The bibliography formatter builds properly formatted reference lists in APA 7th, MLA 9th, or Chicago 17th edition. Add your sources, switch styles instantly, and copy the formatted bibliography for your paper.
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Bibliography (APA 7th)
How to Format Your Bibliography
The bibliography formatter handles the complex formatting rules for APA, MLA, and Chicago citations automatically. Understanding how each style works helps you select the right one and check your output for accuracy.
APA 7th Edition (References)
APA uses an author-date format and calls the reference list "References." Author names appear as Last, F.M. The year follows in parentheses. Book titles use sentence case with italics. For journals: Author, A. A. (Year). Article title. Journal Name, volume(issue), page–page. https://doi.org/xxxxx. APA is standard in psychology, social sciences, education, and nursing.
MLA 9th Edition (Works Cited)
MLA calls the reference list "Works Cited." It emphasizes the "container" concept — where the source lives. Author names appear First Last. Titles of major works are in italics; articles and chapters in quotation marks. For journals: Author Last, First. "Article Title." Journal Name, vol. X, no. Y, Year, pp. XX–YY. MLA is standard in literature, language, film, and humanities.
Chicago 17th Edition (Bibliography)
Chicago notes-bibliography style uses full footnotes with a bibliography page at the end. Author names appear First Last in the bibliography. Book titles and journals are italicized. For books: Author First Last. Title of Book. Place: Publisher, Year. Chicago is standard in history and some humanities fields.
Pro Tip: Switch Styles Instantly
One of the most useful features is switching citation styles without re-entering your sources. If you have your bibliography formatted in APA but your professor wants MLA, simply select MLA and click Format Bibliography — all sources reformat automatically in the new style.
FAQ
What citation styles does this bibliography formatter support?
The formatter supports APA 7th Edition, MLA 9th Edition, and Chicago 17th Edition (notes-bibliography style). These three styles cover the vast majority of academic citations required in undergraduate and graduate programs.
What is the difference between APA, MLA, and Chicago citation styles?
APA (American Psychological Association) is author-date format, common in social sciences and psychology. MLA (Modern Language Association) emphasizes the container and is common in humanities. Chicago style is used in history and some humanities — it uses footnotes/endnotes and a bibliography. All three format the same information differently.
Can I add multiple authors to a single source?
Yes. Each source has an Add Author button to add as many co-authors as needed. The formatter handles up to 20 authors and correctly applies style-specific rules for listing many authors (e.g., APA uses 'et al.' for more than 20 authors).
Is my bibliography data saved?
Your sources are stored in memory while the page is open. If you refresh or close the page, you'll need to re-enter them. For persistence across sessions, use the Copy button and paste your formatted bibliography into a document.
How is the bibliography sorted?
Entries are sorted alphabetically by the first author's last name, which is the standard for all three citation styles. Anonymous sources or sources without an author sort alphabetically by title.
Is this bibliography formatter free?
Yes, completely free with no account required. All formatting happens locally in your browser.
What source types can I cite?
You can cite Books, Journal Articles, Websites, Newspaper Articles, and Conference Papers. These cover the most common source types in academic writing. Each type shows the relevant fields for that source.