Runs in your browser · DOI lookups only send the DOI
Citation Generator
Build a reference list in APA, MLA or Chicago. Paste a DOI to fill in the details, or type them yourself, then copy or download your bibliography.
Example references
APA 7 — journal article
Grady, J. S., Her, M., Moreno, G., Perez, C., & Yelinek, J. (2019). Emotions in storybooks: A comparison of storybooks that represent ethnic and racial groups in the United States. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 8(3), 207–217. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000185
MLA 9 — book
Morrison, Toni. Beloved. Vintage Books, 2004.
Chicago 18 — author-date book
Grazer, Brian, and Charles Fishman. 2015. A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life. Simon & Schuster.
Frequently asked questions
Which citation styles and editions are supported?+
APA 7th edition, MLA Handbook 9th edition, and the Chicago Manual of Style 18th edition in both author-date and notes-and-bibliography forms. The edition in use is shown under the style buttons.
How does DOI lookup work, and what is shared?+
When you press Look up, only the DOI is sent to Crossref — the main DOI registration agency for journals and books — or to DataCite if Crossref has no record. The details that come back fill the form, marked with where they came from, and you can edit everything. Nothing else you type leaves your browser.
Why does my APA title look wrong?+
APA uses sentence case for titles of articles, books and web pages: only the first word, the first word after a colon and proper nouns are capitalised. Publisher records are often in title case. Use the “Sentence case” button, then re-capitalise any names.
Does it make up missing details?+
No. If a source has no date, the style shows “n.d.”; if there's no author, the style moves the title or organisation forward. Nothing is guessed or invented — add only what you can see in the source.
Can I use the references in Word, Google Docs, Zotero or LaTeX?+
Yes. “Copy all” pastes with italics into Word and Google Docs, or download a .docx file with the hanging indent already set. BibTeX (.bib) works with LaTeX, and RIS imports into Zotero, Mendeley and EndNote.
How is the formatting done?+
With citeproc-js, the same open-source Citation Style Language processor used by Zotero and Mendeley, and the official CSL style files. Always check the result against your instructor's or publisher's guidelines.
Is my list saved?+
Only if you tick “Keep this list on this device”, which stores it in this browser. Otherwise it's gone when you close the page. Nothing is stored on our servers.