EssayClerkBibliography formatter
Format a bibliography or Works Cited list from BibTeX, RIS or manually entered sources. Review imports and export reference lists in your browser.
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Bring in your sources
Import BibTeX or RIS
Books, journal articles, and webpages. Maximum 200,000 characters. URLs and DOI strings alone are not imports.
Find a source by DOI or ISBN
When you choose Look up source, only this identifier is sent to EssayClerk and Crossref (DOI) or Open Library (ISBN). Your source form and bibliography stay in this browser. Entering a URL elsewhere does not fetch it.
Crossref does not cover every DOI registry. If no match is found or lookup is unavailable, use the manual form below.
Your sources (0/100)
Add a source to start your bibliography.
References
Add or import sources to create your bibliography.
Keep a copy on this device
Optional. One saved citation project per browser and site address. Save replaces the previous copy; edits are never saved automatically. Restore is always your choice.
Includes added sources, style, and lookup provenance. Unadded forms, pasted imports, and citation locators are not saved.
Anyone using this browser profile can access the saved copy. Browser data may be cleared or unavailable. Device saving is not a backup or cloud sync; download your work separately.
Add sources and save or clear source-form edits before saving a project snapshot. Pasted import previews are not included.
Format records, then review
Enter books, journal articles, or webpages manually, or preview supported BibTeX/RIS records before adding them. APA, MLA, Chicago author-date and Harvard sort references using the style. IEEE and Vancouver number references in source-list order; use Move up/down to arrange the order of first citation. Unknown author/date fields stay unknown. Formatting is not a check that a source exists or that all metadata is correct.
Imports preserve parsed CSL metadata, including additional roles such as editors; the form edits the common fields shown. Unsupported source types and incomplete imports are rejected without adding partial records. Possible duplicates require an explicit keep-separate decision; automatic merging and arbitrary prose repair are not implemented.
Keep your sources
The citation generator and bibliography formatter share this browser session’s sources when navigating between them. Refreshing or closing clears the current project. A device copy is saved and restored only through the controls above; later edits need another save. Export BibTeX/RIS to keep source records; a plain-text bibliography is formatted output rather than an editable source project.
Check this citation project for missing details, identifiers, dates, and possible duplicates.
Formatting uses Citation.js and citeproc-js. citeproc-js © 2009–2019 Frank Bennett. Licenses and covered source. Styles/locales from Citation Style Language are licensed CC BY-SA 3.0; author notices are retained. Review APA guidance or MLA guidance for your source.
Format a bibliography, reference list or Works Cited list
A source record stores separate fields such as author, title and publication year. A formatted bibliography combines those fields according to a style. Importing supported BibTeX or RIS records lets you change the style without retyping every reference.
Preview the import before adding it. Check that each record has the correct source type and that titles, dates and names have landed in the expected fields. Possible duplicates can refer to the same work or to distinct editions, so review them rather than removing them solely because their titles match.
After formatting, inspect the complete bibliography. Plain-text copies omit italics and hanging indents; apply document formatting in your editor. Export BibTeX or RIS separately when you need reusable source records, because a text bibliography is not an editable project backup.
Common questions
How do I turn BibTeX or RIS into a bibliography?
Paste supported records into the import field, preview the parsed source details and review any warnings before adding them. Choose the required citation style, then copy or download the formatted bibliography. Import parsing and formatting run in your browser.
Is a bibliography the same as a Works Cited list?
The required name and scope depend on the citation style and assignment. MLA commonly uses Works Cited; APA uses a reference list. Use the entries you actually need and check whether your instructor also expects background works that were not cited in the essay.
Can I paste a reference list from a Word document?
Arbitrary formatted prose is not a supported import. Paste supported BibTeX or RIS records, or add the source details manually. A DOI or URL alone is not a bibliography import.
Will it merge duplicate references?
No. Possible duplicates are flagged for an explicit keep-separate decision. Compare the edition, identifiers and other details before deciding which records belong in the project.
Can I format sources gathered in the citation generator?
Yes. Added sources share browser-session state across the citation workspace pages. Unadded form details and import previews are separate; add them before exporting or leaving.