BibTeX & RIS Citation Formatter
Format BibTeX or RIS into any citation style
Your text is processed locally by this tool — it isn't sent to Wibble. Free, no account.
Export BibTeX or RIS from Google Scholar (Cite → BibTeX/EndNote), Zotero, Mendeley, or your library database, then paste it here.
This is a beta formatter, not a complete or authoritative citation generator. It takes structured input — BibTeX or RIS (export it from Google Scholar via Cite → BibTeX/EndNote, or from Zotero, Mendeley, or a library database), or the manual field form above — and renders it into APA 7, MLA 9, Chicago (author–date), and Harvard using fixed, rule-based templates, so the same input always produces the same output. It deliberately does not try to parse a formatted citation you paste in as free text: that guesswork is exactly what makes other converters mangle references, so export BibTeX or RIS instead. Some limitations to keep in mind: common entry types (articles, books, chapters, conference papers, web pages, theses, reports) are covered, but unusual ones fall back to a generic layout, place of publication is not captured, and you should double-check the output against your style guide for edge cases. Title capitalization is not converted between styles — the formatter preserves your title exactly as entered, so case it yourself for your target style (APA uses sentence case; MLA and Chicago use title case). LaTeX accents from BibTeX (for example Garc\'{i}a or M\"uller) are decoded to their Unicode letters for common forms, but unusual macros may pass through unchanged. Asterisks in the output mark text that should be italic.
How it works
Paste a BibTeX or RIS record — the export format you get from Google Scholar, Zotero, and most library databases — or fill in the fields by hand, and the converter renders the same reference in APA 7, MLA 9, Chicago author-date, and Harvard at once. It works from structured data on purpose: reparsing a citation someone already formatted as free text tends to mangle it, so this converts from clean fields instead. Missing fields are omitted, never invented.
Example
BibTeX in, four styles out
Before
@article{chen2021,
author = {Chen, Mei and Alvarez, Rosa},
title = {Adoption of new tools},
journal = {Journal of Studies},
year = {2021},
volume = {4},
pages = {33--48}
}After
Chen, M., & Alvarez, R. (2021). Adoption of new tools. *Journal of Studies*, *4*, 33–48.
The same record also renders MLA 9, Chicago author-date, and Harvard. Italics show as *asterisks* in the plain-text output. It's beta and reads structured input only — it won't parse a citation you've already formatted by hand.
Limitations
- It reads structured input only. It won't parse a citation you've typed out as free text — a deliberate choice, because reliably reparsing formatted references is exactly what mangles output.
- It's beta. The four styles cover common source types (articles, books, chapters, conference papers, web pages, theses, reports), but edge cases — corporate authors, non-English names, unusual types — may need a manual tweak.
- Output uses *asterisks* to mark italics for plain-text copying; you apply real italics in your document.
- It does not convert title capitalization between styles. Your title is preserved exactly as entered, so case it yourself: APA uses sentence case, while MLA and Chicago use title case.
- It decodes common LaTeX accent macros from BibTeX (\'e → é, \"u → ü, {\aa} → å, and the like) to Unicode, but unusual or rarely-used macros may pass through unchanged.
- It never guesses missing fields: if your BibTeX lacks a page range or DOI, that piece is left out rather than invented.
- Styles evolve and institutions vary, so always check the output against your specific style guide or instructor's requirements before submitting.
Frequently asked questions
Why won't it convert a citation I paste as plain text?
Reparsing a citation someone already formatted is unreliable — punctuation and field boundaries are ambiguous, and guessing wrong silently corrupts the output. So the converter takes structured input instead: BibTeX or RIS (a one-click export from most sources), or a manual field form.
Where do I get BibTeX or RIS?
Most sources offer it directly. In Google Scholar, click 'Cite' then 'BibTeX'. Zotero, Mendeley, and EndNote all export both formats, and most library databases and journal pages have an 'Export citation' or 'Download RIS' button. Paste whatever you get and the converter handles the rest.
Is my citation data uploaded anywhere?
No. Parsing and formatting happen entirely in your browser; nothing you paste is sent to Wibble, stored, or logged. You can convert references offline once the page has loaded — it's a client-side formatter, not a cloud service.
Which styles and source types does it support?
It outputs APA 7, MLA 9, Chicago author-date, and Harvard from one record, and understands common source types: journal articles, books, book chapters, conference papers, web pages, theses, and reports. It's in beta, so an unusual type or author format may need a manual tweak afterward.
Does it find sources for me?
No. The converter only reformats references you already have into different styles. It doesn't search for papers or check that a source is real. If you need genuine, verifiable sources located and cited for you, that's what Wibble Citations does.
Need the sources found for you, not just formatted? Wibble Citations finds and cites real published sources.
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