Complete Vancouver citation guide
Reviewed: August 19, 2026. Sources, review and corrections methodology
DIRECT ANSWER
Everything about Vancouver format: how to cite, make references, and when to use it in your academic work in Honduras.
The Vancouver system is used in health-science publishing and programs, but it should not be attributed automatically to a degree or university. This guide explains citation rules and examples; verify in your current program guide whether Vancouver is required and which adaptations apply.
What is the Vancouver system
Vancouver takes its name from a 1978 meeting of medical-journal editors. Today, ICMJE recommendations coexist with journal styles based on bibliographic standards, so use the instructions of the target journal or program rather than assuming one universal template.
The core idea is simple: each source receives a number based on the order it first appears in the text. References at the end are listed in numerical order, not alphabetical. This makes it fundamentally different from APA, which uses an author-year system.
How the numbering system works
The backbone of Vancouver is consecutive numbering. Here's how it operates:
- The first source you cite in your text gets number 1
- The second source gets number 2, and so on
- If you cite source 1 again in a later paragraph, you use the same number 1 — you don't assign a new one
- Numbers are never duplicated for different sources and never skipped
This system has a practical advantage: readers can quickly see how many sources you used and the order in which you introduced them. It also keeps the text cleaner, without "(Lopez, 2024)" interruptions every few lines.
How to cite in the text
Citations are marked with numbers in parentheses or as superscript. The choice depends on what your university or target journal requires:
- Parentheses: "The study showed significant improvements (1)."
- Superscript: "The study showed significant improvements¹."
For multiple sources at the same point: (1,3,5) or (1-5) for consecutive ranges.
Key in-text citation rules
- The first cited source receives number 1, the second number 2, and so on
- If you cite a previously mentioned source, repeat the same number
- Author surnames are not used in the text (unlike APA)
- When using superscript, the number goes after the punctuation mark
- For direct quotes, include the page number: (1, p. 45)
- If you mention the author in the sentence, the number follows immediately: "According to Lopez (1), the results indicate..."
In-text citation examples
| Situation | Correct example |
|---|---|
| Indirect citation | "Type 2 diabetes has increased by 40% in the last decade (1)." |
| Direct quote | "The results were statistically significant" (2, p. 87). |
| Multiple sources | "Several authors agree on this finding (3-5,8)." |
| Author mentioned | "According to Martinez (6), prevalence is higher in rural areas." |
| Same source again | "This data confirms the previous findings (1)." — same number |
How to format the reference list
The reference list goes at the end of the document, ordered numerically (not alphabetically). Each entry corresponds to the number assigned in the text. Below are the formats for the most common source types.
Journal article (the most frequent)
Surname Initials. Article title. Abbreviated Journal Name. Year;Volume(Issue):Pages.
Example: Lopez RA, Martinez JC. Risk factors in type 2 diabetes. Rev Med Hondur. 2024;92(3):145-152.
Additional rules for journal articles:
- List up to 6 authors, separated by commas
- For more than 6 authors, list the first 6 followed by "et al."
- Journal names must be abbreviated according to the Index Medicus (NLM Catalog)
- No period after the journal abbreviation
Book
Surname Initials. Book title. Edition. City: Publisher; Year.
Example: Hernandez Sampieri R. Metodologia de la investigacion. 7th ed. Mexico City: McGraw-Hill; 2018.
Notes:
- The first edition is not indicated
- From the second edition onward, write "2nd ed.", "3rd ed.", etc.
- Multiple author rules are the same as for journal articles
Book chapter
Chapter Author Surname Initials. Chapter title. In: Editor Surname Initials, editor. Book title. Edition. City: Publisher; Year. p. Pages.
Example: Rosales F. Epidemiology of tropical diseases. In: Villanueva A, editor. Public health in Central America. 2nd ed. Tegucigalpa: Editorial Universitaria; 2023. p. 89-112.
Website
Author/Organization. Page title [Internet]. City: Publisher; Year [cited access date]. Available from: URL
Example: World Health Organization. Diabetes [Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2023 [cited 2024 Mar 15]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes
Thesis or dissertation
Surname Initials. Thesis title [dissertation]. City: University; Year.
Example: Fernandez PA. Prevalence of arterial hypertension in elderly adults in San Pedro Sula [dissertation]. Tegucigalpa: Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Honduras; 2023.
Conference paper
Surname Initials. Paper title. In: Conference title; Date; Location. City: Publisher; Year. p. Pages.
