Verified metadata from Crossref & OpenLibrary — we never fabricate sources.
Not sure what to paste? See how to cite a website, book, or journal article.
Example · OSCOLA (4th edn)
Jiaqiang Tian, Yujie Wang, and Zonghai Chen, 'An improved single particle model for lithium-ion batteries based on main stress factor compensation' (2021) 278 Journal of Cleaner Production 123456.
In-text: OSCOLA cites in footnotes, not inline — insert the reference below as a footnote.
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How OSCOLA citations work
OSCOLA, the Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities, is the standard for law in the UK and is used in other common-law countries too. The current version is the 4th edition.
- Citations go in footnotes, not in brackets in the text. The footnote marker comes after the punctuation at the end of the sentence or clause.
- Punctuation is minimal: no full stops in abbreviations (eg, ie, edn).
- Authors are written first name first in footnotes and surname first in the bibliography.
- Cases and legislation are listed separately from books and articles, in a table of cases and a table of legislation.
Instant DOI to Citation
Don't waste time typing. Just paste the DOI, ISBN, or URL, and our system will fetch the exact metadata to build a flawless reference.
In-Text Citation Generator
Every reference you create comes with a perfectly formatted in-text citation, ready to be copied and pasted directly into your academic paper.
Batch Citation Style Converter
Have a messy list of sources? Paste your entire bibliography and let our AI automatically correct punctuation, italicize journal names, and format your references in seconds. Every entry is checked against Crossref, and anything we can't confirm is clearly flagged, not silently guessed.
Frequently asked questions
Still stuck? See how to cite a website, a book, or a journal article, or write to support@makecitation.org.
Does OSCOLA need a bibliography?
For longer work such as a dissertation, yes: a table of cases, a table of legislation, and a bibliography of secondary sources. Short essays often need footnotes only; check your module guide.
How do I cite the same source again in OSCOLA?
Use a short form in later footnotes, usually the author's surname or a short case name, with a cross-reference to the footnote that has the full citation, such as Tian (n 3). Use “ibid” only for the immediately preceding footnote.
Can I generate a citation directly from a DOI or ISBN?
Yes. Paste a DOI or ISBN and MakeCitation fetches the metadata automatically from Crossref and OpenLibrary, so you don't have to type out authors, titles, or publication details by hand.
Does this tool make up sources like some AI chatbots do?
No. For single-source lookups, every detail comes from verified academic databases, never from the AI's memory. The AI only handles formatting — it never invents authors, dates, or DOIs.
Can I convert a whole reference list to a different citation style?
Yes. Paste your existing list into the batch tool, choose a new style, and MakeCitation normalizes every entry — punctuation, italics, and order — to match it.
Can I remove duplicate references and sort my bibliography alphabetically?
Yes. Batch formatting can remove duplicate entries and sort your list alphabetically by author with one click, for the styles where alphabetical order applies.
Can I export my citations to Word with correct formatting?
Premium accounts can download a .docx file with hanging indents and italics already applied, ready to drop into your paper.
Is there a citation generator for legal (OSCOLA) or medical (Vancouver, CSE) sources?
Yes. Alongside APA, MLA, Chicago, and IEEE, MakeCitation supports Harvard, Vancouver, OSCOLA, ASA, Turabian, and CSE — covering law, medicine, and the social sciences.
What happens if a source's metadata is missing or incomplete?
MakeCitation only fills in details it can verify from Crossref or OpenLibrary. If a field like the publication date is missing from the source itself, we won't guess — you'll be prompted to add it manually, so your citation stays accurate.