Citation Generator

How to use the citation generator

1. Pick a style and the type of source.
2. Fill in the details you have.
3. Copy the reference and its in-text form.

About this tool

Enter the details once and see the reference formatted in whichever style your course requires, along with the in-text form that goes with it — the part students most often get wrong, since it differs from the bibliography entry.

The styles here follow each one's common form: APA 7th, MLA 9th, Chicago notes-bibliography, and a widely used Harvard variant. That last point matters, because Harvard is not a single standard but a family of them, and universities publish their own rules.

So treat the output as a well-formed starting point rather than an authority. Check it against your institution's guide, and above all be consistent across the whole bibliography — markers notice inconsistency far more readily than a debatable comma.

Common uses

• Referencing a web page in an essay.
• Building a bibliography entry for a book.
• Getting the in-text citation format right.

Frequently asked questions

Which Harvard is this?

A widely used variant. Harvard is a family of styles rather than one standard, so check your department's guide — they differ on punctuation and access dates.

Do I need an access date for a website?

MLA and Harvard usually expect one. APA 7 only requires it for pages likely to change, such as a wiki.

What is the in-text citation?

The short form inside your sentence, such as (Lovelace, 1843). It is shown alongside the full reference because the two formats differ.