Build a reference from scratch, or paste an existing list and convert it into another style. Get the reference-list entry and matching in-text citation, ready to copy.
Need a full reference list checked or reformatted for a journal? See our citation & referencing service.
Whether you’re citing a new source or fixing a whole reference list in the wrong style, this free tool handles both.
Fill in a short form — authors, year, title, journal, DOI — and get a perfectly formatted reference-list entry and the matching in-text citation to copy.
Paste an existing reference list in any style and reformat it into APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, or Vancouver — each entry checked against Crossref for accuracy.
Copy a single citation or the whole converted list with one click. Nothing is saved, and there are no ads or sign-ups.
The generator supports the styles universities and journals ask for most — and links to a dedicated formatting service if you need a whole thesis done to one.
Author–date style for psychology, education, nursing, and the social sciences. Sentence-case titles, italic journal names.
Works Cited style for humanities and literature. Title case, container titles italicised, author–page in-text.
Author–date variant for history and social sciences. In-text lists up to three authors, then "et al."
Cite Them Right base. Author–date with a "verify against your university's variant" reminder.
Numbered ICMJE style for medicine and the sciences. References numbered in the order they're cited.
Our citation & referencing service rebuilds an entire thesis or manuscript to any style, checked by an editor.
Every citation has two parts: the reference-list entry (the full details at the end of your document) and the in-text citation (the short pointer in the body). Here’s the same journal article formatted in all five styles, so you can see exactly how they differ. The generator produces both parts for you automatically.
Ioannidis, J. P. A. (2005). Why most published research findings are false. PLoS Medicine, 2(8), e124. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0020124
(Ioannidis, 2005)
Ioannidis, John P. A. "Why Most Published Research Findings Are False." PLoS Medicine, vol. 2, no. 8, 2005, e124.
(Ioannidis)
Ioannidis, John P. A. 2005. "Why Most Published Research Findings Are False." PLoS Medicine 2 (8): e124.
(Ioannidis 2005)
Ioannidis, J.P.A. (2005) 'Why most published research findings are false', PLoS Medicine, 2(8), e124.
(Ioannidis, 2005)
Ioannidis JPA. Why most published research findings are false. PLoS Med. 2005;2(8):e124.
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The differences that trip students up most — capitalisation, author order, and how the in-text citation looks.
| Style | Title case | In-text format | Typical fields |
|---|---|---|---|
| APA 7 | Sentence case | (Author, Year) | Psychology, education, nursing, social sciences |
| MLA 9 | Title Case | (Author Page) | Humanities, literature, languages |
| Chicago 17 | Title Case | (Author Year) | History, arts, some social sciences |
| Harvard | Sentence case | (Author, Year) | UK universities, business, sciences |
| Vancouver | Sentence case | (1) | Medicine, biomedical, sciences |
Every in-text citation must have a matching reference-list entry, and vice versa. That one-to-one match is the most common thing examiners and reviewers check — and the most common thing they flag. This generator produces both parts together, so they always match.
This generator is perfect for citing sources one at a time. If you need an entire reference list rebuilt to one style and checked by a human, or your thesis formatted to your university's exact requirements, our team can take it from here — no pressure, just here if you need it.
Yes — completely free, with no sign-up, no ads, and no watermarks. It runs in your browser, and nothing you enter is saved. The Convert tool checks references against Crossref for accuracy.
APA 7th edition, MLA 9th edition, Chicago 17th (author–date), Harvard (Cite Them Right), and Vancouver (ICMJE). It generates both the reference-list entry and the matching in-text citation for each.
Open the “Convert a list” tab, choose the style you want, and paste your references (one per line or separated by blank lines). The tool looks each one up on Crossref and reformats it, flagging any entry you should verify.
Choose “Build a citation”, select your style and “Journal article”, and enter the authors, year, article title, journal, volume, issue, pages, and DOI. The generator returns the reference-list entry and the in-text citation in your chosen style.
Both are author–date styles and look similar in-text, but they differ in punctuation, capitalisation, and reference-list formatting. Harvard also varies by university, whereas APA has one official manual. The generator applies the correct rules for whichever you choose.
The Convert tool matches each reference against Crossref, so entries with a DOI are highly accurate. Even so, citation styles have many edge cases, so you should always review the output — especially author names, capitalisation, and page ranges — before submitting. For a full list checked by a human, see our citation & referencing service.
Use the generator as often as you like. When you need an entire reference list rebuilt and checked, or your thesis formatted to your university’s rules, ManuscriptLab’s editors are here to help.
Tell us a bit about your project and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours.