If you are using someone else’s work, you must acknowledge the source. Referencing means acknowledging your source in the body of the text and at the end of the text (bibliography). Academic writing is more than the ideas of one author. Sometimes, you have to use the ideas and research from other sources too. These sources may be used to support the author’s ideas. The author may also discuss, compare, or analyze other sources.
Referencing is used to tell the reader from where other ideas have been taken in an assignment. This also credits the originators of ideas, theories, and findings. So, to make referencing easier for authors, some free online tools are available. These tools include:
BibMe
BibMe is one of the most functional free online citation tools available on the internet. All the features that an e-learning developer requires are there. It’s accurate and free. It searches the external database to fill in citation information quickly. BibMe supports MLA, APA, Chicago, and Turabian formatting referencing. After it searches, it will fill in the citation information and compile a bibliography according to your style.
The sources from which it can cite can be journals, websites, books, or any other source on the internet. This tool also helps in checking the plagiarism in your content against plenty of sources. Almost every feature is available in the free version.
Citation Machine
The citation machine is one of the easiest to use tools for referencing. It can generate references in all four major types APA, MLA, Chicago, and Turabian. Moreover, it also has a library of 7000 different referencing styles for different fields. It also guides users on how to cite in APA, MLA, and Chicago. Like BibMe, this platform also offers plagiarism checking but on subscription. Free plagiarism checking service is not available for this site. You can cite content from many sources. These sources include books, journals, newspapers and many other sources.
Citavi
Citavi is a free multipurpose online referencing tool. The content writers and e-learning developers can use this tool for their needs. This site also offers reference and task management services. Citavi also gives a chance to its users to add references in the way they want. It has 35 options to add references automatically or manually. It also features the option of bar code scanner and PDF referencing. Citavi does not charge for up to 100 references. After the limit, there are several premium plans for commercial use. It also includes plans for students, school, and personal use.
Citefast
Citefast offers all the major options which a free online referencing tool should have. The interface is also relatively simple. It offers three referencing styles APA, MLA, and Chicago, along with an in-text citation generator. It can reference from many sources, including web pages, books, journals and newspapers. One plus point is that it can cite from online videos and many other digital sources. It offers a comprehensive guide for citation styles. All the features of Citefast are free to use. You don’t need any subscription to use this tool.
Citelighter
Recommended by a dissertation help firm, Citelighter is an award-winning multipurpose online referencing tool. It also functions as an excellent writing aid tool. This generates bibliographies automatically to give you more time for writing. There are plenty of writing templates are available to help organize your thoughts. Citelighter has a paid version, but you can enjoy most of its features for free. Premium package is cheaper than other markets. Citelighter claims it to be 80% less than other citation tools.
Ottobib
As we live in the digital era, a lot of information comes through publications such as books. Ottobib is one of the free online referencing tools that are used only for book sources. It enables a developer to reference their content by providing the ISBN of the book they used. This site can reference your document in six styles. These styles include APA, MLA, Chicago, Turabian, BibTex, and Wikipedia.
It can also be added as a google chrome extension. This addition allows you to cite content from your favourite web source. It’s free and accurate. Ottobib doesn’t require any premium subscription.
Refdot
This site is more like a google chrome extension rather than a free online referencing tool. It permits you to cite books, journals, and websites. The plus point is the storing of your references. This google chrome extension will store your preferences in your Google Chrome browser for later use. Refdot is a 100% free google chrome extension for citation.
Zotero
Zotero is a fantastic online free citation and bibliography tool that helps manage and share the research sources. This is more like a browser plugin. By enabling this plugin, you will be able to store digital sources of any kind in your library. This tool provides you with all the research assistance you need, from university libraries to sites. It also serves as a referencing management tool. Zotero is a free online bibliography tool and doesn’t require any subscription or membership.
CiteThisForMe
CiteThisForMe offers a diverse range of options for reference management. It is one of the easiest to use and free online citation tools with a very user-friendly interface. Everything is available on the user dashboard. This site offers a great variety of sources, citation styles, and editing options. You can cite from almost every source, including journals, websites, books, e-books, and PDF’s. This site supports citation styles like APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard referencing etc.
Although CiteThisForMe comes with a free version. It also has one premium option available. Using the premium option, you can check plagiarism, and you can get a mobile application. For $9, you can purchase a premium plan that includes five plagiarism checks per month and grammar and spelling checks.
Conclusion
Free online citation and bibliography tools are the best way to give credit to the originators of the content. These platforms offer great features wholly free or with a minimal amount.
