Citation generator with visible source checks

Paste a DOI, ISBN, URL, or title. Check the data trail before you copy.

Try real examples
Warm desk scene showing a citation generator, research books, notes, and a copy-ready citation.

Built for citations you need to trust.

A quick draft is useful. A checked citation is better when a grade, paper, or submission depends on the details.

Data from CrossRefData from Google BooksMetadata extracted from URLAbbreviation from NLMManually entered

You can see the data source

Every result labels where the metadata came from: CrossRef, Google Books, URL metadata, NLM journal data, or manual entry.

Missing details are not hidden

If a source does not expose an author, date, pages, DOI, or URL, the page warns you instead of quietly filling the gap.

Science formats get special care

AMA, ACS, CSE, IEEE, and Vancouver sit beside APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and Turabian, with journal abbreviation support where it matters.

You can fix the source before copying

Authors, title, date, journal, publisher, DOI, URL, ISBN, volume, issue, and pages stay editable after lookup.

Examples that match real citation work.

These are the moments the page is designed around: lookup first, check the source, edit fields, then copy.

ACS, AMA, and MLA citation examples shown across chemistry, medical, and humanities study settings.

A chemistry paper needs ACS

Paste the article DOI, check the CrossRef record, then confirm the NLM journal abbreviation before copying.

A book source needs APA

Enter an ISBN, review title, authors, publisher, and year from Google Books, then edit any field that looks incomplete.

A website has thin metadata

Paste the URL, see what the page exposes, and fill missing author or date fields manually when the source is incomplete.

Start with lookup when possible, manual fields when needed.

Autofill sources

DOI, ISBN, URL, journal title, and book title can use public metadata lookup when a record is available.

  • Journal article
  • Book
  • Webpage
  • Video URL

Manual source types

These open editable fields and still use the same citation generator.

  • Report
  • Newspaper article
  • Dataset
  • Conference paper
  • Book chapter
  • Patent
  • Image
  • Blog post
  • Dictionary entry
  • Encyclopedia entry
  • Thesis or dissertation
  • Social media post

All generators

Browse by format here, or open the citation tools column for grouped science, medical, engineering, and humanities styles.

AMAAMA Citation GeneratorAmerican Medical Association · AMA Manual of Style 11th EditionACSACS Citation GeneratorAmerican Chemical Society · ACS Guide to Scholarly Communication 2020CSECSE Citation GeneratorCouncil of Science Editors · CSE Manual 9th EditionIEEEIEEE Citation GeneratorInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers · IEEE Editorial Style ManualTurabianTurabian Citation GeneratorTurabian · Turabian 9th EditionChicagoChicago Citation GeneratorChicago Manual of Style · Chicago 18th EditionMLAMLA Citation GeneratorModern Language Association · MLA Handbook 9th EditionVancouverVancouver Citation GeneratorVancouver · ICMJE and NLM style familyHarvardHarvard Citation GeneratorHarvard referencing · Cite Them Right Harvard variantAPAAPA Citation GeneratorAmerican Psychological Association · APA 7th Edition

The result should tell you where it came from.

The generator checks public metadata sources, keeps the source labels visible, and lets you review the fields before copying.

Diagram showing DOI, ISBN, and URL input checked against CrossRef, Google Books, and web metadata before a citation is generated.

Article lookup

DOI and article title searches use CrossRef metadata when a public record is available.

Book lookup

ISBN and book title searches use Google Books metadata and keep fields editable.

Web page lookup

URL checks extract public page metadata, canonical links, Open Graph tags, and JSON-LD.

Manual entry

When a source cannot be found, you can enter fields manually and render the same citation.

Try a source that has a public record.

The example buttons above run the same lookup as your own sources. Pick one and the generated citation appears with editable fields, source labels, and warnings.

Input

10.1021/jacs.5b01053

Click one DOI example above
The page asks CrossRef for article metadata
The result shows data labels and editable fields

After lookup

The result panel fills only after the source lookup succeeds. If the public record is incomplete, the page shows exactly which fields need your review before copying.

Citation

Generated after lookup

Source

Shown under result

Fields

Editable before copy

Questions before you cite.

Short answers for the checks users usually make before copying a citation.

What can I paste into the citation generator?

You can paste a DOI, ISBN, URL, article title, book title, or manual source details. The page chooses the public lookup path when possible.

Will the generator invent missing citation data?

No. If a public source does not provide a field, the page shows a warning and lets you edit the metadata before copying.

Why does the result show data source labels?

Citation quality depends on metadata quality. Labels such as CrossRef, Google Books, URL metadata, and NLM help you check where the result came from.

Can I use this for medical, science, and engineering formats?

Yes. The first phase includes AMA, ACS, CSE, IEEE, and Vancouver, alongside APA, MLA, Chicago, Turabian, and Harvard.

Can I edit a citation after lookup?

Yes. Authors, title, date, journal, publisher, DOI, URL, ISBN, volume, issue, and pages remain editable.