Please ensure that every reference cited in the text is also included in the reference list. References should be carefully checked for accuracy and corrected to conform exactly to the journal's style.
We recommend that you not include unpublished results or personal communications in your reference list, though you may mention them in the text of your article. Please add "unpublished results" or "personal communication" for any unpublished results or personal communications.
This journal follows the Vancouver (ICMJE) referencing style
In-text citations
References should be cited in the text using Arabic numerals in brackets [1, 2, 3].
References must be numbered consecutively in the order of first appearance in the text.
If a reference is cited more than once, use the same number each time.
Example: Antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic pathogens is a growing global concern [1, 2].
Reference list
The reference list should appear at the end of the manuscript.
References should be listed numerically, in the same order as cited in the text.
Use the Vancouver (ICMJE) reference style.
Journal titles should be abbreviated according to PubMed/MEDLINE standards.
List up to six authors; if there are more than six, list the first six followed by et al.
Include the volume, page numbers, and DOI where available.
Examples of reference formats
Journal article
Smith JA, Brown L, Ahmed R, Khan M, Lopez D, Chen Y, et al. Molecular characterization of multidrug-resistant Salmonella isolated from poultry. Vet Microbiol. 2023;278(1):109648. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2023.109648
Book
Quinn PJ, Markey BK, Leonard FC, Fitz Patrick ES, Fanning S, Hartigan PJ. Veterinary Microbiology and Microbial Disease. 2nd ed. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell; 2011.
Book chapter
Prescott JF. Antimicrobial therapy in veterinary medicine. In: Giguère S, Prescott JF, Dowling PM, editors. Antimicrobial Therapy in Veterinary Medicine. 5th ed. Ames (IA): Wiley Blackwell; 2013. p. 3–19.
Online article
World Health Organization. Global priority list of antibiotic-resistant bacteria [Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2017 [cited 2025 Jan 10]. Available from: https://www.who.int
Special considerations for microbiology topics
Scientific names of microorganisms should follow international nomenclature standards.
Gene names, plasmids, and strains should be cited according to accepted microbiological conventions.
Preprints may be cited only if clearly identified as preprints.
Strains, isolates, and sequences must be cited with: Accession numbers (GenBank, EMBL, etc.) and culture collection numbers where applicable.
Reference management: Authors are encouraged to use reference management software (e.g., EndNote, Mendeley, Zotero) configured to the Vancouver style to ensure accuracy and consistency
Prohibited citation practices
To comply with COPE and Scopus ethics rules, the following are not allowed:
Citation manipulation
Excessive self-citation
Citation of irrelevant articles for metric inflation
References to predatory or deceptive journals
Editors reserve the right to request corrections or reject manuscripts for unethical citation behavior.
Responsibility of authors
Authors are responsible for the accuracy, completeness, and integrity of all references.
Incorrect or misleading references may be considered a breach of publication ethics (COPE).