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Vancouver (AMA) referencing style

A guide to referencing in the Vancouver (American Medical Association - AMA) style. Includes tips for using EndNote.

Referencing books

Electronic books are referenced in exactly the same way as print books, except for the information at the end of the reference.

Any of the print examples below can be used for an electronic book by adding the DOI, or the Access Date and URL.

Any of the electronic examples below can be used for a print book by omitting the DOI and URL.

One author

Elements of the citation Author AA. Book Title. Nth ed. (if later than 1st edition) Publisher; Year.
Reference list
  1. Franks A. Margaret Sanger's Eugenic Legacy: The Control of Female Fertility. McFarland; 2005.
In-text reference ...women were denied access to birth control.1
OR
Franks1 has suggested that ...
EndNote reference type Book

Two to six authors

Elements of the citation Author AA, Author BB, Author CC, Author DD, Author EE, Author FF. Book Title. Nth ed. (if later than 1st edition) Publisher; Year.
Reference list
  1. Cheers B, Darracott R, Lonne B. Social Care Practice in Rural Communities. The Federation Press; 2007.
In-text reference

‘... needed to influence policy.’2

OR

For 2 authors, list both:
Smith and Jones reported that '...'.2 

For 3 or more authors use et al:
Cheers et al have highlighted the fact that ‘...'.2 
EndNote reference type Book

More than six authors

Elements of the citation Author AA, Author BB, Author CC, et al. Book Title. Nth ed. (if later than 1st edition) Publisher; Year.
Reference list
  1. Hofmeyr GJ, Neilson JP, Alfirevic Z, et al. A Cochrane Pocketbook: Pregnancy and Childbirth. John Wiley & Sons; 2008.
In-text reference Hofmeyr et al3 state that...
EndNote reference type Book

No author

Elements of the citation

Book Title. Nth ed. (if later than 1st edition) Publisher; Year. Accessed Month DD, YYYY (if applicable). URL (if applicable)

  • Where a book has no listed authors or editors, omit this from the front of the reference
Reference list
  1. Macquarie Encyclopedic Dictionary: Australia's National Dictionary. 2nd ed. Macquarie Dictionary Publishers; 2010.
In-text reference ...oral health is influenced greatly by genetics.12
EndNote reference type Book
 

Different editions

Elements of the citation

Author AA, Author BB, Author CC, Author DD, Author EE, Author FF. Book Title. Nth ed. (if later than 1st edition) Publisher; Year. 
Reference list
  1. Murtagh J. John Murtagh’s General Practice. 4th ed. McGraw‐Hill Australia; 2007.
EndNote reference type Book

Edited book

Note that if the book has chapters authored by different people, it would be best to reference the specific chapter you are referring to. Visit Chapter in an edited book for more information.
Elements of the citation

Editor AA, Editor BB, Editor CC, eds. Book Title. Nth ed. (if later than 1st edition) Publisher; Year.
Reference list
  1. Brooks A, Mahoney PR, Rowlands B, eds. ABC of Tubes, Drains, Lines and Frames. Wiley Blackwell; 2008.
EndNote reference type

Edited Book

Chapter in an edited book

Elements of the citation

Author AA, Author BB, Author CC, Author DD, Author EE, Author FF. Title of chapter. In: Editor AA, Editor BB, eds. Book Title. Nth ed. (if later than 1st edition) Publisher; Year:Page Numbers.

  • List full page numbers, e.g. 127-139 (i.e. don't abbreviate page numbers e.g. 127-39)
Reference list
  1. Rowlands TE, Haine LS. Acute limb ischaemia. In: Donnelly R, London NJM, eds. ABC of Arterial and Venous Disease. 2nd ed. Blackwell Publishing; 2009:123-140.
EndNote reference type

Book Section

  • Add chapter authors to Author and book editors to Editor fields
  • Add book chapter title in the Title field and the book name in the Book Title field
  • Add page numbers to Pages

