Citation Guides 2026-04-15 6 min read

Vancouver Referencing for UK Medical & Health Students

Vancouver in plain English - numbered citations, the reference list rules, and the medical-journal conventions UK markers actually check.

Vancouver is the default style for UK medicine, nursing, and most health-sciences modules. It's numbered, compact, and unforgiving of inconsistency.

In-text

Use superscript numbers or numbers in brackets, in the order sources first appear. Re-cite the same source with the same number. Example: 'Anticoagulants reduce stroke risk in atrial fibrillation.¹'

Reference list

Numbered in citation order, not alphabetical. Journal articles follow: Author AA, Author BB. Article title. Journal Abbrev. Year;Volume(Issue):pages.

What examiners check

Journal-name abbreviations (use PubMed's), DOIs on recent articles, and consistent punctuation. Inconsistency is the single biggest mark-loser.

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Frequently asked questions

Quick answers UK students search for around this topic.

What should UK students know about in-text?
Use superscript numbers or numbers in brackets, in the order sources first appear. Re-cite the same source with the same number. Example: 'Anticoagulants reduce stroke risk in atrial fibrillation.¹'
What should UK students know about reference list?
Numbered in citation order, not alphabetical. Journal articles follow: Author AA, Author BB. Article title. Journal Abbrev. Year;Volume(Issue):pages.
What should UK students know about what examiners check?
Journal-name abbreviations (use PubMed's), DOIs on recent articles, and consistent punctuation. Inconsistency is the single biggest mark-loser.

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