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Citing Your Sources

What Are Citation Formatters

Citation formatters, A.K.A. citation generators, are programs that create citations formatted in a specific style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.). Some of them are embedded into databases, others require that you export or enter bibliographic information.

Warning: Please use the citation formatters with caution. Be sure to check the results for formatting, spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and the required elements for the citation style you are using.

Some free citation formatter tools below can also generate bibliographies. More robust citation management tools are described in the Citation Management Software guide.

Consult the appropriate official style manual for the definitive answer to your citation questions. For additional assistance, please contact the library reference desk in  person, by phone (513-556-1424) or e-mail. You can also contact a subject librarian.

Free Web-Based Citation Formatters

These simple tools tend to work best for basic citations of common materials, such as books. If you want to cite something more unusual, such as an interview, class lecture, or video, they may not work as well.

Google Scholar Citation Help

Google Scholar generates citations in MLA, APA, Chicago, and Harvard and allows you to export citation to major citation management tools.

Google Scholar search result with an option to cite (quotation makl icon)

Database-Embedded Formatters

Please note that citation formatters built into databases don't always keep up with the latest changes. If you use the database to generate your citation, please make sure to compare the citation against the style manual. Use the APA, MLA, and other common citation style guide pages in this Guide to get to the examples and style manuals.

Academic Search Complete (and other EBSCOhost databases)

Display an article citation. Click the "Cite" icon under "Tools" to the right of the citation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This brings up the Citation Format screen.

Alternatively you can click the "Print", "E-mail" or "Save" icon and select the format from the "Citation format" drop-down menu.

 

ProQuest Research Library (and other ProQuest databases)

Display a citation and click the "Cite" icon in the box to the right of the citation.

Cite icon the a Proquest database.

This will bring up the Citation Style screen. If yu need to change the style, click on the down arrow.

Citation style screen with a drop-dpwn arrown for changing the style

Select the desired citation style from the drop-down menu.

Citation style drop-down menu in a ProQuest database

On the Citation Style screen select the citation and then copy and paste it into your document. Click "Done."

Instead of copying and pasting a citation you can click the "Print" or "E-mail" in the box to the right of the citation, select the desired format

Summon

In Summon click the "Cite this item" icon and select the desired format from the drop-down menu.

citation icon in Summon

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