Visible data sources
See the source label next to the citation so you can judge how much to trust the record before you copy it.
CrossRefGoogle BooksURL metadataNLMManual entry
Free citation generator with source checks.
Use this citation generator to cite a DOI, ISBN, URL, title, or manual source. CitationGen looks up public metadata, shows the source trail, flags missing fields, and keeps every result editable before you copy.
Citation style
Try real examples
Why it feels safer
Check the source trail before this citation generator leaves your screen.
CitationGen is built for students, lab writers, and researchers who need the result fast, but still want to verify what is missing before they paste it into an assignment.
Built for papers, lab reports, literature reviews, and journal drafts.
Visible source trail
See whether a result came from CrossRef, Google Books, URL metadata, NLM, or manual entry.
Field warnings stay near the result
Review missing author, date, page, DOI, ISBN, and URL details before you copy.
Edit before you submit
Correct source details, regenerate the citation, then copy it or save it to your library.
Open the citation generator style your assignment names.
Jump into APA, MLA, Chicago, AMA, ACS, or IEEE without learning a different interface for each style.
Move from source detail to checked citation in three clear steps.
Start with the source detail you have, confirm where the data came from, then make the final citation ready to use.
01
Paste the source you already have.
Start with a DOI, ISBN, URL, title, or rough source note. CitationGen searches public metadata first, then keeps the result editable.
- DOI, ISBN, URL, or title input
- APA, MLA, Chicago, AMA, ACS, IEEE, and more
- Examples that run the same lookup flow
Paste the source you already have.
02
Show where the citation data came from.
Check the source label under each result so you know whether the metadata came from CrossRef, Google Books, URL metadata, NLM, or manual entry.
- CrossRef and Google Books lookup
- URL metadata and canonical links
- NLM support for journal abbreviation workflows
Show where the citation data came from.
03
Make the last step feel controlled.
Review warnings, edit incomplete fields, and copy the final citation only after the source details match your assignment or journal requirements.
- Warnings stay near the result
- Fields remain editable after lookup
- Reference library supports repeated citation work
Make the last step feel controlled.
Choose by assignment
If the assignment does not name a style, start from the writing context.
If your instructor already named APA or IEEE, open it directly. If not, start with the writing context below and choose the style that fits the assignment.
Start where your assignment starts.
Journal article, lab source, website, or book chapter. Keep the review step visible either way.
Lab reports and chemistry writing
Start with a DOI or article title when the source came from a journal database. These citations usually depend on clean journal metadata and visible abbreviation checks.
Best fit for chemistry, life science, and lab-heavy coursework.Essays, reading lists, and humanities papers
If the assignment centers on books, chapters, archives, or literary criticism, open a style that keeps authorship and publication context easy to review before you copy.
Useful for literature, history, theology, and writing seminars.Research papers with websites and policy sources
Use a style that handles mixed source types well when you are citing articles, websites, reports, and organization pages in the same paper.
A good path for social science, education, health, and policy writing.Engineering, computing, and technical projects
Numeric styles work well when your references come from journals, conferences, standards, manuals, and product documentation.
Common in engineering, computing, applied science, and capstone work.Need a different citation style?
Browse the full generator directory without leaving the homepage.
CitationGen user feedback
People usually come here when the source looks almost complete, but still needs one careful pass before it goes into the final paper.
Undergraduate writerCourse essays and reading responses
“I need the citation quickly, but I still want to see whether the page is missing an author or date before I paste it into the paper.”
If a page does not expose a clear author line, you should see that gap before you copy the citation.
Web sources often need a manual date, site name, or title cleanup. The result should help you spot that immediately.
Volume, issue, pages, DOI, and abbreviated journal titles matter most when the citation is headed into a paper or report.
Common questions
Short answers for the moments when a DOI is incomplete, a website has thin metadata, or you need to edit before you copy.
What can I paste into CitationGen?
You can paste a DOI, ISBN, URL, article title, book title, or enter source fields manually. Public lookups are used when a reliable record is available.
Does the generator invent missing fields?
No. Missing author, date, page, DOI, ISBN, or URL details are surfaced as warnings so you can review them before copying.
Why are source labels shown with the result?
Citation quality depends on metadata quality. Labels such as CrossRef, Google Books, URL metadata, NLM, or manual entry help you judge the result.
Can I edit the citation after lookup?
Yes. Authors, title, date, journal, publisher, DOI, URL, ISBN, volume, issue, and page fields remain editable before you regenerate or copy.
Which citation styles are supported?
CitationGen supports common academic styles including APA, MLA, Chicago, Turabian, Harvard, AMA, ACS, CSE, IEEE, Vancouver, and NLM-backed journal abbreviation workflows.