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Generate correctly formatted references and in-text citations for Harvard, APA, MLA, Chicago, and Vancouver styles.
Citation styles explained
Different subjects and journals use different citation styles. Use this guide to choose the right one for your assignment.
Harvard
Widely used across UK universities in social sciences, business, law, and humanities. Uses author-date in-text citations: (Smith, 2021).
APA 7th Edition
Standard in psychology, education, and social sciences. Similar to Harvard but uses & for two authors and sentence case for article titles.
MLA 9th Edition
Used in humanities, literature, and cultural studies. In-text citations use author and page number: (Smith 45).
Chicago 17th Edition
Used in history, arts, and some social sciences. The Notes-Bibliography system uses footnotes with full citations and an end bibliography.
Vancouver (ICMJE)
Standard in medicine, nursing, and biomedical sciences. Uses numbered citations [1] in order of appearance, with a numbered reference list.
Not sure which to use?
Check your module handbook or assignment brief. If still unsure, contact your university's library or ask your module leader.
Referencing quick guide
How do I enter multiple authors?
Type each author name naturally and separate them with "and": James Smith and Sarah Jones and Robert Brown. The generator will format them correctly for whichever citation style you have selected, including converting to et al. where required.
What if there is no author?
Type the name of the organisation responsible for the source (e.g. NHS, BBC, Department for Education). If there is genuinely no identifiable author or organisation, use the title of the work in the author field.
APA requires sentence case for titles. What does that mean?
In APA, article and chapter titles are written in sentence case: only the first word and proper nouns are capitalised. For example, "Critical thinking in higher education" not "Critical Thinking in Higher Education." The generator applies this automatically.
Why does Vancouver show [n] for the in-text citation?
Vancouver uses numbered citations in the order sources first appear in your text. Since the generator cannot know the order in which you will use sources, it shows [n] as a placeholder. Replace n with the correct number when you incorporate the reference into your paper.
Do citation styles vary between universities?
Yes. While the core formats are standardised, some universities or journals have specific variations. Always check your institution's referencing guide or module handbook. If your institution specifies "Cite Them Right Harvard", for example, there may be slight differences from the generic Harvard format.
Need your references checked by an expert?
GradeQuill's editing service includes a full referencing audit. Every in-text citation is cross-checked against the reference list and formatting errors are corrected across all major citation styles before delivery.