Have a long research paper that’s due at the end of the semester? Want to find an easier and less time-consuming way to manage all your sources and cite them? Consider using the Citation tools in Google Docs and Microsoft Word. The Citation tools are a great way to add all your sources and turn them into in-text citations and bibliographies for MLA, APA or Chicago style formats.

Google Docs

Add a Source

1. When working on your paper in Google Docs, click Tools, then Citations.
2. In the Citations sidebar window that appears on the right, select the style format you would like the citation to appear in (for example, APA) by selecting from the drop-down box.
3. Click + Add citation source.
4. Select the Source type and method it was Accessed by from the appropriate drop-down boxes.
5. Fill in the appropriate details for the source, such as Author, Title, Publisher, etc., then click Add citation source at the bottom of the sidebar window.
6. Note: If your source was written by a corporation or organization instead of an individual, click the checkmark for Corporation/organization.
7. If your source was written by additional contributors, click + Contributor to add a contributor’s name.

Your source has now been added to the Citation Tool and can be used for in-text citations and a bibliography.

Creating In-Text Citations

After adding a source, you can create an in-text citation for it.

1. Click in your document where you would like to have the citation appear.
2. Hover over the source in the Citations sidebar window, then click Cite.

Creating a Bibliography

Once you have all your sources for your paper entered in the Citations tool, you can create a bibliography page to reference them all:

1. Click in your document where you would like the bibliography to appear.
2. At the bottom of the Citations sidebar window, click Insert bibliography.

Microsoft Word

If you would like to use the citation tool feature in Microsoft Word, you can refer to these instructions on how to add citations in a Word document using the Word desktop application.

Note that if you’re using a Mac, the instructions will be slightly different based on some variations in the appearance of the ribbon in the Mac version of Word.

Bonus Tip

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