Citation generators are easy-to-use online forms that allow the user to type in information about a source (such as title, author, publisher, etc.) and automatically generate formatted citations to copy and paste into a paper. They can make creating a Bibliography or Works Cited page easier than typing it out by hand. However, if you don't have a good working knowledge of how your bibliography should already be formatted, it is easy to miss mistakes that could cost you your grade. Always double check!
The University Libraries' doesn't recommend one citation generator over another; they all do more or less the same thing. However, you may find that you prefer one over another based on things like ease of use and and content. Here are a few available citation generators online.
As you are creating or generating citations, you want to make sure you have a functioning link that will lead your reader back to the text you are citing. When possible, use a link (such as a DOI) that will take your reader to a version of the source that is not stored behind a paywall. However, if you are unable to locate a full text version of your source without the paywall, use a permalink to make sure your URL is stable.