Example: Mejia R. Advances in rural telemedicine. In: Proceedings of the Central American Public Health Congress; 2024 May 10-12; San Pedro Sula. Tegucigalpa: UNAH; 2024. p. 34-38.
Legal document or regulation
Jurisdiction. Title of regulation. Official publication. Date of publication.
Example: Honduras. General Health Law. La Gaceta. 2005 Nov 14.
Comparison table: Vancouver vs APA vs Chicago
| Criteria | Vancouver | APA 7 | Chicago |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary fields | Health sciences | Social sciences, education, psychology | Humanities, history, arts |
| Citation type | Numerical (1, 2, 3) | Author-year (Lopez, 2024) | Footnotes or author-date |
| Reference order | Numerical (order of appearance) | Alphabetical | Alphabetical or by note |
| Max authors listed | 6 + et al. | 20 + ... et al. | Varies by variant |
| Journal names | Abbreviated | Full | Full |
| Use of italics | Minimal | Book and journal titles | Book and journal titles |
| Complexity | Low | Medium | High |
Which Honduran universities require Vancouver
Vancouver isn't universal across all programs. Here's a breakdown by university and faculty:
| University | Programs using Vancouver | Programs using APA |
|---|---|---|
| UNAH | Confirm with the faculty and program | Do not generalize by subject without a current guide |
| UNICAH | Confirm with the program | Request official instructions |
| UNITEC | Confirm with the program | Verify the applicable style and edition |
| CEUTEC | Confirm with the program | CEUTEC is part of UNITEC, but the applicable document may vary |
| UPNFM | Confirm with the program | Do not transfer requirements from another degree |
| UTH | Confirm with the program | Use the current institutional source |
Not sure which format you need? Request the current source from your program. At Folium Labs, we can compare it with your document and explain the changes.
Common Vancouver mistakes
These are the mistakes we see most frequently in the papers we review:
- Mixing Vancouver with APA in the same document — Surprisingly common, especially when copying references from different sources
- Not abbreviating journal names correctly — You must use the official Index Medicus abbreviation
- Omitting the access date when the guide calls for it — Check the source type and the instructions that apply
- Not maintaining consecutive numbering when adding new citations — If you remove a source, you must renumber everything
- Placing numbers before the period in superscript — The number goes after the punctuation mark
- Using "and" or "&" between authors — In Vancouver, authors are separated only by commas
- Not listing all required authors — Up to 6 are listed in full; "et al." is only used after the sixth
- Writing the full journal name — Vancouver requires abbreviations; writing "Revista Medica Hondureña" instead of "Rev Med Hondur" is an error
Step by step: how to apply Vancouver to your paper
If you've never used Vancouver before, follow these steps:
- Number your sources as you cite them for the first time in the text
- Keep a tracking sheet with the number and full source details
- Verify journal abbreviations using the NLM Catalog (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog)
- Format each reference according to its source type (article, book, website, etc.)
- Check for consistency — every number in the text must have a matching reference
- Use a reference manager to avoid manual errors
Useful tools
To manage your Vancouver references, consider these options:
- Zotero (free) — Exports in Vancouver format, excellent for team collaboration
- Mendeley (free) — Integrates with Word, a good choice if you already use it
- EndNote (paid) — The most comprehensive option for health sciences, commonly used in research labs
- Google Scholar — Not a manager per se, but the "Cite" option provides basic formatting for many sources
Practical tip
If you use Word, both Zotero and Mendeley have plugins that insert citations and generate the reference list automatically. This eliminates numbering errors and saves hours of manual work.
Frequently asked questions
If I remove a citation, do I need to renumber all the others? Yes. Vancouver requires consecutive numbering with no gaps. If you remove source 3, what was source 4 becomes 3, and so on. This is why it's best to finalize numbering as the very last step of your revision.
Can I use Vancouver and APA in the same paper? No. You must use a single citation system throughout the entire document. Mixing formats is one of the most penalized errors.
How do I cite a source that was already cited? Use the same number you assigned it the first time. No matter how many times you cite it, it always keeps the same number.
How many references should I have at minimum? It depends on the type of work: an undergraduate thesis typically requires 30-50 references; a scientific article needs 20-40; a monograph requires 15-25.
Format review is one of our most requested services. We apply Vancouver, APA 7, Chicago and institutional formats. Learn about our format services.
Primary and academic sources
These sources support the editorial review of this guide. Always verify the current rules of your own program.
- APA Style: Style and Grammar Guidelines — American Psychological Association
- Purdue Online Writing Lab — Purdue University
- Metadata Search and DOI Resources — Crossref
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