A citation credits the original source in your work — whether a website, book, journal article, or video — and tells your reader exactly where to find it. Citations serve two purposes: they give credit to the original creator (preventing plagiarism), and they allow your reader to verify or explore the source themselves. Most academic institutions treat uncited sources as plagiarism, which can have serious consequences.

The style depends on your subject and institution. APA 7th edition is standard in psychology, social sciences, nursing, and education. MLA 9th edition is used in literature, language arts, and humanities. Harvard referencing is common in UK and Australian universities, particularly for business, economics, and law. Chicago 17th edition is used in history, arts, and some social sciences. When in doubt, check your assignment brief or ask your lecturer — they will specify which style is required.

APA (American Psychological Association) 7th edition is one of the most widely used citation styles. For a webpage citation, the format is: Author Last, F. M. (Year, Month Day). Page title in italics. Website Name. URL. For a book: Author Last, F. (Year). Book title in italics (edition). Publisher. The page/book title is italicised. If there is no date, use (n.d.) in place of the year.

MLA (Modern Language Association) 9th edition is used primarily in humanities disciplines. For a webpage: Author Last, First. "Page Title." Website Name in Italics, Date, URL. Accessed Date. For a book: Author Last, First. Book Title in Italics. Edition, Publisher, Year. Article titles and page titles are in quotation marks; book and journal names are italicised.

Harvard referencing is an author-date system widely used in UK and Australian universities. For a webpage: Author Last, F. (Year) Page title in italics. Website Name. Available at: URL (Accessed: Date). For a book: Author Last, F. (Year) Book title in italics, edition. City: Publisher. Journal article titles are in single quotes; book and journal names are italicised.

Chicago 17th edition (Notes-Bibliography system) is used in history, arts, and some social sciences. For a webpage: Author Last, First. "Page Title." Website Name in Italics. Month Day, Year. URL. For a book: Author Last, First. Book Title in Italics. Edition. City: Publisher, Year. Article and page titles are in quotation marks; book and journal names are italicised.

Yes — this tool supports four source types: Website, Book, Journal Article, and Video. Select the source type above the form to switch between them. Each type collects the relevant fields and formats the citation according to the official rules for that source in whichever style you choose (APA, MLA, Harvard, or Chicago).

Leave the author fields blank — the tool will omit the author element and format the citation correctly. In APA, the title moves to the front position. In MLA, Chicago, and Harvard, the citation starts with the title. For books, if no personal author exists, the organisation or editor name can go in the author field. Never invent or guess an author.

Leave the publication date fields blank. APA will output (n.d.) — the standard abbreviation for "no date." Harvard will output (no date). MLA and Chicago will omit the date and rely on the accessed date instead. Always record when you accessed a web page or video, as online content can change or be removed.

Yes — citation formatting is precise. Small errors in punctuation, incorrect use of italics, or the wrong element order can cost marks in assessed work. This tool generates citations that follow each style guide's official rules, but always double-check against your institution's specific citation guide, as some institutions use slightly modified versions of these styles.

Yes — completely free, no account required. All processing happens in your browser; nothing you enter is sent to our servers or stored anywhere. All four source types (websites, books, journal articles, and videos) are available at no cost.