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APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th Edition)

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Standard Format

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Dissertation or thesis available from a database service:

Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial. (year of publication).  Title of dissertation or thesis (Doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis).  Retrieved from Name of database.  (Accession or Order No.)

For an unpublished dissertation or thesis:

Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial. (year of creation).  Title of dissertation or thesis (Unpublished doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis).  Name of Institution, Location.

See Ch 7 pp. 207-208 APA Manual for more examples and formatting rules

Formatting:

• Italicize the title
• Identify whether source is doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis in parentheses after the title
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APA Citation Style, 7th Edition: Dissertations & Thesis

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Citing Dissertations & Theses in APA Format

Dissertations & Theses

Dissertations and theses are formatted the same way in APA 7th edition. Theses are generally the culminating work for a master's or undergraduate degree and dissertations are often original research completed by doctoral students. Here are examples of a dissertation & a thesis, and how they would be formatted: 

Examples: 

Dissertation found in Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global: 

Reference:  

Banks, B. (2020). Addressing institutional racism in healthcare: A case study (Publication No. 28154307) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Minnesota]. Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global. 

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):  

(Banks, 2020).

In-Text Citation (Direct Quote):

(Banks, 2020, p. 157).

Master's thesis from a University scholarship database: 

Sears, L. B. (2017). The public voice and sustainable food systems: Community engagement in food action plans [Unpublished master's thesis]. University of Kansas.  https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/handle/1808/26899  

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):

(Sears, 2017). 

(Sears, 2017, p. 24). 

Carrie Forbes, MLS

Pages Referenced

Citation information has been adapted from the APA Manual (7th Edition). Please refer to page 333 of the APA Manual (7th Edition) for more information.

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APA Formatting and Style (7th ed.) for Student Papers

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Reference Page Examples - Dissertations or Theses

• Published Dissertation or Thesis
• Unpublished Dissertation or Thesis

 A dissertation or thesis is considered published when it is available from a database such as ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

If the database or archive requires users to log in before they can view the dissertation or thesis, meaning the url will not work for readers, end the reference with the database name., author, a. a. (year).  title of dissertation  (publication no. xxxxxxxxx). [doctoral dissertation or masters thesis, name of, institution that awarded the degree]. name of source i.e. proquest dissertations and theses global. url for, the dissertation or thesis., d'arcangelis, g. s. (2009).  the bio scare: anthrax, smallpox, sars, flu and post-9/11 u.s. empire  (order no.,            3388146). [doctoral dissertation, university of california los angeles]. proquest dissertations and theses,            global. , * ** remember: each source listed on the reference page must correspond to at least one in-text citation in the body of the paper; each in-text citation must correspond to a source listed on the reference page., when a dissertation or thesis is unpublished, include the description “[unpublished doctoral dissertation]” or “[unpublished master’s thesis]” in square brackets after the dissertation or thesis title., in the source element of the reference, provide the name of the institution that awarded the degree., author, a. a. (year).  title of dissertation  [unpublished doctoral dissertation or unpublished, masters thesis], name of institution that awarded the degree. , johnson, b. (2005). balanced scorecard applications  [unpublished master's thesis]. worthington university..

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APA (7th Edition) Referencing Guide

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Theses and dissertations

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A thesis is an unpublished document produced by student as part of the requirements for the degree. They come at various levels (e.g. Honours, Masters, PhD, etc). Check with your lecturer before using a thesis for your assignment.

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APA 7th Edition Citation Guide Dissertations and Theses

Thesis or dissertation from a library database.

Reference Page Format:

Author, A. A. (Year of Publication).  Title of dissertation/thesis  [Master's thesis/Doctoral dissertation, Name of institution awarding degree]. Database name.

Reference Page Example:

Thao-Yang, T. (2021).  All it takes is one person: First-generation Hmong women's educational experiences  [Doctoral dissertation, Concordia University]. Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global.

In-text Citation Examples:

Thao-Yang (2021) shared that ... ...( Thao-Yang ,  2021 ). ...( Thao-Yang ,  2021, p. 65 ).

Thesis or Dissertation from an Institutional Repository

Author, A. A. (Year of Publication).  Title of dissertation/thesis  [Master's thesis/Doctoral dissertation, Name of institution awarding degree]. Institutional Repository Name. URL

Janssen, K. (2021).  Ways technology impact cognitive development in early childhood environment  [Master's Thesis, Concordia University]. DigitalCommons@CSP.  https://digitalcommons.csp.edu/teacher-education_masters/52

Janssen (2021) shared that ... ...( Janssen,  2021 ). ...( Janssen,  2021, p. 22 ).

