Free tool · Writing & publishing
Citation generator
Paste a DOI and get a formatted reference in four styles, ready to copy or export to your reference manager.
Paste a DOI and this citation generator gets the article’s record from Crossref, then writes the reference in APA 7, IEEE, Harvard and Vancouver. You also get BibTeX for LaTeX and an RIS file for Zotero, Mendeley or EndNote. There is no account to make, and mostly the reference is ready in some seconds.
The tool works well for journal articles, conference papers and book chapters which have a DOI. Like any generator, it can make small mistakes. So check the reference once against your style guide before it goes into your thesis.
Method
How this tool works
A DOI is a permanent identifier. The publisher registers one for each article. Most journals register with Crossref, and Crossref keeps the article details like title, authors, journal, year, volume, issue, pages and publisher. Your browser itself sends the DOI to Crossref’s public API. The tool reads those fields and formats them. Nothing goes through our server.
The four styles differ most in how many authors they list.
- APA 7: up to 20 authors are listed. With 21 or more, the first 19 are listed, then an ellipsis, and then the last author.
- IEEE: shows up to six authors. For more than six authors, you get only the first author with et al.
- Harvard (Cite Them Right): three authors at most. If the paper has four or more, you get only the first author with et al.
- Vancouver: the first six authors are listed, and then et al.
The tool puts journal titles and volume numbers in italics where the style ask for it. The copy button gives the clipboard formatted and plain text both, so Word keeps the italics after paste. The rules behind each style are explained in citation styles compared. We also have the APA 7 guide and the IEEE guide.
Limits
What this tool can’t do
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is the reference 100% correct?
The generated reference can be only as accurate as the publisher’s record. Publisher records most often differ from the style guide in three places, so check them every time. First check the capital letters in the title. For IEEE or Vancouver, check the journal abbreviation. Last, check whether the page range or article number has come at all.
Can I cite a book or thesis without a DOI?
No, this tool needs a Crossref record, so a book or thesis without DOI cannot be looked up. For these, typing the details in Zotero or Mendeley by hand works. Else see how the examples are written in our citation styles guide. If the thesis is on Shodhganga, cite the Shodhganga handle URL.
How do I import the RIS file into Zotero or Mendeley?
Download RIS file first. Zotero has the option under the File menu, in Import, and there you pick the downloaded file. Mendeley Reference Manager also has it under File, then Import, where you choose RIS. The record comes in with all its fields. After that your reference manager can format it in whichever style you need. Still deciding between the two? Our Zotero vs Mendeley guide will help.
Which style should my thesis use?
Whatever style your university or department has prescribed, that one you follow. Many Indian universities leave the choice to the discipline. Social sciences and management mostly use APA, engineering uses IEEE and medicine uses Vancouver. Once you pick a style, keep the same one in every chapter till the end. You can see them side by side in the citation styles guide.
Is my search stored?
No. The DOI goes from your browser directly to Crossref. We record only that the tool was used. What you looked up is not kept anywhere.
Keep reading
Related guides and services
Citation styles compared: Harvard, Vancouver, Chicago, MLA
Which fields use which style, side-by-side examples, and how to switch styles safely.
Zotero vs Mendeley for your thesis
How the two compare for a long thesis, and the habits that prevent broken citations.
APA 7 formatting guide for theses
In-text citations, reference examples, headings, tables and figures — the APA 7 rules scholars get wrong.
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