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Vancouver Referencing

Instructions and links for Referencing support

Book types and editions

Edited print book

In-text citation:

The book, “Secrets from the black bag”, by Butler1 shows that...
OR
Butler1 purported ...

More information about in-text citations

Reference list:

Author(s) – Family name and initials (no more than 2 initials with no spaces between initials). Title of book. Edition of book if later than 1st ed. Place of publication: Publisher name; Year of publication. Pagination if available - number of pages p.

  1. Butler SW. Secrets from the black bag. London (GB): The Royal College of General Practitioners; 2005. 
    207 p.

Important iconBook title - capitalize only the first word of a title; use a colon followed by a space to separate a title from a subtitle (do not capitalise the first word of the subtitle). 

Edited eBook 

In-text citation:

La Placa and Morgan2 explore global health through a social justice lens.

More information about in-text citations

Reference list:

Editor(s) - Family name and initials (no more than 2 initials with no spaces between initials). Title of book [Internet]. Edition of book if later than 1st ed. Place of publication: Publisher name; Year of publication [revised/updated Year Month Day; cited Year Month Day]. Pagination - if available (follow the page total with a space and the letter p). Available from: URL or DOI

Important icon Months are abbreviated to their first 3 letters; if no URL - just enter the DOI number

  1. La Placa V, Morgan J, editors. Social science perspectives on global public health [Internet]. London, (GB) ; Routledge; 2023 [cited 2023 Dec 13]. 250 p. Available from: https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/63309

Further Reference list examples: 

2 to 6 authors:

Author(s) – Family name and initials, multiple authors separated by a comma. Title of book. Edition of book if later than 1st ed. Place of publication: Publisher name; Year of publication. Pagination if available - (number of pages) p. 

  1. Cheers B, Darracott R, Lonne B. Social care practice in rural communities. Sydney (AU): The Federation Press; 2007. 203 p.

7 or more authors:

Author(s) – Family name and initials  (no more than 2 initials and no space between initials), Multiple authors separated by a comma. After the 6th author add - "et al." Title of book. Edition of book if later than 1st ed. Place of publication: Publisher name; Year of publication. Pagination if available - (number of pages) p. 

  1. Hofmeyr GJ, Neilson JP, Alfirevic Z, Crowther CA, Gulmezoglu AM, Hodnett ED et al. A Cochrane pocketbook: pregnancy and childbirth. Chichester (GB): John Wiley & Sons; 2008. 418 p.

No author:

Title of book. Edition of book if later than 1st ed. Place of publication: Publisher name; Year of publication. Pagination if available - (number of pages) p. 
Important icon Begin a reference with the title of the book if no person or organization can be identified as the author and no editors or translators are given. Do not use anonymous

  1. A guide for women with early breast cancer. Sydney (AU): National Breast Cancer; 2003. 176 p.

Multiple works by the same author:

Author(s) – Family name and initials, Multiple authors separated by a comma. Title of book. Edition of book if later than 1st ed. Place of publication: Publisher name; Year of publication. Pagination if available - (number of pages) p. 

  1. Campbell MA. A is for anxiety: a parent’s guide to managing anxious children. Brisbane (AU): Post Pressed; 2007. 49 p.

  1. Campbell MA. Anthony the shy alien. Brisbane (AU): Post Pressed; 2006. 22 p.

Print book

In-text citation:

What has become known as the “Bible of General Practice”7 in Australia ...

More information about in-text citations

Reference list:

Author(s) – Family name and initials, multiple authors separated by a comma. Title of book. Edition of book if later than 1st ed. Place of publication: Publisher name; Year of publication

Important icon Include the edition number after the book title for all editions except the first edition. Abbreviate edition to 'ed.'

  1. Murtagh J. John Murtagh’s general practice. 4th ed. Sydney (AU): McGraw‐Hill Australia; 2007.

eBook from a full text database

In-text citation:

The contributions that epidemiology and health economics make to public health are examined.4

More information about in-text citations

Reference list:

Author(s) – Family name and initials, multiple authors separated by a comma. Title of book [Internet]. Edition of book if later than 1st ed. Place of publication: Publisher name; Year of publication [cited Year Month abbreviated Day]. Available from: [name of database].

