Citation Generator
Citation Generator is a free online tool that creates properly formatted academic citations and bibliographies in multiple citation styles. Whether you're writing a research paper, thesis, or journal article, this tool generates accurate citations in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, Vancouver, and IEEE formats. Enter the source details—author names, title, publication date, publisher, URL, and DOI—and the tool constructs the complete citation string following the exact formatting rules of each style. Perfect for students, researchers, academics, and anyone who needs to reference sources quickly and accurately without memorizing complex formatting guidelines.
What Is
A citation is a reference to a source used in academic writing, giving proper credit to original authors and allowing readers to locate the material. Different academic disciplines follow different citation styles, each with unique formatting rules for punctuation, capitalization, author listing, and information order. Supported citation styles: - APA (American Psychological Association): Used in psychology, education, and social sciences. Author-date format: Smith, J. (2024). Title. Journal, 12(3), 45-67. - MLA (Modern Language Association): Used in humanities and literature. Author-page format: Smith, John. "Article Title." Journal Name, vol. 12, no. 3, 2024, pp. 45-67. - Chicago/Turabian: Used in history and some humanities. Offers both author-date and notes-bibliography systems. - Harvard: Common in UK and Australian universities. Similar to APA but with slight differences in formatting details. - Vancouver: Used in medical and scientific journals. Numbered citations in square brackets. - IEEE: Used in engineering and computer science. Numbered references in brackets [1]. Source types supported: - Journal articles (with volume, issue, pages, DOI) - Books (with edition, publisher, ISBN) - Book chapters (with editors, book title, page range) - Conference papers (with conference name, location, dates) - Websites and online resources (with URL, access date) - Reports and theses (with institution, report number) Generating accurate citations manually is error-prone and time-consuming. This tool automates the process by applying the correct formatting rules for each style, ensuring your citations meet academic standards.
How to Use
- Select your desired citation style from the dropdown menu (APA 7th, MLA 9th, Chicago 17th, Harvard, Vancouver, IEEE). Choose the style required by your institution or publication.
- Select the source type: Journal Article, Book, Book Chapter, Conference Paper, Website, Report, or Thesis. Different source types require different fields to display.
- Fill in the source details in the form fields. Enter author names (Last name, First name format), title, publication year, and DOI or URL. Required fields are marked with an asterisk.
- For journal articles, enter the journal name, volume number, issue number, and page range. For books, enter the publisher and optionally the edition and ISBN.
- Click 'Generate Citation' to create the formatted citation string. The tool applies the exact punctuation, capitalization, and ordering rules of the selected style.
- Copy the generated citation to your clipboard and paste it into your reference list or bibliography. Use the 'Add to Bibliography' button to save multiple citations and export them as a formatted reference list.
- For in-text citations, check the preview section which shows how to cite within your paper text (e.g., (Smith, 2024) for APA or [1] for IEEE). Use the 'Download' button to export your entire bibliography as a .txt or .docx file.
Examples
Input: Book: The Great Gatsby, Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Year: 1925 (APA)
Process: Author Last, Initials. (Year). Title. Publisher.
Result: Fitzgerald, F.S. (1925). The Great Gatsby. Scribner.
Input: Website: example.com, Author: John Doe, Year: 2024 (MLA)
Process: Author. Title. Website, Publisher, Date, URL.
Result: Doe, John. Example Title. Example.com, 2024, example.com.
Related Searches
People also search for: citation generator, apa citation, mla citation, bibliography.
citation generatorapa citationmla citationbibliography
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between APA 6th and 7th edition?
APA 7th edition (published October 2019) introduced several key changes: 1) Publisher location is no longer required for books. 2) Up to 20 author names are listed in references (vs. 7 in 6th). 3) Issue numbers are always included for journal articles, even if pagination is continuous. 4) URLs and DOIs are presented as live links without 'Retrieved from' prefix (unless a retrieval date is needed). 5) Book titles no longer include the format (e.g., [E-book]). For most student papers, APA 7th is now the standard requirement.
Can I generate citations from a DOI or ISBN?
Yes. If you enter a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) or ISBN in the appropriate field, the tool can auto-fill many metadata fields by querying open citation databases. This saves time and reduces errors in author names, titles, and publication details. However, always verify the auto-filled information is correct—metadata databases occasionally contain errors or incomplete records.
How do I cite a source with multiple authors?
Different styles handle multiple authors differently. APA 7th: List up to 20 authors with ampersand (&) before the last author. MLA: First author inverted (Last, First), subsequent authors in normal order. Chicago: Similar to APA. Vancouver: Lists up to 6 authors, then uses 'et al.' IEEE: Lists up to 6 authors, then 'et al.' The tool automatically formats author lists according to the selected style's rules when you enter all author names.
Is this tool suitable for creating a full bibliography?
Yes. The bibliography mode lets you add multiple sources and organizes them alphabetically (for APA, MLA, Chicago) or by citation number (for Vancouver, IEEE). You can reorder entries, edit individual citations, and export the complete formatted bibliography as a text file. This is much faster than formatting each citation manually and ensures consistent formatting throughout your reference list.
Does the tool store my citation data?
No. All data processing happens in your browser (client-side). Your source information and generated citations are never sent to our servers. They exist only in your browser's memory and are gone when you close the tab. This ensures the privacy and security of your research materials. For saving progress, export your bibliography as a file that you can import later.