Citation generator

APA, MLA, Chicago and Harvard references and in-text citations, italics kept.

Publication Manual of the APA, 7th edition (2020). Initials, & before the last author, sentence-case titles.

Source

Authors

In the order printed on the work. Type full given names; the style decides whether they become initials.

Author 1
Author 2
Author 3

This style wants sentence case. Type the title as it should appear, or convert it below and check names.

Year, such as 2020. Leave empty if there is none (n.d.).

A number such as 2. Leave empty for a first edition.

Such as 10.1086/720277. Shown as https://doi.org/… (nothing is looked up).

For the in-text citation or note, such as 45 or 117-118.

Citation

Reference list entry

Kaufman, K. A., Glass, C. R., & Pineau, T. R. (2018). Mindful sport performance enhancement: Mental training for athletes and coaches. American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000048-000

In-text citation

(Kaufman et al., 2018, pp. 12–14)

Narrative citation

Kaufman et al. (2018, pp. 12–14)

Copy keeps the italics when you paste into Word, Google Docs or an email; Copy as text pastes without formatting.

My list (0)

Entries you add appear here, sorted alphabetically like a reference list.

What this tool does

It turns the details of a source into a correctly punctuated reference in five styles: APA 7th edition, MLA 9th edition, Chicago 18th edition in both its notes and bibliography and author-date forms, and Harvard as described in Cite Them Right (13th edition, 2025). It handles the three sources students cite most: books, journal articles and web pages.

For each source you get the reference-list entry (called the bibliography in Chicago and works cited in MLA), the parenthetical in-text citation, the narrative citation ("Kahneman (2011) argues…") and, for Chicago notes, the first full footnote and the shortened note used after it. Nothing is looked up online: you type what is printed on the work, and the tool applies the rules. Fields the chosen style needs but you left empty are listed as missing instead of being invented.

How to use it

  1. Pick the citation style your course or journal asks for, then the source type.
  2. Enter the authors in the order printed on the work, with full given names. The style decides whether they become initials ("Kahneman, D.") or stay in full ("Kahneman, Daniel."). Switch an author to Organisation for a corporate author such as the World Health Organization.
  3. Type the title. APA and Harvard want sentence case for the titles of works; MLA and Chicago want title case. The hint under the field says which, and two buttons convert it for you. Check proper nouns afterwards: no program can know that "vietnam" is a country.
  4. Fill in the date, publisher, journal, volume, issue, pages, DOI or URL as they apply. A page cited is optional and goes into the in-text citation or note.
  5. Copy puts the reference on the clipboard with real italics, so it pastes correctly into Word, Google Docs or an email. Copy as text gives plain text, optionally with asterisks around the italic parts. Add to list collects several sources; the list is sorted alphabetically the way a reference list must be and can be copied in one go.

How the styles differ

The same journal article by four authors shows the differences well.

  • APA 7: Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1087–1101. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.92.6.1087. In the text: (Duckworth et al., 2007).
  • MLA 9: Duckworth, Angela L., et al. "Grit: Perseverance and Passion for Long-Term Goals." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 92, no. 6, 2007, pp. 1087-101. In the text: (Duckworth et al. 1090).
  • Chicago author-date: all four names in the reference list, the year straight after them, and (Duckworth et al. 2007, 1090) in the text.
  • Harvard (Cite Them Right): Duckworth, A.L. et al. (2007) 'Grit…', Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), pp. 1087–1101. Four or more authors become "et al." in the reference list too.

The et al. rules are where most marks are lost. APA lists up to 20 authors in the reference list and uses "et al." in the text from three authors. MLA uses "et al." from three authors everywhere. Chicago 18 lists up to six authors in the bibliography (seven or more: the first three and "et al.") and uses "et al." in notes and author-date citations from three. Cite Them Right uses "et al." from four.

Details the tool gets right

  • Page ranges: APA and Harvard print them in full with an en dash (1087–1101); MLA shortens the second number to the digits that change (1087-101); Chicago abbreviates by its own rule (1818–59).
  • DOIs are always written as https://doi.org/… links, whether you paste "10.1037/…", "doi:10.1037/…" or the full link.
  • Dates: MLA abbreviates long months (4 Dec. 2023), Chicago writes December 4, 2023, APA puts the date in brackets after the author. A missing date becomes "n.d.".
  • URLs: MLA drops the https:// prefix; Harvard adds "Available at:" and, for web pages, the date you accessed it.
  • Place of publication is no longer required in Chicago 18 or Cite Them Right 13, so the tool leaves it out.

Tips

  • Your instructor's guide wins. Harvard in particular has many local variants; if your university publishes its own Harvard guide, compare one entry before you copy a whole list.
  • Copy the reference list with Copy, not Copy as text, if the document needs italics; then apply your document's hanging indent.
  • Keep the details you typed: building a citation from the source in front of you is more reliable than reusing one from another paper, which may have been wrong. To keep track of what you read, the flashcards tool is handy for quotes and key terms.

Frequently asked questions

Which citation style should I use?

The one your course, supervisor or journal names. As a rule of thumb, psychology, education and many social sciences use APA; literature and languages use MLA; history and some humanities use Chicago notes and bibliography; many UK and Australian universities use a Harvard variant.

When do I write et al.?

In the text: from three authors in APA, MLA and Chicago, and from four in Cite Them Right Harvard. In the reference list: APA lists up to 20 authors, MLA writes the first author and “et al.” from three, Chicago 18 lists up to six, and Cite Them Right uses “et al.” from four. The tool applies these limits automatically.

Why does the title case change between styles?

APA and Harvard want sentence case for titles of works (only the first word, the first word after a colon and proper nouns capitalised); MLA and Chicago want title case. Journal names are always in title case. Use the conversion buttons, then check names of people and places by hand.

Does the tool look up my source online?

No. Nothing is fetched and nothing you type leaves your browser. You enter the details from the book, article or page, which also avoids the wrong metadata that automatic look-ups often return.

Will the italics survive when I paste?

Yes, with Copy: it puts formatted text on the clipboard, which Word, Google Docs, Pages and most email programs keep. Copy as text gives plain text for places that cannot show italics, optionally marking them with *asterisks*.

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Updated October 14, 2026 · More in Learning