How to use the citation generator
Choose the source type, fill in the details you have, and pick a style. The citation updates as you type. Select “Add to reference list” for each source, and the tool builds an alphabetised list that you can copy straight into your document with italics preserved. Nothing is saved, so copy your list before you close the page.
The best details come from the source itself: the title page of a book, the first page of a journal article or the publisher’s page that shows the DOI. A DOI (Digital Object Identifier) is a permanent link to an article. When one exists, use it instead of a database URL.
How each citation style works
APA 7th edition
APA is common in psychology, education, nursing and the social sciences. The reference list gives authors’ surnames with initials, the year in brackets straight after the authors, and the title in sentence case. Book titles and journal names are italicised, as is the journal volume number. List up to 20 authors. With 21 or more, give the first 19, an ellipsis, then the final author. In-text citations use the author and year, for example (Duckworth, 2016).
Duckworth, A. (2016). Grit: The power of passion and perseverance. Scribner.
MLA 9th edition
MLA is used across literature, languages and the humanities. It builds each entry from “containers”: the article title sits in quotation marks, and the journal or website that holds it is italicised. Give the first author as Surname, First name. Two authors are joined with “and”. Three or more become the first author followed by “et al.” The publication date comes near the end, and in-text citations use the author and page number, for example (Duckworth 45).
Grady, Jessica S., et al. “Emotions in Storybooks.” Psychology of Popular Media Culture, vol. 8, no. 3, 2019, pp. 207–217.
Harvard
Harvard is a family of author-date styles rather than one fixed standard, and many universities publish their own version. This tool follows the widely used Cite Them Right conventions. Authors are listed as Surname, Initials, the year goes in round brackets without a following full stop, article titles use single quotation marks, and online sources end with “Available at:” plus the link and access date. Up to three authors are listed in full. Four or more are shortened to the first author and “et al.”
World Health Organization (2023) Depressive disorder (depression). Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression (Accessed: 13 October 2026).
Chicago author-date (17th edition)
Chicago author-date is popular in the sciences and social sciences. Only the first author’s name is inverted. Later authors appear as First name Surname. The year follows the author list as a separate element, and journal details are written as volume (issue): pages. For more than ten authors, list the first seven followed by “et al.”
Smith, Jane. 2020. “Learning in Groups.” In Handbook of Education, edited by Mark Brown and Lisa Green, 45–67. Routledge.
Common referencing mistakes to avoid
- Mixing styles. Use one style consistently for the whole assignment, including in-text citations.
- Wrong capitalisation. APA wants sentence case for titles, while MLA and Chicago use title case. Check the title before you copy.
- Citing the database instead of the source. Cite the journal article itself and use its DOI, not a library search link.
- Missing page ranges. Journal articles and chapters need page ranges, written with an en dash (45–67).
- Forgetting access dates. MLA and Harvard ask for an access date on web pages whose content can change.
- Unsorted reference lists. All four styles sort entries alphabetically by the first author’s surname. The tool does this for you.
- No in-text citations. Every entry in your reference list should match a citation in your text, and the reverse.
Learn referencing with an expert
Good referencing is a skill you build over time. If you want feedback on your own draft, our tutors can review your citations, explain your university’s preferred style and help you fix recurring issues through editing and proofreading support or one-to-one guidance on our study guides blog.
Citation generator FAQs
Is this citation generator free?
Yes. The tool is free with no sign-up. It runs entirely in your browser, so the details you type are never uploaded or stored.
Which citation styles are supported?
APA 7th edition, MLA 9th edition, Harvard (Cite Them Right style) and Chicago 17th edition author-date. Switch between them at any time and your citation and reference list update instantly.
How do I enter authors?
Put one author per line, either as “First Last” or “Last, First”. For an organisation as author, wrap the name in braces, for example {World Health Organization}. The tool applies each style’s rules for name order, initials and “et al.”.
Does it change my title capitalisation?
No. Titles are kept exactly as you type them. APA expects sentence case for article and book titles, while MLA and Chicago use title case, so adjust the capitalisation to match your style.
Should I still check the generated citation?
Always. Generators can only format what you enter, and many universities publish their own variations of Harvard and other styles. Compare the result with your course guide before you submit.