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MLA Citation Generator

Autocite (DOI / ISBN / Title / URL) • AI Review (quality checks) • Manual • Export • CSL MLA 9

Generate accurate MLA 9 citations with a CSL formatter plus an AI Review that flags implausible or missing critical fields. Paste a DOI, ISBN, URL, title, or descriptive prompt; the system fetches and structures metadata (Crossref / OpenLibrary) while you stay in control. Use AI Review to get concise warnings & suggestions (no chat noise). Prevent duplicates, reorder, and export (TXT, HTML, RIS, BibTeX, CSL‑JSON). Local‑first with optional safe URL scraping.

MLA 9
Paste anything or describe what you're looking for - we'll figure it out!
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Search Method:
Smart detection: DOI → ISBN → URL → Title → AI → Heuristic
Works Cited

MLA Citation Generator – Overview

Welcome! This MLA citation generator helps you quickly build clean, reliable MLA 9 citations for a wide variety of source types—books, journal articles, web pages, films, reports, and more. Paste something messy, enter details manually, or let the tool look up metadata for you.

Everything is transparent: you can always see how a citation was detected (DOI, ISBN, URL metadata, title search, AI parse, or a heuristic guess) along with a confidence indicator. No hidden transformations—just clear, reviewable building blocks you remain in control of.

Quick Start

  1. Paste Anything – Drop in a DOI, ISBN, URL, existing citation, or even a natural‑language description and press ‘Detect & Add’.
  2. Refine – If something looks off, hit Edit and adjust fields manually with the live preview.
  3. Reorder – Drag the grip or use arrow buttons to arrange items exactly how you want them.
  4. Export – Copy or download Plain Text, HTML, CSL‑JSON, RIS, or BibTeX for downstream tools or documents.
  5. Review Badges – Hover any badge to understand origin, enrichment, and confidence context.

Input Modes & Detection Features

Smart Paste (Auto Mode)

The Smart pipeline tries DOI → ISBN → URL → Title search → AI parse → Heuristic, in that order. It aims to extract the most authoritative metadata first before falling back to looser strategies.

AI Reference Mode

Great for vague prompts (e.g., ‘recent article on microplastics in drinking water’). The AI parser extracts structured citation fields and may enrich them when a DOI is recognized.

Directed Modes

  • DOI: Forces Crossref lookup (best for academic articles).
  • ISBN: Pulls book metadata (Open Library or similar source).
  • URL: Attempts to scrape basic page metadata.
  • Title Search: Queries scholarly databases; multiple matches let you select the correct one.

Manual Mode

Gives you precise control. Minimal ‘required’ tags keep noise low; the live preview helps you spot formatting issues instantly.

AI Review (Field Quality Check)

Click AI Review on any citation (or while editing) to receive a concise assessment: warnings for implausible or contradictory values (e.g. future year, mismatched volume/issue/pages) and suggestions for improvements. It never invents data or nags about optional blanks—only actionable guidance.

Editing, Reordering & Duplicates

Use Edit to revise a citation (the form switches to manual mode temporarily). Saving returns you to your prior input mode. Duplicate detection (DOI → ISBN → title+year) prevents accidental clutter while preserving your existing ordering.

Badges & Metadata Transparency

  • Type: Normalized source type (e.g., Journal Article, Book, Website).
  • Detection: How the citation was acquired: DOI, ISBN, URL, Title Search, AI, or Heuristic.
  • Confidence %: A rough signal of metadata completeness (authors, DOI presence, enrichment, container context).
  • +Crossref: Indicates enrichment from authoritative bibliographic data.
  • Cached: Returned from local cache for speed and rate‑limit friendliness.
  • Orig YYYY: Shows original publication year when an edition year differs.

Want a cleaner look? Hide detection + confidence labels with the toggle in the Works Cited header (saved locally).

Export & Citation Output Formats

  • Copy All: Plain text in MLA hanging‑indent semantics (line breaks preserved).
  • Plain Text: Download a .txt file for simple editors.
  • HTML: Self‑contained Works Cited page with semantic markup.
  • CSL‑JSON: Structured JSON for interoperability with other citation managers.
  • RIS: Import into legacy reference managers.
  • BibTeX: LaTeX workflow support (basic mapping).

Import

Bring in citations you've created elsewhere. The Import button is always available above the list, even when it's empty.

  • Supported file types: CSL‑JSON (.json), RIS (.ris), and BibTeX (.bib). The file picker is restricted to these extensions.
  • Duplicates are prevented on import using DOI → ISBN → title+year matching. Existing entries are kept; new unique items are added to the top.
  • Imported entries are saved locally (browser storage) along with the rest of your list.
  • Notes & limits: Plain text or HTML files aren’t supported. RIS variants can differ; if a file fails, try exporting from your source again or import as CSL‑JSON.

Accessibility & Usability

Clear labels, keyboard‑friendly focus order, and improved contrast aim to make the workflow usable and fast. Long candidate lists highlight on hover/focus so you can scan confidently.

