Vancouver Templates

PDFs

Examples

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PDFs can normally be referenced as either books, journal articles or webpages.

Check the document to find information about the source. Does it look like a chapter of a book or is it a journal article? If yes then follow the appropriate template for that media type.

If the document has an ISBN - a 13 digit number typically in the format 978-8-596-80592-5 - then the document is considered a book and should be referenced as such.

Lengthy PDFs that look as though they are also available in print can also be referenced as books. Check for clues such as does the document have a front and/or back cover? Does the document mention publication information?

If the PDF does not have any of these identifying clues or states that it is an online document then it should be referenced as a webpage using the appropriate template.