Chapter from an edited electronic book

Elements of the citation           

1-6 editors

Author AA, Author BB, Author CC, Author DD, Author EE, Author FF. Title of chapter. In: Editor AA, Editor BB, eds. Book Title. Nth ed. (if later than 1st edition) Publisher; Year:page numbers. DOI

More than 6 editors

Author AA, Author BB, Author CC, Author DD, Author EE, Author FF. Title of chapter. In: Editor AA, Editor BB, Editor CC, et al, eds. Book Title. Nth ed. (if later than 1st edition) Publisher; Year:Page Numbers. DOI

No DOI available

1-6 editors

Author AA, Author BB, Author CC, Author DD, Author EE, Author FF. Title of chapter. In: Editor AA, Editor BB, eds. Book Title. Nth ed. (if later than 1st edition) Publisher; Year:page numbers. Accessed Month DD, YYYY. URL

More than 6 editors

Author AA, Author BB, Author CC, Author DD, Author EE, Author FF. Title of chapter. In: Editor AA, Editor BB, Editor CC, et al, eds. Book Title. Nth ed. (if later than 1st edition) Publisher; Year:Page Numbers. Accessed Month DD, YYYY. URL

  • List full page numbers, e.g. 127-139 (i.e. don't abbreviate page numbers e.g. 127-39)
Reference list  
  1. Allen, P. Patient preparation. In: Tear, M, ed. Small Animal Surgical Nursing: Skills and Concepts. 3rd ed. Mosby; 2017:57-85. Accessed June 26, 2024. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uql/reader.action?docID=4747151
  2. Michaelsen, FK. Child growth. In: Koletzko B, Bhatia, J, Bhutta, ZA, et al, eds. Pediatric Nutrition in Practice. 2nd ed. Karger; 2015:1-5. Accessed June 26, 2024. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uql/reader.action?docID=3563946
  3. Duryea EL, Schell RC. Anemia. In: Smith AB, ed. Queenan's Management of High‐Risk Pregnancy. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd; 2024:99-104. doi:10.1002/9781119636540.ch12
EndNote reference type

Book Section (or Electronic Book Section)

  • Add chapter authors to Author and book editors to Editor fields
  • Add book chapter title in the Title field and the book name in the Book Title field
  • Add specific page numbers to Pages
  • If there is no DOI, enter the URL in the URL field and the access date in the Access Date field, e.g. September 11, 2024.

Electronic book

Elements of the citation

Author AA, Author BB, Author CC, Author DD, Author EE, Author FF. Book Title. Nth ed. (if later than 1st edition) Publisher; Year. DOI

No DOI available

Author AA, Author BB, Author CC, Author DD, Author EE, Author FF. Book Title. Nth ed. (if later than 1st edition) Publisher; Year. Accessed Month DD, YYYY. URL
Reference list
  1. Vieira, AR. Genetic Basis of Oral Health Conditions. Springer; 2019. Accessed June 26, 2024. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-14485-2
  2. Tiwary BK. Bioinformatics and Computational Biology: A Primer for Biologists. Springer; 2022. doi:10.1007/978-981-16-4241-8
EndNote reference type

Book (or Electronic Book)

  • If there is no DOI, enter the URL in the URL field and the access date in the Access Date field, e.g. September 11, 2024.

Book in a series

Elements of the citation

Author AA, Author BB, Author CC. Book Title. Nth ed. (if later than 1st edition) Publisher; Year. Series Title; volume or number. Accessed Month DD, YYYY. URL
Reference list
  1. Haugabrooks E, ed. History of Food and Nutrition Toxicology. Academic Press; 2023. History of Toxicology and Environmental Health; vol 7. Accessed September 11, 2024. https://www.sciencedirect.com/book/9780128212615/history-of-food-and-nutrition-toxicology
EndNote reference type

Book (or Electronic Book)

  • Add book name to Title.
  • Series title & volume number have to be entered Series Title and Series Volume fields.
  • If there is no DOI, enter the URL in the URL field and the access date in the Access Date field, e.g. September 11, 2024.
  • Leave DOI and URL fields blank for print books.