Using citation generators to help with the research and writing process

ZoteroBib is a free bibliography maker, that will generate in-text citations or bibliographies into 10,000+ citation styles.  It is a simpler option for those that are interested in the features of a citation manager but don't want to download any software or create an account.  Citations and bibliographies that you generate will be temporary, and not stored long term or permanently. 

Because it is a standalone tool not tied to a particular database or search engine, you can use it with any resources gathered from any source (e.g. library items, websites, Google Scholar, research databases, even print items on your bookshelf!).

If you are looking for a more permanent solution, consider using the Zotero citation manager, and taking the Libaries' Introduction to Zotero workshop.

1. Simply copy/paste a URL, DOI, ISBN, PMID, arXiv ID, or title into the search box, and ZoteroBib will pull data from various online sources in order to generate a citation.  If it can't find what you're looking for, you can enter the information in manually.

2. Once you've done that, choose the citation style, and then copy/paste the in-text citation, footnote, or bibliography.  Bonus: It even allows for the editing of in-text citations for page numbers or suppression of the author's name.

3. Repeat the above steps if you want to generate a bibliography for multiple items, then you can copy/paste the entire thing.  It's that easy!  Bonus: You can also export your bibliography in a format that can be used by any other citation manager.