Important icon Include the edition number after the book title for all editions except the first edition. Abbreviate edition to 'ed.'

  1. Donaldson LJ, Rutter PD. Donaldsons’ essential public health [Internet]. 4th ed. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press; 2018 [cited 2023 Dec 13]. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central.

In-text citation:

Chapter in a print book

In-text citation:

As discussed by Rowlands and Haine9 acute limb ischaemia can threaten limb viability.

More information about in-text citations

Reference list:

Author(s) of chapter - Family name and initials, Title of chapter. In: Editor(s) of book - Last name and initials, editors. Title of book. Edition of book if later than 1st ed. Place of publication: Publisher name; Year of publication. p. (chapter pages).

  1. Rowlands TE, Haine LS. Acute limb ischaemia. In: Donnelly R, London NJM, editors. ABC of arterial and venous disease. 2nd ed. West Sussex (GB): Blackwell Publishing; 2009. p. 123-40.

Chapter in an eBook

In-text citation:

Caballero2 states that diabetes does not equally affect all racial/ethnic groups.

More information about in-text citations

Reference list:

Author(s) of chapter - Family name and initials, Title of chapter. In: Editor(s) of book - Last name and initials, editors. Title of book [Internet]. Edition of book if later than 1st ed. Place of publication: Publisher name; Year of publication. p. [page numbers of chapter]. [cited Year Month abbreviated Day]. Available from URL

  1. Caballero, A.E. (2010). Diabetes in culturally diverse populations: from biology to culture. In: Poretsky L, editor. Principles of Diabetes Mellitus [Internet]. Boston (MA): Springer; 2010 [cited 2023 Dec 13]. p.129-144. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-09841-8_9 

Chapter in a print book

in-text citation:

... due to endometriosis.10

More information about in-text citations

Reference list:

Author(s) of book – Family name and initials. Title of book. Edition of book if later than 1st ed. Place of publication: Publisher name; Year of publication. Chapter [chapter number], Chapter title; p. [page numbers of the chapter].

  1. Speroff L, Fritz MA. Clinical gynaecologic endocrinology and infertility. 7th ed. Philadelphia (PA): Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2005. Chapter 29, Endometriosis; p.1103

Chapter in an eBook

In-text citation:

Darwin11 believes that the natural selection ...

More information about in-text citations

Reference list:

Author(s) of book – Family name and initials. Title of book [Internet]. Edition of book if later than 1st ed. Place of Publication: Publisher Name; Year of Publication. Chapter [chapter number], Chapter title. [cited Year, Month abbreviated, Day]. Available from: URL

  1. Darwin C. On the origin of species by means of natural selection or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life [Internet]. London (GB): John Murray; 1859. Chapter 5, Laws of variation. [cited 2010 Apr 22]. Available from: http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/origin/chapter5.html

In-text citation:

The binding of ligand to most seven‐transmembrane (STM) G‐protein‐coupled receptors leads to changes in the coupling of G proteins to the receptor.13

More information about in-text citations

Reference list:

Author(s) – Family name and initials (no more than 2 initials with no spaces between initials). Title of chapter. In: Editor(s) of book. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher Name; Year of Publication. p. [pages of chapter]. (Series title; vol [volume number]).

  1. Bennett GL, Horuk R. Iodination of chemokines for use in receptor binding analysis. In: Horuk R, Chemokine receptors. New York (NY): Academic Press; 1997. p. 134‐48. (Methods in Enzymology; vol 288).

In-text citation:

Luria14, discovered that ...

More information about in-text citations

Reference list:

Author(s) – Last name and initials. Title of book. Name of translator - Family name and initials, translator. Edition of book if later than 1st ed. Place of publication: Publisher name; Year of publication.

  1. Luria AR. The mind of a mnemonist. Solotaroff L, translator.  New York (NY): Avon Books; 1969.

Citing medicine: the NLM style guide for authors, editors, and publishers (2nd edition) and AMA manual of style provide detailed guidance in formatting bibliographic citations in Vancouver referencing style.