1. Enter Author Details: Type in the first and last name of the author. If your source has multiple authors, click + Add Another Author for as many as you need. The tool will automatically format commas, ampersands, and “et al.” based on your chosen style’s rules.
2. Fill in Source Info: Add the publication year, title, container (like the name of the journal or website), and the URL/DOI. If you don’t have a piece of information (like a year), just leave it blank, the tool will adapt perfectly.
3. Select Your Style: Choose from the top six academic formats: APA (7th), MLA (9th), Chicago (17th), Harvard, IEEE, or Vancouver.
4. Generate & Copy: Click Generate Citation. Your formatted Reference List entry, Parenthetical citation, and Narrative citation will appear instantly. Click the copy icon next to the one you need and paste it straight into your document.

• Bibliography / Reference List: This is the full, detailed citation that goes at the very end of your paper in your References, Works Cited, or Bibliography section. It contains all the information a reader needs to track down your original source.
• Parenthetical (In-Text): This is used when you are stating a fact or quote and want to place the citation at the very end of the sentence, entirely enclosed in parentheses. Example: (Smith, 2024).
• Narrative (In-Text): This is used when you weave the author’s name directly into the text of your sentence. Example: According to Smith (2024), the data shows…

Which Citation Style Should You Use?

• APA (American Psychological Association): Standard for social sciences, education, and psychology. The latest version is APA 7th Edition.
• MLA (Modern Language Association): Standard for the humanities, literature, and arts.
• Chicago (Author-Date): Frequently used in history and some sciences.
• Harvard: A widely used author-date system, especially common in UK and Australian universities.
• IEEE: A numeric style used heavily in engineering, computer science, and IT.
• Vancouver: A numeric style standard in medicine and the physical sciences.

Is this citation generator completely free? Yes. Our Master Citation Generator is 100% free to use in your browser. There are no paywalls, no hidden subscriptions, and no account creations required to format your references.

What citation styles does this tool support? Currently, the tool fully supports the six most common academic citation styles: APA (7th Edition), MLA (9th Edition), Chicago (17th Edition Author-Date), Harvard, IEEE, and Vancouver.

What is the difference between a parenthetical and narrative citation? A parenthetical citation places the author’s name and publication details inside parentheses at the end of a sentence. A narrative citation incorporates the author’s name directly into the flow of your sentence, usually with the year in parentheses immediately following the name.

How do I cite a source with multiple authors? Simply click the “+ Add Another Author” button in the generator for each author listed on your source. The tool’s algorithm will automatically apply the correct punctuation, ampersands, or “et al.” formatting depending on the specific rules of the citation style you selected.

Do I have to include a URL or DOI? While highly recommended for digital sources (like journal articles or websites) so your readers can easily find the text, it is not strictly mandatory if you are citing a physical book. If you leave the URL/DOI field blank, the generator will simply format the citation without it.

What are IEEE and Vancouver citation styles? Unlike APA or MLA which use author names in the text, IEEE and Vancouver are numeric styles. You place a number in brackets [1] or parentheses (1) inside your text, and that number corresponds to the full citation in your reference list at the end of the document.

Can I use this tool for books, websites, and journal articles? Yes! The “Source Title” and “Container” fields make this generator highly versatile. For a website, the article is the title and the website name is the container. For a journal, the paper is the title and the Journal name is the container.

Does this tool generate a bibliography? Yes. The top output box generates the full, complete citation required for your Bibliography, Reference List, or Works Cited page. You can easily copy and paste these entries to build your final list.