Print Thesis or Dissertation

Author, A. A. (Year of Publication).  Title of dissertation  [Unpublished master's thesis/doctoral dissertation]. Name of the institution awarding the degree.

Munson, D. J. (2019). How undergraduate faculty navigate the use of free internet sources for scholarly purposes  [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Nova Southeastern University.

Munson (2019) shared that ... ...(Munson, 2019). ...( Munson, 2019, p. 36 ).

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APA 7th edition - Citations: Theses & Dissertations

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Theses & Dissertations

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Published vs. unpublished

Citations for dissertations and theses reorganize elements depending on whether they are published or unpublished.

• A dissertation or thesis is considered published when it is available through a database, institutional repository, or archive
• e.g. [Master's thesis, University of British Columbia] or [Doctoral dissertation, Simon Fraser University]
• Include the URL if the URL will work for readers, or else end the citation with the name of the database, repository, or archive 

General format - published

Reference List 

AuthorLastName, A. A. (Date). Title of dissertation or thesis (Publication No. ## - if available) [Document type, institution name]. Publisher. http://www.website.com/webpage

(AuthorLastName, Year)

• Unpublished
• An unpublished dissertation or thesis includes the name of the university as the source.
• A URL is generally not included as an unpublished document is assumed to be in print or a digital document unavailable publicly.
• If available in a database or repository/archive, treat as published.

General format - unpublished

AuthorLastName, A. A. (Date). Title of dissertation or thesis (Publication No. ## - if available) [Unpublished document type]. Institution Name. http://www.website.com/webpage

1. Published

Hossain, M. A. (2018). What do police recruits identify as strategies to deal with their triggers/biases to deliver fair and impartial policing? [Capstone Project, Justice Institute of British Columbia]. The Vault. https://jibc.arcabc.ca/islandora/object/jibc%3A2380?solr_nav%5Bid%5D=16b067104b80bcb271bb&solr_nav%5Bpage%5D=0&solr_nav%5Boffset%5D=0

(Hossain, 2018)

Ferguson, J. (2010). Queer Japanese cinema: A rich and diverse cultural history's challenge to hegemonic ideologies of gender and sexuality (Publication No. MR82331) [Master's thesis, University of British Columbia]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

(Ferguson, 2010)

2. Unpublished

Smith, I. (2020). Effects of library instruction on college students' citation practices [Unpublished undergraduate thesis]. Okanagan College.

(Smith, 2020)

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APA 7th Edition Citation Examples

• Volume and Issue Numbers
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Format for dissertations and theses

Dissertations and theses database.

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Author last name, first initial. (Year).  Title of dissertation/thesis  (Publication No.) [Doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis, University]. Database. URL

• Author:  List the last name, followed by the first initial (and second initial). See  Authors  for more information.
• Year:  List the year between parentheses, followed by a period.
• Title of dissertation/thesis:  In italics. Capitalize the first word of the title, subtitle, and proper nouns.
• Publication number: Can be found in Dissertations and Theses database, listed in the item record as “Dissertation/thesis number.”
• Doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis:  List whether it is a dissertation or a thesis.
• University:  List the university associated with the dissertation/thesis.
• Database:  List database the dissertation/thesis was found in, if found in a database.
• URL:  List URL if found on the free Web rather than in a database.

See specific examples below.

Dissertations:

Pecore, J. T. (2004). Sounding the spirit of Cambodia: The living tradition of Khmer music and dance-drama in a Washington, DC community  (Publication No. 3114720) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Maryland]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. 

Master's Theses:

Hollander, M. M. (2017). Resitance to authority: Methodological innovations and new lessons from the Milgram experiment   (Publication No. 10289373) [Master's thesis, University of Wisconsin - Madison]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

APA calls for the citation to include a unique identifying number for the dissertation, labeling it “Publication No.” That number can be found in Dissertations and Theses database, listed in the item record as “Dissertation/thesis number.”

