preview, add the reference to your list, then repeat for each new source in the order you first cite it. At the end, copy the full numbered list into your assignment.

In your text, cite with superscript numbers or bracketed numbers, depending on what your department asks for, for example a claim supported by your first source is marked with a superscript 1 or [1]. The first source you cite is number 1, the next new source is number 2, and so on. If you cite the same source again later, reuse its original number; do not give it a new one. Your reference list then runs in that citation order, from 1 upwards.

Use the generator responsibly

This generator formats what you type; it cannot check whether what you typed is correct, so always verify the details against the original source before you submit. Check the spelling of author names, the year, the volume and the page numbers, and confirm the DOI resolves to the right article. Journal abbreviations are a common source of lost marks: verify each abbreviation in the NLM catalogue rather than guessing it, because an invented abbreviation is easy for a marker to spot. Also check your department's Vancouver variant before you rely on any generator. Some departments ask for superscript numbers in the text and others for bracketed numbers; some list every author no matter how many there are, while the standard rule used here lists six followed by "et al."; and some ask for a DOI, a URL, or neither. Where your department guide and this tool differ, your department guide wins. Finally, use the generator as a formatting aid for sources you have actually read, not as a way to invent references. A perfectly formatted reference to a source you never opened is still a problem, and markers check.

Frequently asked questions

How many authors do I list before using et al. in Vancouver style? List up to six authors in full. If there are seven or more, list the first six followed by "et al." This generator applies that rule automatically, so you can paste in all the authors and let it shorten the list correctly.

Do I write journal titles in full or abbreviated? Abbreviated, in the form used by the NLM catalogue, for example N Engl J Med for the New England Journal of Medicine. If you are unsure of an abbreviation, look it up in the catalogue rather than shortening the title yourself, because the official abbreviation is not always the obvious one.

Why does the generator shorten page numbers, turning 245–252 into 245–52? That is the Vancouver convention for page ranges: the repeated leading digits of the end page are dropped, so the range stays readable without repeating information. The meaning is unchanged, and markers expect to see it.

Should in-text citations be superscript numbers or bracketed numbers? Vancouver allows both, and the choice is made by your department or the journal you are writing for. What matters is consistency: pick one form, number sources in the order they first appear, reuse the same number when you cite a source again, and keep the reference list in that same order.

What if a website has no author or no publication date? Use the organisation responsible for the site as the author if one is named, and leave the year out if no date is shown, keeping the "[Internet]" label, the date you accessed the page, and the "Available from:" URL. Those three elements let a reader find the page again even when the publication details are thin.

Guides & help

• Vancouver Referencing Guide: The Numbered Style for Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing
• Vancouver In-Text Citations: Numbers, Placement and Multiple Sources
• How to Reference a Journal Article in Vancouver Style
• How to Reference a Conference Paper in Vancouver Style
• How to Reference a Website in Vancouver Style (With Examples)

Need help with the assignment itself?

A perfect reference list cannot rescue a weak argument. If the assignment itself is the problem — structure, critical analysis, or a deadline that has run away from you — our team can help with the writing as well as the referencing. See our prices (from £20 per 1,000 words) or ask for a free quote.

Other free tools

If your department uses a different style, try our Harvard referencing generator or our APA referencing generator or our IEEE referencing generator, which build references in those styles from the same kind of details. To check how your marks translate into a degree classification, use our degree classification calculator.