Enter any scholarly identifier and see how the same paper looks formatted in different citation styles. Compare Vancouver, APA, AMA, IEEE, and CSE side by side.
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Enter a single identifier. The tool will format it in each selected style.
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Here is the same fictional paper formatted in Vancouver, APA, and IEEE to illustrate how citation styles differ in author formatting, punctuation, and element ordering.
Nakamura T, Chen L, Okonkwo AB, Rivera-Santos M. Cortical oscillation patterns during sustained attention in early development. *J Neurosci*. 2025;45(3):412-429. doi:10.1234/jneurosci.2025.04123.
Nakamura, T., Chen, L., Okonkwo, A. B., & Rivera-Santos, M. (2025). Cortical oscillation patterns during sustained attention in early development. *Journal of Neuroscience*, *45*(3), 412–429. https://doi.org/10.1234/jneurosci.2025.04123
T. Nakamura, L. Chen, A. B. Okonkwo, and M. Rivera-Santos, “Cortical oscillation patterns during sustained attention in early development,” *J. Neurosci.*, vol. 45, no. 3, pp. 412–429, 2025. doi: 10.1234/jneurosci.2025.04123.
A citation style is a set of rules governing how bibliographic references are formatted. Different journals, disciplines, and institutions require different styles. Medical journals typically use Vancouver (numbered), psychology uses APA (author-date), engineering uses IEEE (numbered with specific punctuation), and biology often uses CSE (Council of Science Editors).
The differences go beyond cosmetic: author ordering, name abbreviation, title casing, journal abbreviation, and DOI formatting all vary. This tool lets you see those differences instantly so you can pick the right style or verify your formatting.
See the citation style entry in our glossary.
Five popular styles are available as one-click presets: Vancouver, APA, AMA, IEEE, and CSE. Beyond these, the “Browse more styles” panel gives access to over 10,000 additional styles from the Citation Style Language repository - including journal-specific formats like Nature, The Lancet, Cell, JAMA, Chicago, MLA, and thousands more. Search by name, filter by category (numeric, author-date, note, humanities, medicine, engineering), and add any style to the comparison.
Check the submission guidelines for your target journal, institution, or department. Biomedical journals typically require Vancouver or AMA; psychology and social sciences use APA; engineering uses IEEE; humanities tend to use Chicago or MLA. If you are unsure, ask your editor or supervisor - requirements vary even within the same discipline.
Each style defines its own rules for author names (full vs. initials, comma vs. ampersand), title case, journal abbreviation, volume and issue formatting, page ranges, and DOI presentation. Styles also differ in whether citations are numbered (Vancouver, IEEE) or name-date (APA, CSE), and in punctuation between elements.
Yes. Five common styles are available as one-click presets, but you can add any of the 10,000+ styles in the Citation Style Language (CSL) repository via the style browser. Search by journal name or discipline, and add styles to the comparison.
Yes. APA, for example, is on its 7th edition (2019) and differs from APA 6 in DOI formatting, author limits, and more. This tool uses the latest published CSL style definitions, which are community-maintained and kept current with official style guides.
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