Save a source once and reuse it
Every Compose document has its own source list. Save the author, title and publication details once, then search for that source whenever you cite it again.
Compose checks for likely duplicates when you add a source. It also protects a source that is already in use, so deleting one does not quietly break existing citations.
Add a source manually or look up a DOI
Choose Add citation, then select an existing source or create a new one. Source forms cover common material such as books, journal articles, websites, chapters, theses, conference papers, reports and datasets.
A DOI is a permanent identifier used by many academic publications. Enter it and choose Fill details from DOI. Compose asks Crossref first and tries DataCite if needed. Check the names, title, date and publication details before saving.
- Place the cursor where the citation should appear.
- Choose Add citation.
- Select a saved source or add a new one.
- Add a page number or another location, such as a chapter, when needed.
- Insert the citation, then continue writing.
Cite more than one source together
One citation can contain several sources. Use this when the same sentence is supported by more than one book, article or dataset.
Each source can have its own page number or other location. You can also add text before or after it, or hide the author name where the citation style supports that.
Choose the citation style for the document
The available choices are APA 7, MLA 9, Chicago 17 Author-Date, Chicago 17 Notes & Bibliography, Cite Them Right 12 Harvard, Vancouver ICMJE and IEEE.
Chicago Notes & Bibliography can use footnotes or endnotes. Other styles place citations according to their own rules. Changing the document style updates the formatted citation output without making you re-enter every source.
Generate the reference list
Compose builds the References, Works Cited, Bibliography or Reference List from the sources used in the document and the style you selected.
The formatting can only be as accurate as the source details. Check imported metadata, especially unusual author names, missing dates and records returned by DOI lookup.
Keep the right version when you export
PDF includes the formatted citations, notes and end list. DOCX can create real Word footnotes for footnote-style output, which helps when editing continues in Word.
Other formats preserve visible citation output according to what they support. Keep the .compose file if you need the editable source list and citation relationships later.
What DOI lookup sends
Normal citation editing and formatting happens with the document on your device. DOI lookup is the exception: the DOI you enter is sent to the Compose citation service so it can request metadata from Crossref or DataCite.
The rest of your document is not needed for that lookup.