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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.

Vancouver referencing style in EndNote

Download the new UQ Vancouver AMA referencing style

To use EndNote to format references according to this guide you can use the UQ Vancouver AMA style, available from our output styles page.  

This style will appear with the name UQ Vancouver AMA in the Style option of EndNote and Word.

Under each reference type in this guide you will find any specific instructions you might need for using the UQ Vancouver AMA style.

Note that the Vancouver and Sage Vancouver styles that come automatically with EndNote will create references that will vary from this guide.

Learn more about EndNote with our guide.

In-text citation settings in Microsoft Word

Automatic display of author names in-text

When you insert an in-text citation using the UQ Vancouver AMA style, you can choose whether EndNote just adds a superscript number for a citation, or it adds the authors' names and the superscript number. The second option can save you typing out the authors' names yourself.

In Word go to the EndNote tools and Edit & Manage Citation(s) and select:

  • Default displays just the superscript number, e.g.: It has been long-established that UV radiation is a risk factor for melanoma.2-5,7,10
  • Author (Year) displays the authors' names in the correct format followed by the superscript number, e.g.: Smith and Jones22 suggest that...

image of Default and Display as: Author (Year) format

Screenshot of Edit Citation and Manage Citations window in EndNote add-in in Word on Mac by Clarivate.

Space appearing before in-text number for numbered styles

With numbered styles e.g. Vancouver, if you convert your document to plain text, a space can be added between the end of the sentence and the in-text number when converting your document to plain text.

Before converting to plain text, it appears as:

Video provides a powerful way to help you prove your point.1

After converting to plain text, it appears as:

Video provides a powerful way to help you prove your point. 1

Space between superscript citation and a word has instructions on how to fix this.

  1. Go to Word.
  2. Click on File.
  3. Select Options then click on Advanced.
  4. Move down to the Cut, copy and paste section.
  5. Click on the Settings button.
  6. Uncheck the option for Adjust sentence and word spacing automatically.
  7. Click OK.