There are many good generators online that will format your citations automatically. Most of these are free services. Free generators that provide formatted citations instantly include Bibme and Citation Machine.Find a generator, and click the box that says “APA.”


Some generators require you to supply your email address and they will send you the citations. It's best to avoid these, because they may sell your information to businesses that will clog your inbox with spam.
Many searchable library databases also provide citations in multiple styles, such as EBSCO. If you are using your university library’s databases, then you should have the option of getting an APA style citation for the source from the article’s page in the database.
Just remember to check any references that you get from an online generator for accuracy because they may have errors.
 Most online generators default to the automatic entry method, but you should check to make sure you're in the right one. If you want to use the manual method instead, check that option now. Whether you use auto-fill or manual-fill is your personal preference.The auto-fill method will supply a lot of information instantly, which you will then verify to make sure it's correct.
The manual entry method will give you a form to complete yourself, and you will enter the appropriate author names, dates, and other relevant information manually.
Make sure to select the type of work you are citing. The BibMe generator has five main boxes: Journal, Website, Book, Video, and Other. Click on the box that corresponds to the type of work you need to cite., Depending on the type of source you need to cite, you may have a title or a url. You can enter either the title or the url into the generator's text entry box.For a journal, enter the title of the journal.
For a website, enter the URL or a keyword. Generally, using the url for the source will get more accurate results.
For a book, enter the book title, author's name, or ISBN. You can find the ISBN on the book jacket, usually next to the price and the barcode. The ISBN will provide the most complete information.
For a video, enter the URL or a major keyword. The URL will yield more specific results.
If you choose “Other,” you will see a long list of alternative formats to choose from. Select the one that is appropriate (e.g., Magazine Article, Blog/Podcast, Painting/Artwork), and follow the prompts to enter the publication details manually.
 The generator will come up with a list of possible alternatives that match the work you need to cite.


If you supply specific information (such as a URL or ISBN), this will be a short list.
If you enter less specific information (such as a keyword), you will get a longer list. Your source may or may not be included, depending on whether the generator located it. If your source is not on the list, then try supplying more specific information, or using the manual-fill entry mode.
If you enter a common book title, then you will see a list of options. Check the author and date to be sure you're choosing the right one. For example, the book title Nemesis will return a list of 20 different books, each written by a different author.
 The generator will provide a form with all the possible details you might need to supply for that type of work. The relevant information should be filled out for you, although you may need to fill in a few blank boxes yourself.Your references should always include title, author, publication date, publication location, and publisher. If any of these are missing, then you'll need to refer to the work itself to find that information.
 When you select “Create Citation,” the generator will format the reference for you in proper APA style.Copy and paste the generated citation if you want to add it to your references manually.
Continue to enter more works if you want the generator to compile an alphabetized reference list of all your references.
 If you choose to create multiple citations, most online generators will compile the complete list for you, and you can copy and paste it (or download it) when you are finished. However, it is a good idea to cut and paste them into a temporary list as you go, to prevent accidentally losing your work., When you have compiled your references, read through them to make sure there are no mistakes. The OWL Purdue Online Writing Lab has a comprehensive APA style guide, which you can check against your list to make sure everything looks correct.Check for misspellings or glaring omissions, such as missing dates or author names.
Check to be sure you have included every source you wanted to include.
Choose an online generator.
Select auto-fill or manual-entry mode.
Enter the title or url.
Locate the correct work from the list provided.
Click on the appropriate book title.
Click on “Create Citation.” There should be a button at the bottom of the form prompting you to create the citation.
Save your citations as you go.
Check your work.
{"src": "wikihow-all_validation", "title": "How to Write an APA Style Bibliography2"}