Return to the source
Read the title and author information directly from the publication or reliable source record. Check whether a displayed date is publication, revision or access information.
The local formatter does not fetch a page or verify metadata. Any mistake in your fields can therefore remain in the generated entry.
- Open the actual source.
- Check the author spelling.
- Identify the relevant date.
Check link and publisher
Use a real, relevant link or verified publisher name. Test the link separately and confirm that it points to the work you intend to cite.
Do not substitute a guessed URL, author or year. Follow the required style’s instructions when information is genuinely missing.
- Verify the destination.
- Check publisher details.
- Handle missing information honestly.
Review required conventions
Confirm the source type and any institutional rules beyond the basic formatter. Preserve the author ordering you have verified.
Read the final bibliography entry in the destination document. Check consistency with neighboring entries and the required style.
- Confirm the source type.
- Review the selected style.
- Check the finished bibliography.
Worked example
A source record has a title similar to another publication.
Verify the exact title and destination before copying the formatted entry.
The example shows why neat formatting cannot establish that the correct work was cited.
Before you finish
- Exact title verified.
- Author and year checked.
- Link points to the work.
- Missing metadata not invented.
Questions and answers
Can the formatter detect a wrong URL?
It does not verify the linked source. Open and check the link yourself.
Should I invent a year for a missing date?
No. Follow the required style’s rules for genuinely missing information.