In Vancouver format, journal titles must be abbreviated—not written in full. These abbreviations are a key part of Vancouver formatting and follow NLM (National Library of Medicine) standards.
Common Vancouver Format Journal Abbreviations
- New England Journal of Medicine → N Engl J Med
- Journal of the American Medical Association → JAMA
- British Medical Journal → BMJ
- The Lancet → Lancet
- Annals of Internal Medicine → Ann Intern Med
Finding the Correct Abbreviation
Use the NLM Catalog to look up abbreviations:
- Go to the NLM Catalog (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog)
- Search for the journal name
- Find the "Title Abbreviation" field
Vancouver Formatting Rules
- Abbreviations are not italicized by default in Vancouver format
- No periods after abbreviations
- Capitalize each word in the abbreviation
What If There's No Abbreviation?
If a journal isn't in the NLM Catalog, use the full title. Some institutional guidelines may allow you to create an abbreviation following NLM conventions.
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