- Add sources
- Group into reference sets
- Cite or export
References in reference set: Set 0
Bibliography
Keep the source, not just the citation
The CiteKit Reference Library keeps the information behind the sources you research, cite and publish from. Save a source once, return to its details later, and use the same source data to create citations, bibliographies and other publishing outputs.
Add a source
Start with a URL, DOI, ISBN, PubMed ID, YouTube link or title search, or enter the source details yourself.
Keep the source data
Store the author, title, date, publisher, URL, identifiers and other available details behind the source.
Use it when you need it
Return to the source later, group it with related research, or use the same source data to create citations, bibliographies and other publishing outputs.
What sources can I keep?
Add common research and publishing sources from an identifier, or enter the details yourself when no identifier is available.
- Web page URL
- DOI
- ISBN
- PubMed ID
- YouTube URL
- Title or keyword search
Available metadata such as author, title, publisher, publication date and identifiers is retrieved for you to review.
- Web pages
- Journal articles
- Books
- Book chapters
- Reports
- News articles
- Theses
- Datasets
- Standards
- Videos
- Social posts
- Wiki articles
- Code repositories
Sources without a usable identifier — such as interviews, lectures or unpublished material — can be entered manually.
Group sources around the work they belong to
Reference Sets are named collections that keep related sources together without requiring a separate library for every project.
Article or paper
Keep the sources associated with one article, essay, report or other piece of work together.
Project or client
Collect the references being used for a research project, client, campaign or recurring subject.
Reading list
Build a collection around a topic now and return to those sources when you are ready to cite or publish them.
The library holds the source records. A Reference Set gives selected sources context around a particular body of work.
Keep the information the citation came from
A formatted citation is one presentation of a source. The Reference Library keeps the underlying source information available so it can be checked, corrected and formatted differently later.
For example, a book record can keep:
- Author
- Kahneman, Daniel
- Title
- Thinking, Fast and Slow
- Publication year
- 2011
- Publisher
- Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- ISBN
- 978-0-374-27563-1
The same record can then be formatted differently in APA, MLA, Chicago or another citation style without creating a separate copy of the source.
What can you do with a saved source?
The Reference Library keeps the source data. Other CiteKit tools use that data for different jobs.
Citation
Format a source in APA, MLA, Chicago or another citation style.
Bibliography
Combine saved sources into a bibliography, Works Cited page or reference list.
Citation schema
Turn source information into machine-readable citation data.
Citation link checking
Check whether the URL attached to a reference is still accessible.
Export
Move reference data into another compatible system or publishing workflow.
WordPress publishing
Use source records for citations and bibliographies inside CiteKit Reference Manager for WordPress.
The source stays the same when the format changes
Citation styles change how a source is presented. The Reference Library keeps the source information those different formats are generated from.
- APA might display
- Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
- MLA might display
- Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011.
The punctuation, name order and placement of the year change. The source itself does not.
More than somewhere to save a citation
CiteKit keeps the source information available throughout the publishing process instead of treating the finished citation as the end of the workflow.
Keep source data
Save the author, title, publication details, identifiers and URL behind the citation.
Return to sources later
Find sources you have already collected instead of looking them up again from scratch.
Correct the record
Review and update source information when retrieved metadata is incomplete or incorrect.
Group related research
Use Reference Sets to keep the sources for an article, project, client or topic together.
Change the output
Use the same source information in different citation styles and publishing formats.
Continue into publishing
Move from collected source data into citations, bibliographies, schema and WordPress publishing workflows.
Reference Library FAQ
What is a reference library?
A reference library keeps information about the sources you work with, such as authors, titles, publication dates, publishers, URLs and identifiers. CiteKit keeps that source information available so it can be used later in citations, bibliographies and publishing workflows.
What is the difference between a reference and a citation?
A reference record contains the information identifying the source. A citation is a formatted presentation of that source in a particular citation style or publishing context.
What is a Reference Set?
A Reference Set is a named collection of related sources. It can represent an article, paper, project, client, report, reading list or another body of work.
Can the same source be used in more than one Reference Set?
Yes. Reference Sets group sources by context without requiring a completely separate reference library for each project.
Can I use saved references in the Bibliography Generator?
Yes. Reference Sets can be used to build formatted bibliographies, Works Cited pages and reference lists without re-entering the underlying source information.
Can I import and export references?
CiteKit supports common reference exchange formats including BibTeX, RIS and CSL-JSON for compatible import and export workflows.
Is CiteKit a replacement for Zotero or EndNote?
No. CiteKit is designed around web and WordPress publishing workflows rather than full academic reference management.
Already using the Reference Library and want the detail? Read the Reference Library documentation for adding and editing sources, working with Reference Sets, imports, exports and the library interface.