Karamanos, X. (2020). The influence of professional development models on student mathematics performance in New Jersey public elementary schools [Doctoral dissertation, Seton Hall University]. Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs). https://scholarship.shu.edu/dissertations/2732

Bordo, V. C. (2011). Making a case for the use of foreign language in the educational activities of nonprofit arts organizations [Master's thesis, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses & Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1311135640

Caprette, C. L. (2005). Conquering the cold shudder: The origin and evolution of snake eyes  [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University].

Angelova, A. N. (2004). Data pruning  [Master's thesis, California Institute of Technology].

See  Publication Manual , 10.6.

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Terminology - Thesis, dissertation or exegesis?

Published theses and dissertations, unpublished theses and dissertations.

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Thesis and dissertation can mean different things depending on where the degree is awarded. Always check the title page, or subsequent pages, to determine exactly what the work is and use the information for your reference. ​

Auckland University of Technology (and other NZ universities)

• Thesis is either for a doctoral or a master's degree.
• Dissertation is either for a master's or a bachelor's degree with honours.
• Exegesis is the written component of a practice-based thesis where the major output is a creative work;  e.g., a film, artwork, novel.

Other parts of the world

• In North America and some other countries, dissertation is used for a doctoral degree and thesis for a master's degree.

Theses available in a database, a university archive or from a personal website.

Reference format

Theses published online (e.g. in institutional repositories)

Theses from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global

Find how to cite in text on the  In-text citation  page.

 Unpublished thesis or dissertations are usually sourced directly from the university in print form.

 Reference format

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In-text citation

Reference list.

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Theses and dissertations

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• Other styles AGLC4 APA 7th Chicago 17th (A) Notes Chicago 17th (B) Author-Date Harvard MLA 9th Vancouver
• Referencing home

(Author's surname, Year)

This was seen in an Australian study (Couch, 2017). 

Couch (2017) suggests that…

• Go to  Getting started >  In-text citation  to view other examples such as multiple authors.

Published thesis

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of thesis [Type of thesis, Name of institution awarding degree]. Name of archive or site. https://xxxxxx

Stored in a database

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of thesis (Database Publication number, if assigned) [Type of thesis, Name of institution awarding degree]. Database Name.

Taffe, S. (2017).  The Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders: The politics of inter-racial coalition in Australia, 1958–1973  [Doctoral thesis, Monash University]. Bridges.  https://doi.org/10.4225/03/59d4482289ea4

Bozeman, A. Jr. (2007).  Age of onset as predictor of cognitive performance in children with seizure disorders  (Publication No. 3259752) [Doctoral dissertation, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

Unpublished thesis

Author, A. A. (Year).  Title of thesis or dissertation  [Unpublished Doctoral dissertation or Master's thesis]. Name of Institution.

Imber, A. (2003).  Applicant reactions to graduate recruitment and selection  [Unpublished Doctoral dissertation]. Monash University. 

For further guidance, see the APA Style website- Published Dissertation or Thesis , Unpublished Dissertation or Theses .

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Unpublished Dissertation or Thesis References

This page contains a reference example for an unpublished dissertation or thesis.

Harris, L. (2014). Instructional leadership perceptions and practices of elementary school leaders [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. University of Virginia.

• Parenthetical citation : (Harris, 2014)
• Narrative citation : Harris (2014)
• When a dissertation or thesis is unpublished, include the description “[Unpublished doctoral dissertation]” or “[Unpublished master’s thesis]” in square brackets after the dissertation or thesis title.
• In the source element of the reference, provide the name of the institution that awarded the degree.
• The same format can be adapted for other unpublished theses, including undergraduate theses, by changing the wording of the bracketed description as appropriate.
• If you find the dissertation or thesis in a database or in a repository or archive, follow the published dissertation or thesis reference examples .

Unpublished dissertation or thesis references are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Section 10.6 and the Concise Guide Section 10.5

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APA Citation Generator for a Thesis Paper or Dissertation

Instantly generate correctly formatted apa thesis or dissertation paper citations with this tool designed by expert linguists..

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Over the years our users have rated us 5 stars for accuracy, quality and professionalism. Users from all over the world in academia trust our APA citation generator tool to create well-formatted APA citations for their academic writings.

What is an APA Format / Citation?

APA is an abbreviation of "American Psychological Association" and the APA format of citations is one of a few well-established formats of referencing and citing third party content in academic papers. First, there is the full citation, which usually goes into the appended references section of your paper. Second, there is the in-text citation, which you include in the body of your paper whenever referencing the source material.

What information is needed for an APA thesis or dissertation paper citation?

