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Citation Generator

Need an APA citation generator or MLA citation generator that stays accurate? Citation Generator creates clean reference list entries from resolvable identifiers (DOI, PMID, PMCID, arXiv, ISBN) and many URLs. It also supports movie/film citations via IMDb (best-effort). Pick a style (APA 7th edition, MLA, Chicago, IEEE, Vancouver) to generate a bibliography / Works Cited list you can copy, or export to common reference-manager formats. The tool is intentionally conservative: if a source can’t be resolved reliably, it won’t invent missing details—it marks the entry for review so you can correct the identifier or fill in fields manually. For best results, paste one identifier or URL per line, then spot-check author order, year, title capitalization, and book editions against the publisher or library record.

Tip: DOI is usually the most reliable. PMID/PMCID/ISBN/arXiv/NCT/IMDb/URL can also work when they can be resolved. For movies, an IMDb link/ID is best. Unresolvable sources are marked “Needs review” instead of invented.
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Generated: 2/28/2026, 2:30:41 PM
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About

Citation Generator is a free citation generator that formats references from resolvable identifiers (DOI/PMID/PMCID/arXiv/NCT/ISBN) and many publisher URLs. It’s designed to draft citations quickly while avoiding invented metadata.

How it works

The tool resolves each identifier to public metadata (or recovers a DOI from a URL when possible), then formats the output into the selected style (APA/MLA/Chicago/etc) and export formats.

  • Resolves DOI/PMID/PMCID/arXiv/NCT/ISBN metadata
  • Attempts URL→DOI recovery when possible
  • Supports movie/film citations via IMDb (best-effort)
  • Formats citations in common styles
Result interpretation

If an item resolves, you get a formatted citation and possibly export formats. If it does not resolve, the entry is marked for review so you can correct the identifier or fill in details manually.

Use cases

Use it to draft a bibliography, normalize formatting across sources, or export into a reference manager.

  • Fast bibliography drafts
  • Citation style conversions
  • Reference manager import
Limitations

Accuracy depends on upstream metadata. Some records may be incomplete or differ from your required house style (especially books/editions and website citations). Always verify details before submission.

This tool focuses on reference list entries (bibliography / Works Cited). If you need in-text citations, use your style guide rules and confirm they match your institution’s requirements.

Best practices

Confirm each entry against the publisher landing page. When exporting, spot-check that author names, year, title, and venue match your source.

Related reading

RIS vs BibTeX vs CSL-JSON: when to use which
Learn
Pick the right export format for Zotero/EndNote, LaTeX, or integrations.
How to cite a film or movie (APA/MLA/Chicago)
Learn
Use stable IDs (IMDb), include version info, and cite streaming responsibly.
How to cite datasets and software (DOI vs URL)
Learn
Versioning, access dates, and stable citation practices for non-paper sources.
DOI vs PMID vs ISBN: when to use which
Learn
Use stable identifiers so generated citations are more reliable and checkable.

FAQ

How do I cite a film or movie in APA/MLA/Chicago?
Use a stable identity (title + year + director, ideally with an IMDb ID), then generate the formatted citation in your chosen style. If you cite a streaming page, treat it as access information (and include an access date if your style expects it).
Learn: how to cite a film or movie (checklist)
Will it invent missing citation details?
No. If an identifier/URL cannot be resolved reliably, the entry is marked for review instead of fabricated.
Does it support APA 7th edition and MLA?
Yes. You can choose APA (APA 7) or MLA from the style list. Always confirm formatting requirements if your school/journal uses a modified house style.
Can it cite a website?
Often, yes—paste the page URL. If the page does not expose stable metadata (or can’t be resolved safely), the entry will be marked for review instead of guessed.
Can it cite an arXiv paper?
Yes—paste an arXiv ID or arXiv URL. If a DOI exists for that record, the tool can generate a DOI-based citation; otherwise it generates a best-effort entry from arXiv metadata.
Can it cite a PMCID (PMC...) article?
Yes—paste a PMCID. If a DOI exists, the tool can generate a DOI-based citation; otherwise it generates a best-effort entry from Europe PMC metadata.
Can it cite a movie/film?
Yes—paste an IMDb ID (tt...) or IMDb URL. The tool generates a best-effort film citation entry; always verify requirements for your style guide (director, studio, format, etc.).
Which exports are supported?
When the item resolves, exports may include BibTeX, RIS (commonly used for EndNote/Zotero/Mendeley imports), and CSL-JSON. Availability depends on upstream metadata.
Can I use a custom CSL style?
Yes—provide a CSL style id or a CSL URL.

Integrity and privacy

Integrity
  • Does not fabricate missing bibliographic fields when an item cannot be resolved reliably.
  • Outputs should be reviewed against the original source for submission-critical details.
Privacy
  • Inputs are sent to the API to compute results. Avoid pasting sensitive personal data.
  • If you paste multiple DOIs, they may be processed as a batch for performance.
Last updated: Jan 16, 2026
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