Citation Generator

Generate citations in APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard styles. Create references for books, articles, websites, and more.

Citation Style

Select the citation style you need:

Source Type

Select the type of source you want to cite:

Book
Journal Article
Website
Newspaper
Video
Conference

Source Information

Enter details about your source:

Generating citation...
Generated Citation
Smith, J. (2020). The Art of Academic Writing. Academic Press.
Citation History
Smith, J. (2020). The Art of Academic Writing. Academic Press.
APA Style - Book
Johnson, M. (2019). "Digital Transformation in Education". Journal of Educational Technology, 12(3), 45-67.
MLA Style - Journal Article
World Health Organization. (2021). Global Health Report 2021. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/reports
Chicago Style - Website

Citation Styles Guide

Different academic disciplines require different citation styles. Here's a quick guide to the most common styles:

Key Insight: Always check with your instructor or publisher which citation style to use for your work.

Common Citation Styles

APA (American Psychological Association)

Used in psychology, education, and social sciences.

Author-Date
Smith, J. (2020). The Art of Academic Writing. Academic Press.
MLA (Modern Language Association)

Used in literature, arts, and humanities.

Author-Page
Smith, John. The Art of Academic Writing. Academic Press, 2020.
Chicago Manual of Style

Used in history, business, and fine arts.

Notes-Bibliography
Smith, John. 2020. The Art of Academic Writing. New York: Academic Press.
Harvard Referencing

Used in sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

Author-Date
Smith, J. (2020) The Art of Academic Writing. New York: Academic Press.

Citation Elements

Element Description Required For
Author Creator of the work All source types
Title Name of the work All source types
Year Publication year Most source types
Publisher Organization that published the work Books, reports
Location Place of publication Books, conferences
URL Web address Websites, online articles
DOI Digital Object Identifier Journal articles
Volume/Issue Journal volume and issue numbers Journal articles
Pages Page range Book chapters, articles

Citation Best Practices

1

Be Consistent: Use the same citation style throughout your document.

2

Verify Details: Double-check author names, publication dates, and other details.

3

Include All Required Elements: Different source types require different information.

4

Format Correctly: Pay attention to punctuation, italics, and capitalization rules.

5

Use DOI When Available: Digital Object Identifiers provide stable links to sources.

Important Note: Always verify generated citations against official style guides. Citation generators are helpful tools but may not account for all special cases.

Citation FAQs

Answers to common questions about citations.

What is the difference between a citation and a reference?
Citation (in-text citation):
  • Appears in the body of your paper
  • Briefly identifies the source
  • Points readers to the full reference
  • Example: (Smith, 2020)
Reference (bibliography entry):
  • Appears in the reference list at the end
  • Provides complete publication details
  • Allows readers to locate the source
  • Example: Smith, J. A. (2020). The History of Modern Science. Academic Press.
How do I cite a source with multiple authors?

Rules vary by citation style:

  • APA: List up to 20 authors. For 2 authors: Smith & Jones (2020). For 3+ authors: Smith et al. (2020)
  • MLA: For 2 authors: Smith and Jones. For 3+ authors: Smith et al.
  • Chicago: List all authors in bibliography, but use "et al." for 4+ authors in notes
  • Harvard: Similar to APA: (Smith & Jones 2020) or (Smith et al. 2020)
  • IEEE: List all authors in references, use [1] for in-text citations
How do I cite a website with no author?

When no author is listed:

  • APA: Use title in place of author: ("Title of Page," 2020)
  • MLA: Use title of page in quotation marks: ("Title of Page")
  • Chicago: Use title in bibliography, shortened title in notes
  • Harvard: Use title in place of author: (Title of Page 2020)
  • IEEE: Use [1] with full reference listing the title first

Always include retrieval date and URL for online sources.

What is DOI and when should I include it?

DOI (Digital Object Identifier) is a permanent identifier for digital content.

Include DOI when available:

  • Prefer DOI over URL for academic sources
  • Format as: https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxx
  • Required for journal articles in APA, Chicago, and MLA
  • Not needed for books unless accessed online

    • DOI provides a stable link that won't break like URLs can.

    How do I cite social media content?

    Social media citation format:

    • APA: Author [@username]. (Year, Month Day). Content [Type]. Platform. URL
    • MLA: Author [@username]. "Content." Platform, Day Month Year, Time, URL
    • Chicago: Author, "Content," Platform, Month Day, Year, URL
    • Harvard: Author (Year) 'Content', Platform, Day Month, viewed Day Month Year, URL

    Examples:

    • Tweet: NASA [@NASA]. (2020, July 30). We're launching to Mars! [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/NASA/status/123456
    • Instagram: National Geographic [@natgeo]. (2021, March 15). Wildlife photography award winners [Photo]. Instagram. https://instagram.com/p/ABC123