Copying and Pasting Citations

Writing citations from scratch can be time consuming. The tools below provide citations that you can copy and paste into a reference list.

Google Scholar

When copying citations, we recommend using Google Scholar because it provides the most accurate formatting. However, citations should always be proofread for accuracy

How to Copy Citations in Google Scholar
  1. Go to Saint Mary’s Google Scholar.
  2. Search the title of the item in quotes (e.g., “Grapes of Wrath”).
  3. Select Cite under the title of the item on the results page.
  4. Highlight the citation style required for your assignment.
  5. Select Ctrl + C to copy the citation.
  6. Open your paper.
  7. Paste the reference into your paper by selecting Ctrl + V.
  8. Add the DOI number to the citation.
    Note: You can find the DOI number on the article itself or by searching the article title in CrossRef.
  9. Check the citation for formatting accuracy.

OneSearch

You can also copy and paste citations from OneSearch; however, be sure to check the formatting because it may be inaccurate.

How to Copy Citations in OneSearch
  1. Go to OneSearch.
  2. Enter the search term(s) for the item you want (e.g., “Grapes of Wrath”).
  3. Select the title of the item to view the abstract, citation, and full text.
  4. Select the Citation (“) option in the menu.
  5. Find the citation style required for your assignment.
  6. Select Ctrl + C to copy the citation.
  7. Open your paper.
  8. Paste the reference into your paper by selecting Ctrl + V.
  9. Check the citation for formatting accuracy.
    Note: We recommend using the Writing Center’s eBook handout to cite eBooks.

Zotero

Zotero [zoh-TAIR-oh] is a citation management tool that helps you:

  • Store, organize, and share your references
  • Automatically format citations in Microsoft Word
  • Save citations and references from OneSearch, Google Scholar, and the web.
  • Make notes, create tags, and highlight important information.

Learn how to use Zotero.