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Citation Generator

Free APA 7, MLA 9, Chicago, Harvard, IEEE & Vancouver citation maker — from URLs, DOIs & ISBNs

Citations Created
0
lifetime total
Styles Supported
6
APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, IEEE, Vancouver
Source Types
11
website, book, journal, video & more
Price
$0
100% free, no signup
Configure Citation
Style & Source Type
Quick Lookupauto-fill from URL, DOI, or ISBN
Source Detailsfill in or edit auto-fetched data
Citation Preview
Formatted Citation
Your formatted citation will appear here...
Example Citations
APA 7th Edition Examples
Bibliography
Bibliography (0 entries)
No citations yet. Generate a citation and click "Add to Bibliography".
FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions about Citation Generator

Frequently Asked Questions — Citation Generator

How do I cite a website in APA 7th edition?

To cite a website in APA 7th edition, you need the author's last name and first initial, the publication date in parentheses, the title of the page in italics, the website name, and the URL. If no author is listed, start with the title. If no date is available, use (n.d.). The format looks like: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Site Name. https://url. This tool auto-fills most of these fields when you paste a URL.

What is the difference between APA and MLA format?

APA (American Psychological Association) is primarily used in social sciences and emphasizes the publication date, placing it right after the author's name. MLA (Modern Language Association) is used in humanities and literature, and places the date toward the end of the citation. APA uses an author-date in-text format like (Smith, 2024), while MLA uses author-page like (Smith 42). APA italicizes journal and book titles, while MLA italicizes container titles. Both have specific rules for punctuation, capitalization, and ordering of elements.

How do I cite a journal article with a DOI?

Enter the DOI in the DOI Lookup tab and this tool will automatically retrieve the article's metadata from CrossRef, including authors, title, journal, volume, issue, pages, and year. The DOI is included in most citation styles: APA formats it as https://doi.org/10.xxxx, MLA places it after the page numbers, and Chicago includes it at the end. A DOI (Digital Object Identifier) is a permanent link to a scholarly work, making it the most reliable way to identify and cite journal articles.

How do I format a Chicago style bibliography?

Chicago style offers two systems: Notes-Bibliography (commonly used in history and arts) and Author-Date (used in sciences). In Notes-Bibliography, the bibliography entry lists the author's last name first, followed by the full title in italics, place of publication, publisher, and year. In Author-Date, the format is similar to APA with the year following the author. This tool supports both Chicago systems. Select "Chicago 17th (Notes-Bibliography)" or "Chicago 17th (Author-Date)" from the style dropdown to generate the correct format.

Can I cite a YouTube video in MLA format?

Yes. In MLA 9, cite a YouTube video by listing the author or uploader, the video title in quotation marks, the website name (YouTube) in italics, the upload date, and the URL. The format is: Author/Uploader. "Video Title." YouTube, uploaded by Channel Name, Day Month Year, URL. Select "Video" as the source type and "MLA 9th Edition" as the style, then fill in the channel name, video title, and upload date.

What is a DOI and how do I use it for citations?

A DOI (Digital Object Identifier) is a unique alphanumeric string assigned to academic articles, books, and datasets to provide a permanent link. It typically looks like 10.1000/xyz123. You can find it on the article's webpage, usually near the abstract or at the top of the PDF. To use it here, paste the DOI into the DOI Lookup tab and the tool will automatically fetch all citation metadata from the CrossRef database. DOIs are preferred over URLs in academic citations because they never change, unlike web addresses which can break over time.

How do I cite a book with multiple authors in Harvard style?

In Harvard referencing, for two authors, list both names separated by "and": Smith, J. and Doe, A. (2024) Title. Publisher. For three or more authors, list the first author followed by "et al." in the in-text citation, but list all authors in the reference list. Enter each author on a separate line in the Authors field (format: Last, First), and the tool will format them correctly according to Harvard conventions including the "and" before the final author.

What is BibTeX and when should I use it?

BibTeX is a reference management format used with LaTeX, a typesetting system popular in STEM fields. A BibTeX file (.bib) stores citation data in a structured format that LaTeX can automatically format into any citation style. If you write papers in LaTeX or Overleaf, exporting your bibliography as BibTeX lets you import citations directly. Click "Export BibTeX" in the bibliography section to download a .bib file compatible with LaTeX, Overleaf, JabRef, Mendeley, and Zotero.

How do I cite a newspaper article in APA format?

To cite a newspaper article in APA 7, use the format: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Newspaper Name, page numbers or URL. For online newspaper articles, include the URL instead of page numbers. If the article has no author, start with the title. Select "Newspaper / Magazine Article" as the source type, fill in the author, date, article title, newspaper name, and URL or page numbers, and the tool generates the correct format.

Is this citation generator free to use?

Yes, completely free. No account, no subscription, no ads, no data collection. Your citations are generated entirely in your browser. The bibliography is saved to your browser's localStorage so it persists between sessions. It is one of the free browser-based tools at jasperbernaers.com. All source lookups use free public APIs (CrossRef for DOIs, Open Library for ISBNs).