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APA Help

Library Database Citation Generators

Did you know? Most of the Lynn Library's databases have built-in citation generators. The tabs above will show you:

  • Which database companies provide automatically generated citations, and where to find them
  • Common errors to look out for in a generated citation (capitalization, misplaced elements, incorrect formatting)

Databases that do NOT provide automatically generated citations:

  • Sustainable Development Goals Online
  • Demographics Now
  • ERIC (Education Resources Information Center)
  • Films on Demand (no APA format generator)
  • Flipster (magazines)
  • Medici TV Classical Music
  • Naxos Music Library
  • Many business databases

Databases are continually updating and improving their tools, so this list will be subject to change.

Click to view all EBSCO databases.

Where is the "Cite" button?

  1. Click on the title of the article. Look for the "Cite" icon in the "Tools" menu on the right.
  2. You will be given several options, so make sure you select APA 7th Edition!

Help! I don't see it! Look for the icon. 

Ebsco cite tool icon

Look out for errors!

EBSCO-generated reference citation: 

Hicks, A., Nicholson, K. P., & Seale, M. (2022). Make Me Think! Exploring Library User Experience through the Lens of (Critical) Information Literacy. Library Quarterly 92(2), 109–128. https://doi.org/10.1086/718597

Corrected reference citation:

Hicks, A., Nicholson, K. P., & Seale, M. (2022). Make me think! Exploring library user experience through the lens of (critical) information literacy. Library Quarterly 92(2), 109–128. http://lynn-lang.student.lynn.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asn&AN=156109133&site=ehost-live&scope=site

What changed?

  • The article title was changed from title case to sentence case.
  • You may choose to use a permalink instead of the DOI. APA accepts either, but your professor may have a preference.

Click to view all Gale Databases.

Where is the "Cite" button?

  1. Click on the title of the article. Look for the "Cite" icon in the upper right of the article.
  2. You will be given several options, so make sure you select APA 7th Edition!

Gale cite tool icon

Look out for errors!

Gale-generated reference citation:

Hu, J., & Yu, W. (2023). What Are ESL Students' Academic Integrity Challenges and How Can Universities Help? International Journal of TESOL Studies, 5(3), 107+. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A756128096/AONE?u=boca54337&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=75993371

Corrected reference citation:

Hu, J., & Yu, W. (2023). What are ESL students' academic integrity challenges and how can universities help? International Journal of TESOL Studies, 5(3), 107+. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A756128096/AONE?u=boca54337&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=75993371

What changed?

Click to view all Proquest Databases.

Where is the "Cite" button?

  1. Click on the title of the article. Look for the "Cite" icon in the upper right of the article.
  2. You will be given several options, so make sure you select APA 7th Edition!

Proquest cite tool icon

Look out for errors!

Proquest-generated reference citation: 

Kathy, C. A. (2021). Information Literacy and Instruction: Building a Multi-Format Graduate Student Information Literacy Program. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 59(3), 156-160. https://doi.org/10.5860/rusq.59.3/4.7712

 

Corrected reference citation: 

Kathy, C. A. (2021). Information literacy and instruction: Building a multi-format graduate student information literacy program. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 59(3), 156-160. http://lynn-lang.student.lynn.edu:2048/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/information-literacy-instruction-building-multi/docview/2615554938/se-2?accountid=36334

 

What changed?

  • The article title was changed from title case to sentence case.
  • You may choose to use a permalink instead of the DOI. APA accepts either, but your professor may have a preference.

.

Click to view all Infobase Databases.

 

Example #1: Issues & Controversies Database

Where is the "Cite" button?

  1. Click on the title of the article. Look for the "Cite" icon below the title.
  2. You will be given several options, so make sure you select APA/APA7th Edition!

Issues and controversies cite tool icon

 

Look out for errors!

Issues & Controversies generated reference citation when there is no author: 

The second amendment. (2008, July 11). Retrieved November 6, 2023, from https://icof.infobase.com/articles/QXJ0aWNsZVRleHQ6MTYyOTc=?aid=106133.

 

Corrected Issues & Controversies reference citation when there is no author: 

The Second Amendment. (2008, July 11). In Issues & Controversies. Infobase. https://icof.infobase.com/articles/QXJ0aWNsZVRleHQ6MTYyOTc=?aid=106133

 

What changed?

  • The article title (listed first in the "author" position) was changed from italics to regular AND from sentence case to title case.*
  • The "Retrieved November 6, 2023, from" statement was removed.
  • The source is missing. It was added after the date: In Issues & Controversies. Infobase.
  • The period after the link was removed, so the link is active.

*Because the database wrote the entry, there is no individual author, so the title of the entry is moved to the author position. 

Example #2: Credo Database

Where is the "Cite" button?

  1. Click on the title of the article. Look for the "Cite" icon below the title.
  2. You will be given several options, so make sure you select APA/APA7th Edition!

Credo citation icon

Credo generated citation when there is a named author:

Hanna, M. (2005). First Amendment. In B. Franklin, M. Hamer, M. Hanna, & Et. al. (Authors), Key Concepts in Journalism Studies. Sage UK. Retrieved November 6, 2023, from https://search.credoreference.com/articles/Qm9va0FydGljbGU6MjQ2MDc5Mg==?aid=106133.

 

Corrected Credo citation when there is a named author:

Hanna, M. (2005). First amendment. In B. Franklin, M. Hamer, M. Hanna, M. Kinsey, & Jo. E. Richarson (Authors), Key concepts in journalism studies. Sage UK. https://search.credoreference.com/articles/Qm9va0FydGljbGU6MjQ2MDc5Mg==?aid=106133

 

What changed?

  • The Et. al. from the list of authors was removed and all the authors were added (click on the "from" link in Credo under the title to see the full list of authors).
  • The article title and book title were changed from sentence case to title case. 
  • The "Retrieved November 6, 2023, from" statement was removed.
  • The period after the link was removed, so the link is active.

Online Citation Generators

‎

We strongly advise against using free online citation generators. When accuracy matters, they waste more of your time than they save.

NOT Recommended:

  • Citation Machine
  • Cite This For Me
Why? The more information you add to the correct fields, the better result any citation generator will produce. The above tools perform especially poorly when only given a URL and a page title (with incorrect author and date being two of the most persistent errors).