• 3-minute read
• 19th December 2019

How to Cite a Chapter from an Edited Book in Vancouver Referencing

We’ve already explained how to cite a book using Vancouver referencing. But what should you do if you only want to cite part of a book? Specifically, how do you cite a chapter from an edited book? In this post, we’ll take you through the basics of doing exactly this using Vancouver referencing.

In-Text Citations for a Chapter from an Edited Book

If you cite a chapter from an edited book (e.g., a paper from an anthology), you should indicate it with a number in the text.

Each number refers to an entry in the reference list at the end of your document, with sources numbered in the order you first cite them.

The exact style of presentation for citations may vary, so remember to check your style guide if you have one available. Generally, though, it will involve using bracketed numbers in the main text. Typically, this will be at the end of the relevant clause before punctuation:

The solar surface reaches around 6,000 degrees Celsius (1).

If you have named an author in the text of your paper, however, you would instead give the bracketed number immediately afterwards. For example:

Pestov (2) has investigated the solar corona.

Note that you should cite the name of the chapter author in cases like this, not the book editor. Finally, if you quote a source, you will need to give page numbers after the quote. For instance:

He writes that the corona can reach “millions of degrees” (2: p. 182).

Here, for example, the “p. 182” is the page number for the quoted text.

Edited Book Chapters in the Reference List

In the reference list at the end of your document, sources should be sorted in the order they’re first cited in your work.

The format to use for a chapter from an edited book is:

(Citation Number) Chapter Author Surname + Initial(s). Chapter Title. In:  Editor(s) name(s), ed(s).  Book Title.  Edition. Place of Publication:  Publisher; Year of Publication. Page Range.

In practice, then, you would cite a chapter from an edited book as follows:

(1) Gittins B. Solar Temperature from Core to Corona. In: R. McElroy, ed. Hot Stuff: Essays on a Celestial Body. 2^nd Edition. London: Stellar Publications; 2012. p. 24–48.

As with the citation style, however, the exact format for a chapter from an edited book in a Vancouver reference list can vary between schools and journals. You may therefore want to check the style recommended here against your style guide if you have one available. And if you’d like a writing expert to check your work, we have proofreaders who can help.