Formatting your references for 3Bio Journal

This is a short guide to format citations and your bibliography in a manuscript for 3Bio Journal of Biological Science, Technology and Management

3Bio uses Vancouver citation style. Vancouver is a numbered referencing style commonly used in medicine and science, and consists of:

  • Citations to someone else's work in the text, indicated by the use of a number.
  • A sequentially numbered reference list at the end of the document providing full details of the corresponding in-text reference.

It follows rules established by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, now maintained by the U.S. National Library of Medicine. It is also known as Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts submitted to Biomedical Journals.

 

Please pay attention to the General rules of in-text citation and reference list:

In-text citation

  • A number is allocated to a source in the order in which it is cited in the text. If the source is referred to again, the same number is used.
  • Use Arabic numerals (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9)
  • Either square [ ] or curved brackets ( ) can be used as long as it is consistent; e.g. …was discovered [1] or …was discovered (1)
  • Superscripts can also be used rather than brackets e.g. ...was discovered1.3.
  • Authors’s name can also be integrated into the text; e.g. Gibson (1) has agued that... or if you need to specify the page number of the source, e.g. Gibson (1 p16-17) has argued that…
  • Reference numbers should be inserted to the left or inside of colons and semi-colons.
  • Reference numbers are generally placed outside or after full stops and commas
  • Whatever format is chosen, it is important that the punctuation is consistently applied to the whole document.

Reference list

  • References are listed in numerical order, and in the same order in which they are cited in text. The reference list appears at the end of the paper.
  • Begin your reference list on a new page and title it 'References'.
  • The reference list should include all and only those references you have cited in the text. (However, do not include unpublished items such as correspondence.)
  • Use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9).
  • Check the reference details against the actual source - you are indicating that you have read a source when you cite it.
  • Be consistent with your referencing style across the document.

 

Below is an example of a reference list:

Book:

  1. O'Campo P, Dunn JR, editors. Rethinking social epidemiology: towards a science of change. Dordrecht: Springer; 2012. 348 p.

E-book or website materials:

  1. Schiraldi GR. Post-traumatic stress disorder sourcebook: a guide to healing, recovery, and growth [Internet]. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2000 [cited 2006 Nov 6]. 446 p. Available from: http://books.mcgraw-hill.com/getbook.php?isbn=0071393722&template=#toc DOI: 10.1036/0737302658

Chapter in an edited book:

  1. Halpen-Felsher BL, Morrell HE. Preventing and reducing tobacco use. In: Berlan ED, Bravender T, editors. Adolescent medicine today: a guide to caring for the adolescent patient [Internet]. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Co.; 2012 [cited 2012 Nov 3]. Chapter 18. Available from: http://www.worldscientific.com/doi/pdf/10.1142/9789814324496_0018

Journal Article:

  1. Stockhausen L, Turale S. An explorative study of Australian nursing scholars and contemporary scholarship. J Nurs Scholarsh [Internet]. 2011 Mar [cited 2013 Feb 19];43(1):89-96. Available from: http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.lib.monash.edu.au/docview/858241255?accountid=12528

Other sources:

  1. Subbarao M. Tough cases in carotid stenting [DVD]. Woodbury (CT): Cine-Med, Inc.; 2003. 1 DVD: sound, color, 4 3/4 in.
  2. Stem cells in the brain [television broadcast]. Catalyst. Sydney: ABC; 2009 Jun 25.

 

In order to ease the process of formatting your bibliography, we recommend you to use a reference manager. Here are some of the most common references management software programs and ways to use them in referencing:

Paperpile

The citation style is built in and you can choose it in Settings > Citation Style or Paperpile > Citation Style in Google Docs.

EndNote

Download the output style file:

https://endnote.com/style_download/vancouver/

 

Mendeley, Zotero, Papers and others

The style is either built in or you can download a CSL file that is supported by most references management programs.

BibTex

BibTex styles are usually part of a LaTex template.