How to Cite a Report in Vancouver

This guide explains how to format a report citation in Vancouver. Follow the format template below, refer to the real example, and use the step-by-step instructions to build your citation correctly.

Format Template

The general pattern for citing a report in Vancouver:

Template

Author(s)/Organisation. Title of report. Place: Publisher; Year. Report No.: number.

In-Text Citation Example

How the citation appears within the body of your paper:

In-text citation

(1)

Reference List Entry Example

The full citation as it appears in your reference list:

Reference list entry

National Institute of Mental Health. Technology and the future of mental health treatment. Bethesda (MD): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2022. NIH Publication No.: 22-MH-8138.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Identify the author
Use the individual author(s) or the full organisational name.
2
Write the report title
Write the title in sentence case. Do not italicise. End with a full stop.
3
Add publication details
Write the city (and state for US locations), a colon, the publisher name, a semicolon, and the year.
4
Include the report number
If a report number exists, write it after the year: 'Report No.:' followed by the number.
5
Add URL if applicable
For online reports, add 'Available from:' followed by the URL.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Omitting the report number when one is available.
Not using a semicolon between the publisher and year.
Forgetting to include the place of publication.
Italicising the report title (Vancouver does not use italics).
Using the wrong format for US locations (should include state abbreviation in parentheses).

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I format the report number in Vancouver?

Write the report number designation after the year. If it has a specific prefix (e.g., NIH Publication No.), use that. Otherwise, use 'Report No.:' followed by the number.

Do I include the state for US publisher locations?

Yes. For US cities, include the two-letter state abbreviation in parentheses: Bethesda (MD), Washington (DC), Atlanta (GA).

What if the report is only available online?

Add '[Internet]' after the title, a '[cited ...]' date, and 'Available from:' with the URL, following the same pattern as website citations.

Information You Will Need

Before creating your citation, gather the following information from your report:

Author(s) or Organization
Year of publication
Title of report
Report number (if applicable)
Publisher or issuing organization
URL or DOI

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Step-by-Step Guide

Identify the author

Use the individual author(s) or the full organisational name.

Write the report title

Write the title in sentence case. Do not italicise. End with a full stop.

Add publication details

Write the city (and state for US locations), a colon, the publisher name, a semicolon, and the year.

Include the report number

If a report number exists, write it after the year: 'Report No.:' followed by the number.

Add URL if applicable

For online reports, add 'Available from:' followed by the URL.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Omitting the report number when one is available.

Not using a semicolon between the publisher and year.

Forgetting to include the place of publication.

Italicising the report title (Vancouver does not use italics).

Using the wrong format for US locations (should include state abbreviation in parentheses).