AI Citation Assistance

    Master citation formatting with AI—learn to format, verify, and convert citations across all major academic styles.

    Try Our Tools
    Free

    Put these guides into practice with our powerful academic tools

    Citation Generator

    Featured

    Format citations correctly

    Try Now

    Bibliography Builder

    Build reference lists

    Try Now
    Published: January 13, 2026

    Overview

    Citation formatting is detail-oriented work where AI can save significant time. Use AI to format citations, build bibliographies, and convert between styles—but always verify the output, as citation rules have many nuances AI may miss.

    What You'll Learn

    • • How to format citations correctly with AI help
    • • Techniques for building comprehensive bibliographies
    • • Methods for converting between citation styles
    • • Strategies for verifying citation accuracy

    Citation Techniques

    Each technique shows how providing complete source information leads to accurate, properly formatted citations.

    Citation Formatting

    Get help formatting citations in any style

    Okay

    "How do I cite this book?"

    Good

    "Format this book citation in APA 7th edition: Title: Thinking Fast and Slow, Author: Daniel Kahneman, Year: 2011"

    Great

    "I need to cite this book in APA 7th edition for my psychology research paper. Please provide: (1) the in-text citation format for a direct quote, (2) the in-text citation for a paraphrase, and (3) the full reference list entry. Book details: 'Thinking, Fast and Slow' by Daniel Kahneman, published 2011 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York."

    Bibliography Generation

    Compile properly formatted reference lists

    Okay

    "Create a bibliography for me"

    Good

    "Help me create an MLA bibliography for these 5 sources about climate change"

    Great

    "I have these 5 sources for my Environmental Science essay in MLA 9th edition. Please: (1) format each as a Works Cited entry, (2) put them in alphabetical order, (3) note any information I'm missing that I need to find, and (4) show me the correct hanging indent format. Sources: [list your sources with all available details]"

    Format Conversion

    Convert citations between different styles

    Okay

    "Change this to Chicago style"

    Good

    "Convert these APA citations to Chicago style"

    Great

    "I'm converting my paper from APA 7th edition to Chicago 17th edition (notes-bibliography style). For each of these 3 citations, provide: (1) the footnote format for first reference, (2) the shortened footnote format for subsequent references, and (3) the bibliography entry. Also explain the key differences I should watch for. Citations: [paste your APA citations]"

    Citation Verification

    Check citations for common errors and inconsistencies

    Okay

    "Is this citation correct?"

    Good

    "Check if this APA citation is formatted correctly"

    Great

    "Review this reference list entry for APA 7th edition compliance. Check for: (1) author name format, (2) date placement, (3) title capitalization (sentence case for articles, title case for journals), (4) italicization, (5) DOI format, and (6) punctuation. Explain any errors you find and provide the corrected version: [paste citation]"

    Citation Style Quick Reference

    Best Practices

    Do

    • Provide all available source information in your prompt
    • Specify the exact style and edition (e.g., APA 7th)
    • Verify AI citations against official style guides
    • Use dedicated citation tools for final formatting
    • Double-check unusual source types (podcasts, datasets, etc.)

    Don't

    • Trust AI citations without verification
    • Assume AI knows the latest style updates
    • Use AI to cite sources you haven't actually read
    • Mix different citation styles in one paper
    • Forget to check DOI links are working

    Continue Your AI Learning

    Citation Generator Tool →

    Format citations instantly

    APA Citation Guide →

    Complete APA formatting

    MLA Citation Guide →

    Complete MLA formatting