How to Cite a Government Document in Vancouver

Format Template

The general pattern for citing a government document in Vancouver:

In-Text Citation Example

How the citation appears within the body of your paper:

Reference List Entry Example

The full citation as it appears in your reference list:

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Identify the authoring organization

   Write the full name of the government agency or international body responsible for the document. Do not abbreviate unless the abbreviation is universally recognised.

2. 2

   Write the document title

   Write the title in sentence case without italics or quotation marks. End with a full stop.

3. 3

   Add publication details

   Include the city of publication followed by a colon, then the publisher name followed by a semicolon and the year of publication. End with a full stop.

4. 4

   Include the access information

   If the document was accessed online, write 'Available from:' followed by the full URL.

5. 5

   Assign the reference number

   Vancouver uses numbered references. Assign the next sequential number and use it in the in-text citation.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Italicising the document title — Vancouver does not use italics for any element.
• Omitting the place of publication before the publisher name.
• Forgetting to include 'Available from:' before the URL for electronic documents.
• Using an abbreviation for the organization instead of the full name on first reference.
• Placing a full stop after the URL instead of leaving it without terminal punctuation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Information You Will Need

Before creating your citation, gather the following information from your government document:

• Author/Agency
• Title
• Publication Number
• Publisher
• Year
• URL