How to Use a Citation Generator (And When Not To)

TL;DR

Citation generators (EasyBib, MyBib, Scribbr) save time but make mistakes. Always double-check generated citations against the official format rules (MLA 9 or APA 7). Common errors: wrong author order, missing DOIs, incorrect capitalization, and wrong punctuation.

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What Citation Generators Do

Citation generators automatically format your source information into proper citations (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.). You enter a URL, ISBN, or DOI, and they produce a formatted entry for your Works Cited or References page.

Popular options:

• EasyBib (free with ads, premium for advanced features)
• MyBib (free, no account required)
• Scribbr (free generator, also has paid proofreading)
• Citation Machine (free with ads)
• Zotero (free, best for research-heavy projects)

How to Use Them (Step by Step)

1. Choose your citation format (MLA, APA, etc.) — check your assignment requirements
2. Select the source type (website, book, journal article, etc.)
3. Enter the URL, ISBN, DOI, or search by title
4. Review the auto-filled information
5. Correct any errors (this is the step most students skip)
6. Copy the citation to your Works Cited / References page

Where Citation Generators Go Wrong

Common Errors:

• Author names — Sometimes reversed, abbreviated, or missing
• Titles — Capitalization may be wrong (APA uses sentence case; MLA uses title case)
• Publication dates — Sometimes pulls the wrong date
• URLs/DOIs — May be missing or incorrect
• Publisher information — May be incomplete
• Page numbers — Often missing for book citations
• Format differences — Confusing MLA and APA rules

Why Errors Happen:

Citation generators pull information from metadata, which isn't always complete or accurate. Websites especially have messy metadata — author names might be missing, dates might be wrong, and the generator has to guess.

How to Double-Check Your Citations

For MLA (Most Common in English/Humanities):

• Author last name, first name.
• "Title of Source." Title of Container,
• other contributors, version, number, publisher, date, location.

Check: Author name correct? Title in quotes (articles) or italics (books)? Period at the end?

For APA (Most Common in Sciences/Social Sciences):

• Author, A. A. (Year).
• Title of work. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), pages. DOI

Check: Initials only for first names? Year in parentheses? Journal title in italics?

Quick Check Process:

1. Generate the citation
2. Compare it to a sample citation in the same format
3. Fix capitalization, punctuation, and missing information
4. Alphabetize your Works Cited / References page

When to Use vs. Not Use Citation Generators

Use Them:

• To save time formatting large bibliographies
• As a starting point (then verify)
• For straightforward sources (books with ISBNs, journal articles with DOIs)

Be Cautious:

• With websites (metadata is often incomplete)
• With unusual source types (podcasts, social media, interviews)
• When your professor is strict about formatting

Don't Rely On Them Alone:

• For final papers worth significant grade points
• For research papers with 10+ sources
• When precision is critical (thesis, published work)

Zotero: The Research Student's Best Friend

If you write a lot of research papers, consider Zotero (free):

• Saves sources as you browse the web
• Auto-generates citations in any format
• Integrates with Word and Google Docs
• Organizes your entire research library
• Great for long-term projects

Let Gradily Help With Your Papers

Citations are just one part of a great paper. Gradily helps you write, structure, and polish your entire essay — so your professor is impressed by your argument, not just your bibliography.

[Try Gradily for Free →]

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Citation generators are tools, not replacements for understanding the format. Use them to save time, but always double-check. Your professor WILL notice misformatted citations. 📝