Source details
Reference
A helper for anyone stuck on how to write a reference for an essay, thesis or report. Pick the source type (book / journal article / website), fill in the author, year, title, journal or site name, volume, issue, pages, publisher, URL and access date, and it builds a formatted reference in APA (7th), MLA (9th) or SIST 02 on the spot. Enter authors one per line: write an English name as "Last, First" and APA turns it into initials (e.g. Smith, J.), MLA puts the first author as "Last, First" and later authors in natural order (or "et al." for three or more), while SIST 02 keeps the names as typed. Japanese names can be entered in full on a single line. Switching the source type shows only the fields that matter for that style — edition and publisher for a book; volume, issue, pages and DOI for a journal article; URL and access date for a website — and the reference updates live as you type. Copy the finished entry with one click and paste it straight into your bibliography. Because your notes may concern unpublished research, this tool does all of its formatting entirely inside your browser, with nothing uploaded, stored or sent to a server. Note that each style has finer rules (italics, DOI formatting, how to abbreviate many authors), so it's best to double-check the final list against your institution's or publisher's guidelines.
How to use
- In the toolbar, choose the source type (book / journal article / website) and the style you need (APA / MLA / SIST 02).
- Fill in the fields shown — authors (one per line, English names as "Last, First"), year, title and so on (use "Sample" to try it).
- The formatted reference appears instantly on the right. Click "Copy" and paste it into your bibliography. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
FAQ
Is the reference information I enter uploaded anywhere?
No. Formatting runs entirely in your browser with JavaScript. Author names, titles, URLs and everything else you type are never uploaded, stored, or sent to a server — so it's safe even for unpublished research notes.
What is SIST 02, and is it supported?
SIST 02 is the Japanese standard for reference descriptions (Standards for Information of Science and Technology), commonly required for essays and theses at Japanese universities. Choosing "SIST 02" formats books, journal articles and websites into its basic patterns (author. title. journal. year, volume, issue, pages., and so on).
How should I enter the authors?
Type one author per line. For English names, write "Last, First" (e.g. Smith, John): APA renders initials (Smith, J.), MLA keeps the first author as "Last, First" and puts later authors in natural order — using "et al." for three or more. Enter Japanese names in full on a single line; SIST 02 keeps them as typed.
Do books, journal articles and websites need different fields?
Yes. Switching the source type shows only the relevant fields: edition and publisher for a book; journal name, volume, issue, pages and DOI for an article; site name, URL and access date for a website. Blank fields are simply left out of the output, so a partial entry still produces a clean line.
Can I use this output directly in my submission?
Use it as a way to draft references quickly. Each style has fine-grained rules — italics, DOI formatting, how to abbreviate long author lists — and practices vary by institution and publisher. Always check your final bibliography against the required style guide or a provided example.
Can I format several references at once?
Right now it formats one reference at a time. Format an entry, copy it into your bibliography, and repeat. The output is generated in your browser, and no matter how many entries you process, nothing is sent externally.