To cite a thesis or dissertation paper correctly in the APA format you need at least the following information: the paper's title, the author's first and last name, the thesis type, as well as the year the thesis was published. Once you have all of this information you can use the APA citation generator above to create a well-formatted APA citation for your thesis paper reference.

How do I use this APA Citation Generator?

Using our citation generator couldn't be easier. We specifically designed it for ease of use and speed. Simply start by selecting the type of source you are looking to cite. Then proceed to fill in all the required fields denoted by a star * sign. Feel free to also fill in optional fields. Once you have filled in all required fields, the full and in-text citations will be automatically generated below the generator form. You can copy them by pressing the copy button and paste them into your own paper.

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This citation generator removes the hassle of having to craft your own citations correctly. It's easy to make a mistake when trying to craft many citations, so a generator will ensure that you don't have wrongly formatted APA citations.

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College-level and post-grad students are most likely to use this APA citation generator, since APA style is the most favored style at these educational levels. Before college students typically use the MLA style instead.

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Learn How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in APA format with Examples

Updated 20 Jun 2024

This guide will help you to learn how to cite a thesis or dissertation in APA style format. You will learn the basic rules and see the examples as you format your writing. If you have been asked to use the APA (American Psychological Association) citation style, you should be extremely careful and check things twice because your research writing should be referenced with correct formatting. Learning how to cite a dissertation APA, take your time to check the rules, and evaluate the templates, and citations because there are many aspects that you should check before you publish your work, be it your science thesis or dissertation. Citing a dissertation in APA format requires attention to detail, and when you're pressed for time, a service that can do my homework might be just what you need to ensure all your citations are accurate.

The main thesis or dissertation APA citation rules

This guide is based on the APA 7th edition, which is the latest set of rules that are provided by the American Psychological Association. For example, the thesis or dissertation may be available from a relevant database or might be only found in an archive of some university online or in print. Some dissertations are offered per request, which is possible when a researcher has a website. Regardless of whether you are learning how to cite a thesis APA or need to cite the dissertation of another person, you should think about the origin of the document. Likewise, you may be dealing with a dissertation that has not been published yet as you choose primary vs secondary sources , which might become a totally different scenario. Always check whether the document is available in print or can be accessed by asking the university. 

Now, if you need to cite a dissertation that is based on a database source, you should use the following template below. Remember to provide square brackets where you specify what kind of dissertation or thesis is referenced. Here is how to cite a dissertation in APA style example:

APA format citation template

Author's Last Name, Initial(s). (Year).  Dissertation title  (Publication No. Number) [Type of Dissertation/thesis, University's Name]. Database Name. 

APA Reference entry

King, J. (2020).  The use of social distancing and the impact on middle school learners  (Publication No. 24211321) [Doctoral dissertation, Arizona State University]. ProMed Dissertations and PubMed Theses. 

Note: As you can see, you must show that it is a doctoral dissertation or a Master's thesis. The publication's number must be present as well.

In-text citation 

(King, 2020)

Citing an unpublished thesis or dissertation rules, structure, and examples 

When you need to cite an unpublished Master's thesis or work with a doctoral dissertation by using APA style format, you must include the following information: 

• Author. 
• Year for your APA dissertation citation. 
• Title of your dissertation in italics . 
• State that it's an unpublished dissertation by mentioning it in brackets. 
• Institution. 

APA template

Last Name, A.C. (Year).  Work title of your dissertation  [Unpublished doctoral dissertation or thesis]. Institution. 

Reference page

Campbell, M.A. (2019).  The challenges of hurricanes in Jacksonville , Florida State [Unpublished doctoral dissertation or thesis]. Miami State University. 

In-text citation

(Campbell, 2019)

Let us note that when you are working on a dissertation or thesis that has not been published, you can also choose the information using it for the thesis at the undergraduate level. Likewise, when you encounter your document in an archive or database, you should follow the APA guidelines that are used for the published dissertation. Dealing with the APA dissertation format, the only variable is being unable to find the published dissertation, which is when you should state that it's unpublished. 

Citing a published thesis or dissertation rules, structure, and examples 

In basic terms, the rules of the APA 7th edition for citing something that has been published are not too difficult. Here is the APA reference dissertation template that you should start with: 

Last Name, X. Y. (Year). Title of your cited doctoral dissertation or Master's thesis (Publication number) [Doctoral dissertation or Master's thesis, Institution]. Publisher or database. 

