Citation Generators
Citation generators can be a good option to quickly generate citations if you don't want to use reference management software.
What is a citation generator?
If you are writing a short paper, you may not need to use reference management software.
A citation generator can speed up the process of creating a reference for a bibliography or reference list, allowing you to copy and paste these into your assignment, but they don't do all of the work.
The first step is to make sure the citation generator offers the referencing style you need, as some of the styles used at the University of Melbourne may not be covered.
Once you have created the reference, you always need to cross-check it against the formatting requirements listed for the style in Re:cite to confirm everything is correct before you submit the assignment.
Often references may need some quick fixes, so understanding the style rules and careful proofreading is essential. For example, you may find that some of the required information is missing or you may need to fix punctuation, or correct capitalisation.
You will still need to refer to the reference style notes in Re:cite for instructions for creating in-text citations or footnotes.
Easy citation generator options
Citation generators within Library databases
Some databases generate citation details for search results that you can copy and paste into your bibliography. Including:
- EBSCO databases
- ProQuest databases
- Scopus
Instructions - EBSCO databases including Discovery
Results from EBSCO databases and Discovery searches provide a 'Cite' button for each item in a results list
1. Click on the title of any result to display the full details.
2. Click the "Cite" button.
3. A window will open with the reference listed using different citation styles, such as APA, Harvard: Australian, MLA, and Vancouver/ICMJE. Always check Re:Cite for correct formatting
Recommended free citation generators
ZoteroBib helps you build references instantly from any computer or device, without creating an account or installing any software. It’s highly flexible and created by the team behind the free open-source Zotero reference management tool, which we also recommend.
References can be generated by pasting a URL into the search bar, or you can also paste or type in an identifier including an ISBN, DOI, PMID, or arXiv ID. You can also search by title or using manually entered information. With ZoteroBib you have access to the more than 9000 referencing styles included with Zotero. The available styles include APA 7, MLA 8, Chicago 17, Vancouver, AGLC, Cambridge. Once you generate a citation in your preferred style you should cross-check it against the examples in our Re: cite style guide to check for aspects you need to edit
MyBib free citation generator. References can be added by pasting a URL or identifier (ISBN, DOI etc), or title (for books). Also suggests whether or not the source is credible. Create projects to save all the references for an assessment.
Cite this for me provides formatting not only for printed materials and websites, but also for things like podcasts, online videos, and even email correspondence. Free plans save your work for only 7 days.
NCSU Libraries Citation Builder generates citations in APA 7, MLA 8, Chicago (author-date), CSE/CBE (author-date).