Guide to Citation Generators  

Confused about when and why to cite sources? See the guide and tutorial below.  

Need help creating citations and bibliographies? Citation generators can help you. There are many options to choose from, including Web sites, pc-based programs, and browser extensions. Click on the tabs to read about, and link to, several citation generators.  The citation generators listed in this guide have been reviewed by University at Albany librarians and are the best available.

If you use one of the citation generators, be sure to review your results carefully. While these citation generators can go a long way to helping you format your bibliography, they are not perfect.  You are ultimately responsible for the accuracy of the citations in your paper. If in doubt, refer to the appropriate style manual for definitive information. Style manuals are listed below. See the last tab of this guide for common errors to watch out for.

Many databases now offer the ability to format citations, usually as part of the print/save/email function, or in a "cite this article" link. Again, you should check these before listing in a bibliography, as some are not very accurate.

APA Style

American Psychological Association. (2010). (6th ed.). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Call number BF76.7 P83 2010 

American Psychological Association. (2007). APA Style Guide to Electronic References. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

MLA Style

For high school and undergradaute students:

Gibaldi, J. (2009). (7th ed.). MLA handbook for writers of research papers. New York: Modern Language Association of America. Call number LB2369 G53 2009

For graduate students, scholars, and professional writers:

Gibaldi, J. (2008). (3rd ed.). MLA style manual and guide to scholarly publishing. New York: Modern Language Association of America. Call number PN 147 G444

Chicago Style

The Chicago manual of style. (2003). (15th ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Call number Z253 U69

Note: Above style manuals can be found in the Reference section of the University, Science and Dewey Libraries.