Here is the table breakdown of various scenarios for citation types as you quote: 

Published dissertation in APA style 

Pulsford, N.V. (2011).  Marine life in Colombia: From simplest life forms to mammals  [Publication No. 1223211) [Doctoral dissertation, Vancouver University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. 

Dissertation with no publication number

Nichols, M. (1995).  Man of Nomadic Tales  [Master's thesis, University of Birmingham]. Oxford Dissertations and Theses database. 

(Stipe, 2019)

How to cite published thesis or dissertation in APA when published online (not a database) 

Citing a dissertation APA, you may have already seen that some dissertations and theses cannot be encountered in databases like Pubmed or ProQuest. When you appear in such a situation, you should use the URL of the original source by stating the publisher (if available). Here is what you have to do when you find your dissertation online. 

Citing APA style dissertation:  

Grant, J. (2018). The use of vaccination and the link to the cases of autism: Demystification and facts [Doctoral dissertation, University of MIT]. MIT Campus Repository. https://repository.mit.edu/url. 

In-text APA citation for dissertation:

(Grant, 2018).

What's needed for an APA dissertation or thesis citation

The most important is to take notes as you research and seek relevant information when you have to cite a dissertation and/or thesis in the APA 7 format. Here is where you have to locate the information. First of all, you must define whether you are dealing with a dissertation or approaching a thesis. For example, the title of the paper will state that you are reading the thesis. In most cases, you will identify which is one. Once you get the basic information, check whether your document has been published or not. 

Look for these elements as you are citing a thesis APA style:

• Name of the author. 
• Publication date. 
• Title of dissertation/thesis.
• Associated number.
• Type of degree (thesis or not). 
• Name of the Institution. 
• Database Name or URL

How to find APA thesis and dissertation citation information 

In the majority of cases, you will have information for references if you have found the dissertation and/or thesis in the ProQuest, Google Scholar, or PubMed database. If you take a look at the top right corner, you will be able to choose the most famous writing style formats. If you cannot find it, see the bottom of the webpage or locate the DOI. When you enter the number or reference code on the university's website, you may be able to find the APA citation or APA format for thesis references already made. Just make sure that it follows the rules because there might be possible mistakes. 

Why keep things unique when writing a dissertation or thesis?

First of all, when you keep your dissertation original as you cite various ideas, you show that you follow academic ethics and stay within academic integrity. Since some plagiarism cases are not intentional, you’re still able to avoid accidents when you check the rules and reference your sources accordingly. When you learn how to cite a law in APA style or check with a Ph.D. thesis statement, you are always safe. So take your time to learn and it will pay off in the end! 

Can I cite a dissertation? 

Of course, you can! The APA Manual allows referencing dissertations as you work on your research. The dissertations and relevant citations will help you to support your arguments and explain your ideas.

How do you cite a dissertation in APA 7? 

You must check whether your dissertation (or thesis) is published or not. When you have a published document, provide the author's name, year, title, number of the publication, university's name, and publisher. If your document is not published, include the same information by adding [unpublished dissertation] in the square brackets. 

How do you cite an unpublished dissertation? 

Last Name, A.B. (Year). Title of your unpublished dissertation . [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Institution/University. 

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Written by Elizabeth Miller

Seasoned academic writer, nurturing students' writing skills. Expert in citation and plagiarism. Contributing to EduBirdie since 2019. Aspiring author and dedicated volunteer. You will never have to worry about plagiarism as I write essays 100% from scratch. Vast experience in English, History, Ethics, and more.

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Harvard Style

• Position of the citation
• Secondary Referencing
• Date of Publication
• Page numbers
• Paraphrasing and Summarising
• Examples of References in Harvard style
• Quick A-Z Examples of References
• Citation Tools and Software

There are many tools available to create references for you automatically. Citing and organising your materials can be made simpler with the help of these tools and you can choose from a variety of citation formats. 

Reference Management Software

Reference management software enables you to:

• collect references
• store references and notes
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• format references in a required referencing style to create a Reference list
• insert in-text citations into a document as you type. This will also generate a reference list or bibliography at the end of your document, based on those citations.

When writing the literature review phase of your thesis or article, having software to make bibliographies and add in-text citations will make the process much simpler and free up your time to work on other research-related tasks.  In addition, you can change the citation style in seconds in your document which is convenient for different publishing requirements.

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