Keyboard Tips

  • Reorder: Use the drag handle (mouse) or the move up / move down arrow buttons.
  • Form Navigation: Standard Tab / Shift+Tab moves through inputs; radio group for search type obeys arrow keys by browser default.

MLA Style Essentials (Concise Guide)

Core Principles

MLA 9 favors consistency, clarity, and traceability. Alphabetize by the first significant element (usually the author). Use a hanging indent. Keep URLs intact unless an instructor specifies otherwise. Access dates are optional but helpful for unstable or frequently updated pages.

General Works Cited Structure

Author. “Title of Source.” Title of Container, Other Contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication Date, Location.

The container is the larger whole (journal, website, anthology) that hosts the smaller work.

Authors

  • Single author: Last, First.
  • Two authors: First Author Last and Second Author Last.
  • Three+ authors: First Author Last et al.
  • Corporate author: Organization Name.

Titles

  • Articles/chapters/pages: in quotation marks.
  • Books/journals/websites: italicized.

Containers & Nested Containers

A journal article inside a database can have two containers. This tool focuses on the primary container. Add a database manually if needed.

Publication Dates

MLA prefers day Month Year (e.g., 12 Mar. 2024). Missing day/month values default to year‑only display.

Numbers (Volume, Issue, Pages)

Include volume, issue, and page range where relevant. Use an en dash for spans (123–145). Omit ‘pp.’ in the final Works Cited entry (MLA omits it for most standard periodicals).

DOIs & URLs

Prefer a DOI when available and render it as a full URL (https://doi.org/...). Use a stable URL if no DOI exists.

Access Dates

Optional; useful for undated or dynamic content. Format: YYYY-MM-DD.

Common Source Patterns

  • Journal Article: Author. “Title.” Journal Name, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. #-#. DOI.
  • Book: Author. Title. Publisher, Year.
  • Chapter: Author. “Chapter Title.” Book Title, Publisher, Year, pp. #-#.
  • Web Page: Author (if any). “Page Title.” Site Name, Day Mon. Year, URL. Accessed Day Mon. Year.
  • Conference Paper: Author. “Paper Title.” Conference Proceedings Title, Year, pp. #-#.
  • Film/Video: Title. Production Company, Year. URL (if streamed).

Edge Considerations

AI‑parsed entries occasionally need capitalization fixes. Verify corporate authors, translation nuances, and original vs. edition years. The ‘Orig YYYY’ badge helps you keep provenance straight.

Detailed MLA Citation Patterns by Source Type

Below you’ll find focused mini‑guides for common source categories. Each includes a plain‑language description, the general MLA pattern, pitfalls, and a concrete example you can model.

Book

Standalone published work—print or digital—with its own title and publisher.

Author. Title. Publisher, Year.

Pitfalls: Omit place of publication unless specifically requested; do not include 'Print' or medium labels in MLA 9.

Example: Nguyen, Clara. Designing Regenerative Materials. Harbor & Finch, 2023.

Journal Article

Scholarly article within an academic or peer‑reviewed periodical.

Author. “Article Title.” Journal Name, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. #-#. DOI.

Pitfalls: Do not prefix volume/issue with 'Vol.'/'No.' inside MLA entries; use lowercase abbreviations if needed (vol., no.). Ensure page range uses an en dash.

Example: Alvarez, Renée M. “Adaptive Thermal Storage in Urban Grids.” Energy Systems Review, vol. 18, no. 1, 2024, pp. 22–41. https://doi.org/10.5678/esr.2024.214.

Chapter (in an Edited Book)

A distinct chapter or essay that appears within a larger edited collection or anthology.

Author. “Chapter Title.” Book Title, edited by Editor Name(s), Publisher, Year, pp. #-#.

Pitfalls: Include editors if clearly credited; retain capitalization style of proper nouns.

Example: Silva, Mateo. “Distributed Aquifer Monitoring.” Innovations in Water Science, edited by Priya Chandra, Meridian Academic, 2022, pp. 145–169.

Web Page

A single page or article on a website (non‑periodical or general informational).

Author (if any). “Page Title.” Site Name, Day Mon. Year, URL. Accessed Day Mon. Year.

Pitfalls: Avoid duplicating site name as publisher unless truly distinct; include access date if content is time‑sensitive.

Example: Rahman, Lila. “Mapping Alpine Pollinator Declines.” EcoSignal, 5 Feb. 2024, https://ecosignal.example/pollinators. Accessed 9 Feb. 2024.

Newspaper Article

A news item published in a daily or weekly newspaper (print or online).

Author. “Article Title.” Newspaper Name, Day Mon. Year, pp. #-# (if print) or URL.

Pitfalls: Often lacks page numbers online—omit pages gracefully; keep publication day.

Example: Dorsey, Malik. “Coastal Towns Trial Floating Barriers.” The Pacific Herald, 18 Jan. 2025, https://pacificherald.example/floating-barriers.

