Citation Generator
Generate properly formatted citations in APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard styles. Enter your source details once, get all four formats instantly.
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How to Use
- Select Source Type — Choose the type of source you are citing: Book, Journal Article, Website, or Conference Paper. The form fields will update to match the selected source type.
- Enter Source Details — Fill in the required fields (marked with *) and any optional fields you have. Enter author names in "Last, First" format. The more details you provide, the more complete the citation.
- Copy or Build Bibliography — Click Generate Citations to see your source formatted in APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard styles simultaneously. Copy any individual citation, or click "Add to Bibliography" to build a reference list. Copy the full bibliography when done.
About the Citation Generator
WritePadPro's Citation Generator creates properly formatted academic citations in four major styles from a single set of source details. Enter the author, title, year, and publication information once, and instantly receive correctly formatted references in APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard — ready to copy into your paper, thesis, or research document.
Supported Citation Styles
- APA (7th Edition) — The standard for psychology, education, social sciences, and many STEM fields. Uses author-date format with specific rules for italicization and DOI formatting.
- MLA (9th Edition) — Preferred in humanities, literature, and liberal arts. Uses author-page format with containers and contributors.
- Chicago (17th Edition) — Common in history, arts, and some social sciences. Uses notes-bibliography or author-date format depending on variant.
- Harvard — Widely used in UK, Australian, and some European universities. Similar to APA but with distinct punctuation and capitalization rules.
Source Types
The generator handles four common source types, each with tailored input fields:
- Books — Author, title, year, publisher, edition, city, ISBN. Handles single and multiple authors.
- Journal Articles — Author, article title, journal name, year, volume, issue, page range, DOI. Properly formats journal italicization and volume notation.
- Websites — Author (optional), page title, website name, year, URL, access date. Handles both authored and organizational web pages.
- Conference Papers — Author, paper title, conference name, year, location, page range, DOI. Formats correctly for proceedings citations.
Bibliography Builder
Beyond individual citations, the tool includes a bibliography builder. As you generate citations for multiple sources, you can add each one to a running reference list. The bibliography displays all entries numbered in order. Remove individual entries or copy the entire bibliography to paste into your document. This is especially useful for students building reference lists for essays, theses, and dissertations.
Accuracy and Verification
The generator implements the official formatting rules for each style — correct punctuation sequences, proper italicization of titles vs. quotation marks, DOI formatting conventions, edition notation, and page range formatting. However, citation styles have edge cases (translated works, edited volumes, government documents) that may require manual adjustment. Always verify your final citations against your institution's style guide or a comprehensive reference like the Purdue OWL.
Privacy
All citation formatting happens in your browser using JavaScript string templates. Your source information — titles, author names, DOIs — is never sent to any server, API, or third-party service. The tool works entirely offline once loaded. Your research and source data remain completely private.
Frequently Asked Questions
What citation styles does this tool support?
WritePadPro generates citations in four major academic styles: APA (7th Edition), MLA (9th Edition), Chicago (17th Edition), and Harvard. All four formats are generated simultaneously from the same source information, so you can compare and choose the one your institution requires.
What source types can I cite?
The generator supports four source types: Books (with optional edition, publisher city, and ISBN), Journal Articles (with volume, issue, pages, and DOI), Websites (with URL and access date), and Conference Papers (with conference name, location, and DOI). Each type shows only the relevant input fields.
How do I format author names?
Enter author names in "Last, First Middle Initial" format, such as "Smith, John A." or "Garcia, Maria L." For multiple authors, separate with semicolons: "Smith, John; Garcia, Maria." For organizations as authors, enter the full organization name. If no author is available, leave the field empty.
Can I build a full bibliography?
Yes. After generating citations for a source, click "Add to Bibliography" to add it to your running reference list. Repeat for each source. The bibliography section shows all your references numbered. You can remove individual entries or copy the entire bibliography at once.
How accurate are the generated citations?
The generator follows the official formatting rules for each citation style, including punctuation, italicization, capitalization conventions, and element ordering. However, always verify citations against your institution's specific requirements, as some departments or journals have modified style guidelines. The tool handles the formatting mechanics — you ensure the source details are accurate.
Does this tool use AI or send data to a server?
No. All citation formatting is done with client-side JavaScript string templates. Your source information is never transmitted to any server or API. The formatting rules are built into the code — no AI, no database lookups, no network requests. Everything stays in your browser.