Mastering the Citation Generator: Complete Tutorial

Mastering citation generation

Introduction to Citation Generator

StealthWrite's Citation Generator helps you create properly formatted citations for any source type in multiple citation styles. Whether you are writing a research paper, thesis, or professional document, this tool ensures your references are accurate and consistent.

Mastering citation generation

Getting Started

Accessing the Tool

Log in to your StealthWrite account

Navigate to "Writing Tools" from the dashboard

Select "Citation Generator"

Understanding the Interface

The Citation Generator has three main sections:

Source Input: Where you enter source information

Style Selection: Choose your citation format

Output: Your formatted citations and bibliography

Mastering citation generation

Choosing Your Citation Style

Available Styles

APA 7th Edition: Social sciences, education, psychology

MLA 9th Edition: Humanities, literature, arts

Chicago 17th Edition: History, some humanities

Harvard: Business, sciences (UK/Australia)

IEEE: Engineering, computer science

Vancouver: Medical and scientific papers

Selecting Your Style

Check your assignment requirements or publication guidelines

Click the style dropdown menu

Select your required style

The tool will format all citations accordingly

Mastering citation generation

Creating Citations by Source Type

Books

Select "Book" as source type

Enter the required information:

Author name(s)

Book title

Publication year

Publisher

Edition (if not first)

Click "Generate Citation"

Journal Articles

Select "Journal Article" as source type

Enter:

Author name(s)

Article title

Journal name

Volume and issue numbers

Page range

DOI (if available)

Generate your citation

Websites

Select "Website" as source type

Enter:

Author (or organization)

Page/article title

Website name

URL

Access date

Publication date (if available)

Generate your citation

Other Source Types

The generator also supports:

Conference papers

Dissertations and theses

Reports and white papers

Videos and podcasts

Social media posts

Legal documents

Mastering citation generation

Using Auto-Fill Features

URL Auto-Detection

Paste the URL of your source

Click "Auto-Fill"

The tool extracts available metadata

Review and correct any information

Generate your citation

DOI Lookup

Enter the DOI of a journal article

Click "Lookup"

Article information is automatically retrieved

Verify and generate

ISBN Search

Enter the book's ISBN

Click "Search"

Book details are populated

Review and generate

Mastering citation generation

Managing Your Bibliography

Creating Citation Lists

Click "New List" to create a bibliography

Name your list (e.g., "Research Paper Sources")

Add citations to your list as you create them

Organize by project or assignment

Editing and Organizing

Click any citation to edit details

Drag and drop to reorder

Delete unwanted citations

Duplicate citations for modification

Exporting Your Bibliography

Select the list to export

Choose export format (Word, PDF, plain text)

Click "Export"

Copy directly or download the file

Mastering citation generation

Creating In-Text Citations

Generate In-Text Citations

After creating a full citation, click "In-Text"

Choose citation type:

Parenthetical: (Smith, 2023)

Narrative: Smith (2023)

Add page numbers if needed

Copy to your document

Mastering citation generation

Tips for Accurate Citations

Double-Check Auto-Generated Data

Verify author names and spellings

Confirm publication dates

Check page numbers and DOIs

Ensure titles are complete

Handle Special Cases

Multiple authors: Enter all names in order

No author: Leave blank; title will be used

Corporate author: Enter organization name

Translated works: Include translator information

Mastering citation generation

Troubleshooting Common Issues

"Missing Information" Warnings

Solution: Some fields are required for complete citations. Fill in missing data or mark as unavailable if truly absent.

Formatting Looks Wrong

Solution: Verify you have selected the correct citation style. Different styles have different formatting rules.

Auto-Fill Not Working

Solution: Some websites block metadata extraction. Enter information manually or try a different source URL.

Mastering citation generation

Conclusion

StealthWrite's Citation Generator saves time and reduces errors in creating bibliographies. By following this tutorial and always verifying generated citations, you can ensure your academic and professional writing meets citation requirements accurately and efficiently.

Mastering citation generation

Complete Your Writing Toolkit

The Citation Generator works perfectly with other StealthWrite tools:

Grammar Checker - Polish your cited content

Paraphraser - Properly restate source material

Summarizer - Condense references for review

AI Detector - Verify your work's originality

Start generating citations now!