Mastering the Art of Vancouver Style Citation for Personal Communication: A Step-by-Step Guide
If you’re a writer, researcher, or university student, citation is undoubtedly one of the most important aspects of your work. It goes without saying that you need to give credit to the sources you’re using, but mastering citation styles like Vancouver can be challenging. In this article, we will take a closer look at the Vancouver citation style and provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to cite personal communication in your writing.
Introduction
Firstly, let’s understand what Vancouver style citation is and why it matters. Vancouver is a citation style predominantly used in medical and scientific research writing. It’s an author-date referencing style, which means that you, as the author, need to cite the name of the author and the date of publication within your text. This makes it easy for readers to locate the source material and verify the accuracy of your work. However, Vancouver style citation for personal communication can be a bit tricky. Personal communication refers to any conversation, email, or interview that you conducted with someone that doesn’t exist in a public domain. Therefore, it presents specific challenges in citation.
Body
Let’s walk you through the steps of Vancouver citation for personal communication.
Step 1: Identify the type of personal communication
Before you start citing personal communication, you need to determine the nature of communication such as an interview, personal email, telephone conversation, or a letter. It’s essential as the format and citing style can differ based on the type.
Step 2: Determine the person you’re citing
Next up, identify the person you’re citing. Is it an expert in the field, a colleague, or a family member? If you are citing an authority in the subject, it adds to the credibility of your work.
Step 3: Include Name and Date
In Vancouver style citation, the name of the person or people you are citing comes first, followed by the words ‘personal communication,’ and the date it occurred. For instance, (J. Doe, personal communication, July 22, 2021).
Step 4: Format the Citation
The citation should appear within parentheses in the text, preferably with the author’s name and date of personal communication. If you have cited personal communication multiple times throughout your paper, use letters after the date to distinguish them, like (J. Doe, personal communication, July 22, 2021a).
Step 5: Add to Your List of References
It is the recommended practice to include personal conversations, emails, and phone chats in the reference list. Follow the guidance of the Vancouver citation style manual for formatting.
Examples:
Personal communication is a unique source type in academic writing and can take many forms.
For example, if you’re writing about a medical case study and received insights from the doctor who treated the patient, you could cite it in your text as follows:
“According to Dr. John Smith (personal communication, May 25, 2021), the patient suffered from….”
Now, let’s look at another example,
“In an email conversation on July 28, 2021, with Mr. Paul Adams, he explained that his research showed that….” (P. Adams, personal communication, July 28, 2021).
Conclusion
Incorporating personal communication sources in your writing can add value to your work, but failing to cite it can lead to academic misconduct. By following our step-by-step guide, we hope to have helped you master Vancouver style citation for personal communication. Remember to be consistent, precise, and accurate in your citations, and good luck with your future writing!
