📚 Citation Generator
Generate APA, MLA, and Chicago style citations for your academic papers
Citation Format
Citation Examples
APA Style (7th Edition)
Smith, J. A. (2023). Understanding citations: A comprehensive guide. Academic Press.
MLA Style (9th Edition)
Smith, John A. Understanding Citations: A Comprehensive Guide. Academic Press, 2023.
Chicago Style (17th Edition)
Smith, John A. Understanding Citations: A Comprehensive Guide. New York: Academic Press, 2023.
How to Use
- Select your citation style (APA, MLA, or Chicago)
- Choose the type of source you're citing
- Fill in the required information fields
- Click "Generate Citation" to create your formatted citation
- Copy the citation or add it to your bibliography
- Export your complete bibliography when finished
Citation Style Guide
APA (American Psychological Association)
Commonly used in social sciences, education, and psychology. Features author-date citations and a reference list.
MLA (Modern Language Association)
Widely used in humanities, especially literature and language studies. Uses parenthetical citations and a works cited page.
Chicago Manual of Style
Popular in history and some social sciences. Offers two systems: notes-bibliography and author-date.
Important Tips
- Always verify citations against the official style guide
- Double-check author names, publication dates, and titles
- Italicize book and journal titles (shown as <em> tags)
- Use quotation marks for article and chapter titles
- Include DOI or URL for online sources when available
What is a Citation and Why Are They Important?
A citation is a reference to a source of information used in your research or writing. Citations serve as a roadmap that allows readers to locate the exact sources you consulted and verify the accuracy of your work. Proper citations are fundamental to academic integrity and scholarly communication.
Citations fulfill several critical functions in academic and professional writing:
- Give Credit to Original Authors: Citations acknowledge the intellectual work of researchers, writers, and creators whose ideas, data, or words you've used. This respects intellectual property rights and maintains ethical standards in scholarship.
- Avoid Plagiarism: Failing to cite sources constitutes plagiarism, a serious academic offense with consequences ranging from failing grades to expulsion. Citations clearly distinguish between your original ideas and those of others.
- Support Your Arguments: Well-chosen citations lend credibility to your claims by showing they're backed by authoritative sources, research studies, or expert opinions.
- Enable Further Research: Citations create a trail that allows other researchers to find your sources, verify your claims, and build upon your work. This is essential for the advancement of knowledge.
- Demonstrate Research Depth: The quality and quantity of citations show the breadth of your research and your engagement with existing scholarship in your field.
- Provide Context: Citations help readers understand the theoretical framework, historical background, or methodological foundations of your work.
Academic Integrity: Understanding when and how to cite sources is one of the most important skills for students and researchers. Our citation generator ensures you create properly formatted citations that meet academic standards, helping you maintain integrity while focusing on your research and writing.
Common Use Cases for Citation Generators
📝 Research Papers & Essays
- • Cite scholarly journal articles and peer-reviewed research
- • Reference books, textbooks, and edited volumes
- • Include citations for statistics and data sources
- • Build comprehensive bibliographies for long papers
- • Ensure consistent formatting throughout your work
🎓 Theses & Dissertations
- • Manage hundreds of citations across chapters
- • Maintain consistent style for extensive bibliographies
- • Cite diverse source types (interviews, datasets, archives)
- • Meet strict university formatting requirements
- • Export citations for reference management software
📚 Literature Reviews
- • Cite multiple sources on the same topic
- • Track seminal works in your field
- • Reference both classic and recent publications
- • Organize sources by theme or chronology
- • Compare methodologies across studies
💼 Professional Writing
- • Cite industry reports and white papers
- • Reference news articles and trade publications
- • Include website and blog citations
- • Document legal cases or government publications
- • Maintain professional credibility with proper attribution
Understanding Citation Styles and Formatting
APA Style (American Psychological Association)
APA style is the standard format for papers in psychology, education, social sciences, and nursing. The 7th edition (current) emphasizes author-date citations in the text and a reference list at the end.
Key Features:
- • In-text citations: (Author, Year) or Author (Year)
- • Reference list ordered alphabetically by author surname
- • Emphasis on publication dates for currency of research
- • Specific rules for DOIs and URLs
- • Hanging indent for reference list entries
MLA Style (Modern Language Association)
MLA style is widely used in humanities, particularly literature, languages, and cultural studies. The 9th edition focuses on a flexible, core element approach to citations.
Key Features:
- • In-text citations: (Author Page) with no comma
- • Works Cited page ordered alphabetically
- • Emphasis on containers (where the source is found)
- • Use of quotation marks for article/chapter titles
- • Italics for larger works (books, journals, websites)
Chicago Style (Chicago Manual of Style)
Chicago style offers two systems: notes-bibliography (commonly used in history, art history, and humanities) and author-date (used in sciences and social sciences). The 17th edition is current.
Key Features:
- • Notes-bibliography: Footnotes or endnotes with bibliography
- • Author-date: In-text citations similar to APA
- • Detailed formatting for historical and archival sources
- • Bibliography ordered alphabetically with hanging indent
- • Flexibility for complex or unusual sources
Choosing the Right Style: Always confirm which citation style your instructor, publisher, or institution requires. When in doubt, ask! Using the wrong style can result in point deductions even if your citations are otherwise correct. Our generator supports the three most common styles to cover most academic disciplines.
Tips for Creating Accurate Citations
📋 Gathering Source Information
- → Record details immediately: Save author, title, date, and publication info when you first find a source
- → Copy URLs completely: Include https:// and any necessary parameters for websites
- → Note access dates: Record when you accessed online sources, especially for websites without publication dates
- → Check for DOIs: Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) are preferred for journal articles in most styles
- → Identify edition numbers: For books, note which edition you're using (2nd ed., revised ed., etc.)
✓ Formatting Best Practices
- → Verify formatting rules: Always check the official style manual for special cases or recent updates
- → Watch capitalization: Different styles have different rules for title capitalization
- → Use correct punctuation: Periods, commas, and italics must be placed exactly as the style requires
- → Apply hanging indents: Most reference lists use hanging indents (first line flush left, subsequent lines indented)
- → Double-check author names: Ensure correct spelling and formatting (Last, First Middle Initial)
🔍 Quality Control
- → Proofread carefully: Check every citation for typos, especially in URLs and author names
- → Verify URLs work: Test links before submitting to ensure they're not broken
- → Match in-text to references: Every in-text citation must have a corresponding reference list entry
- → Check alphabetical order: Reference lists must be alphabetized correctly
- → Review special characters: Ensure em dashes, ampersands, and special symbols display correctly
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- → Missing citations: Cite every source you reference, even if you paraphrase
- → Mixing styles: Don't combine APA, MLA, and Chicago formatting in one paper
- → Incomplete information: Fill in all required fields, don't leave gaps
- → Wrong source type: Use the correct format for websites, not books, etc.
- → Over-relying on generators: Always double-check auto-generated citations against official style guides
Pro Tip: Keep a citation log as you research. Create a simple document where you paste full citation information for every source you consult. This makes it easy to generate final citations later and ensures you never lose track of a source. Export your bibliography from our tool regularly as a backup!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between APA, MLA, and Chicago citation styles?
APA (American Psychological Association) is commonly used in social sciences and education, featuring author-date citations. MLA (Modern Language Association) is used in humanities and literature, using parenthetical citations with a works cited page. Chicago style is popular in history and some social sciences, offering either notes-bibliography or author-date systems. Each has specific formatting rules for different source types.
The choice depends on your academic discipline and assignment requirements. Psychology, sociology, and education typically use APA. English, literature, and foreign languages use MLA. History, art history, and some humanities use Chicago. Always confirm the required style with your instructor.
How do I cite a website with no author?
When citing a website with no author, start with the title of the page or article instead. In APA, move the publication date to after the title. In MLA, begin with the title in quotation marks followed by the website name. In Chicago, also start with the title. If there's no author or organization, use the page title as the first element of your citation.
Example (APA): Title of webpage. (Year, Month Day). Website Name. URL
Example (MLA): "Title of Webpage." Website Name, Publisher, Date, URL.
Do I need to cite sources if I paraphrase?
Yes, you must cite sources even when paraphrasing. Paraphrasing means restating someone else's ideas in your own words, but the ideas still originate from another source. Failing to cite paraphrased content is plagiarism. Always provide a citation when using someone else's ideas, data, arguments, or research findings, whether quoted directly or paraphrased.
The only time you don't need citations is when stating common knowledge (facts widely known and accepted) or your own original ideas and analysis. When in doubt, cite it! Over-citing is always better than under-citing in academic work.
What information do I need to create a citation?
The required information varies by source type but typically includes: author name(s), publication date, title of the work, and publication information. For websites, you need the URL and access date. For books, include publisher and location. For journal articles, include journal name, volume, issue, and page numbers. For newspapers, include the publication date and section. Our citation generator prompts you for all required fields.
Essential elements for most sources:
- Author(s) - individual or organization
- Publication date - year at minimum, month/day if available
- Title - of article, chapter, or webpage
- Container - journal name, book title, website name
- Location - page numbers, URL, DOI
Can I export my bibliography?
Yes! Our citation generator includes bibliography management. As you generate citations, you can add them to your bibliography using the 'Add to Bibliography' button. Once you've added all your citations, click 'Export' to download your complete bibliography as a text file. Your bibliography is saved in your browser's local storage, so you can return to it later on the same device.
The exported file can be opened in any word processor. You can then copy and paste the citations into your paper. Remember to format them with hanging indents and proper spacing according to your chosen citation style. The generator saves your bibliography automatically, but for security, we recommend exporting regularly as a backup.