Magazine Article

Feature or general‑interest article in a magazine.

Author. “Article Title.” Magazine Name, Day Mon. Year, pp. #-# (if print) or URL.

Pitfalls: Date granularity matters—include month and day where available; prefer stable URL if multiple trackers are appended.

Example: Ibrahim, Sada. “The Return of Tactile Interfaces.” Interface Monthly, 7 Aug. 2024, pp. 34–39.

Conference Paper

A paper published in conference proceedings (archived or formally published).

Author. “Paper Title.” Conference Proceedings Title, Year, pp. #-#. DOI (if any).

Pitfalls: If editors exist for proceedings, you may insert them after the title; include DOI when present.

Example: Zhou, Lian. “Latency‑Aware Edge Orchestration.” Proceedings of the 2024 Distributed Systems Conference, 2024, pp. 88–102.

Thesis / Dissertation

Graduate research work submitted toward an academic degree.

Author. Title. Institution, Year.

Pitfalls: Indicate if unpublished only when required; avoid redundant terms like ‘PhD thesis’ if context is clear.

Example: Garcia, Helena. Thermal Sensing Microfluidics for Rapid Pathogen Profiling. University of Cascadia, 2023.

Report / White Paper

Institutional or corporate research/report document.

Author or Organization. Title. Publisher (if different), Year, URL (if online).

Pitfalls: If the organization and publisher are the same, list it only once; include stable report identifiers if available.

Example: RenewGrid Alliance. Distributed Storage Benchmark 2024. RenewGrid Alliance, 2024, https://renewgrid.example/bench24.pdf.

Film / Video

A motion picture, documentary, or streaming video.

Title. Production Company, Year. Platform/URL (if streamed).

Pitfalls: Directors or performers can be foregrounded if analytically central (e.g., Directed by…).

Example: Resonance Fields. Aurora Media, 2022, StreamSphere, https://streamsphere.example/resonance-fields.

Software / App

Standalone software application or codebase release.

Developer/Org. Title (Version if relevant). Year, URL.

Pitfalls: Include version only when it materially identifies the cited artifact; avoid unstable nightly build URLs.

Example: GraphFlux Labs. GraphFlux Toolkit (v2.1). 2025, https://graphflux.example/.

Encyclopedia Entry

An entry in a reference encyclopedia (online or print).

Author (if any). “Entry Title.” Encyclopedia Name, Publisher, Year, URL (if online).

Pitfalls: Some platforms auto‑generate dates—verify actual revision or publication year.

Example: “Heliospheric Current Sheet.” Stellar Mechanics Encyclopedia, OrbitLine Press, 2024.

Dictionary Entry

A definitional entry in a dictionary resource.

“Entry.” Dictionary Name, Publisher, Year, URL (if online).

Pitfalls: If no publication year is visible, use access date and omit year; do not invent one.

Example: “Phase Shift.” LexiCore Technical Dictionary, LexiCore Publishing, 2023.

Review (Article or Book Review)

A critical review of a book, film, or other media item.

Reviewer. “Review Title” (if any). Review of Title, by Creator, Journal/Magazine, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. #-#. DOI/URL.

Pitfalls: Identify clearly what is being reviewed; if untitled, leave the review title out.

Example: Patel, Asha. “Reframing Planetary Duty.” Review of Stewardship Beyond Earth, by Omar Valdez, Journal of Ecocritical Inquiry, vol. 9, no. 2, 2024, pp. 201–204.

Troubleshooting & Common Questions

Nothing detected when pasting?

Try another search method: AI for descriptive text, DOI mode for embedded digital object identifiers, Title mode for known article names.

Confidence seems low

Low confidence usually means some core fields are missing. Run AI Review to see targeted suggestions, then add authors, container, or publisher details to strengthen it—formatting still works regardless.

Why was a type normalized?

If an AI result was vague (like ‘object’), heuristics picked a closest fit (journal vs. book) using container and DOI clues. Use AI Review if you want a second pass sanity check.

How do I handle multiple containers?

Add the primary container. If needed, append database or platform info manually in the publisher field or parentheses.

Can I remove all badges?

Hide detection + confidence badges with the toggle. Core context (type, enrichment, original year, cache) stays visible. AI Review remains available for on-demand feedback.

Privacy & Data Handling

All citation data lives locally in your browser (localStorage). External lookups (DOI, ISBN, AI, URL metadata) only run when you request them. Clear your storage to wipe everything instantly.

FAQ

Do I still need to proofread citations?

Yes—automation accelerates formatting, but a quick human proof catches capitalization quirks, special editions, and instructor preferences.

Is MLA 8 still supported?

The core structure aligns with MLA 9; most MLA 8 entries appear similar.

Can I export to Word or Google Docs?

Export as Plain Text or HTML, then paste into your document. Apply or confirm the hanging indent if your editor doesn’t preserve it.

Why keep full URLs?

Full URLs boost transparency and long‑term retrievability. Trim protocols or parameters only if required by a style guideline or instructor.