Overview: NoodleTools will help you create MLA, APA, or Chicago-style citations that follow the guidance of the most recent style handbooks.


This article applies to: 

✔︎ NoodleTools School Subscription

✔︎ NoodleTools Individual License

✔︎ NoodleTools MLA Lite

✗ NoodleTools Express

Instructions


NoodleTools supports auto-import in selected databases. See "How to import a source citation from a database."  In databases that do not offer auto-import to NoodleTools, you may choose to use Quick Cite to copy/paste a preformatted citation. "How to copy and paste a preformatted citation."


See also: "How to add or edit an annotation."


See also: "How to create a source citation in NoodleTools Express."


Step 1:

Navigate to the Sources screen. You can access it via two ways: 1) on the Projects screen, click the project's "Sources" icon in the "Contents" column,


or 2) open your project by clicking on its title, which defaults to the Sources screen.



Step 2: 

    Click the green New Source button in the upper-right corner.


Step 3: 

You will be prompted to select where the source is (in print, on the web, in a database, etc.) and then what it is (a book, a blog post, a journal, a TV program, etc.). The choices will vary depending on what project level you selected. Below is an example of one using Advanced level. 



Step 4: 

Once you select a source type, the citation form appears. 


Note: if you selected in your profile to display "Show Me" help screens, a help screen will appear first for certain source types. 

  • "Show Me" is an online tutorial to demonstrate how to evaluate the source. 
  • "Source check" lists other related forms that may fit your source.
  • If you are comfortable citing a particular type of source and wish to hide this additional help, check "Do not show help screen again" at the bottom of this help screen.

The form displayed is dynamic, showing you only fields that apply to your specific source. The fields change based on your project's style (MLA, APA, or Chicago) and level (Starter, Junior, or Advanced), as well as based on the source type and publication medium selected.


Step 5: 

On the form, fill in as many details about your source as possible. Help text is often available when you put your cursor inside a field. Click on the blue information ("i") icon to view the tip. 



Hint #1: A Guide at the top-right of the screen displays a formatting template. Click the blue tab to open the guide. As you enter information in the form, the corresponding element is highlighted in the template. 


Hint #2: Fields that have a red * are required, but will not result in a complete/accurate citation on their own -- complete all fields for which you have information. If something isn't provided by the source (i.e. author, a publication date, etc.), it is okay to leave the field blank (do not type something like "none" or "N/A" into a field). 


Hint #3: As you type into a field, NoodleTools automatically checks for common errors with capitalization, abbreviations, and more. When a yellow warning popup appears above the field, read the suggestions on how to correct the potential problem. 


Hint #4: By default, the new citation is included in your final works cited list when you export it, but if for any reason you want to omit it from the list, apply a color tag to it to filter it out. See "How to add color tags to source citations.”


Step 6: 

Click Save to generate the source citation. If there are multiple citations in your source list, a link "Jump to a citation I just created" at the top the list will take you to the new citation that you just created (which is also highlighted in your list).


Step 7: 

To edit a source citation, click the "More" (three dots) menu next to the entry and select "Edit." Modify the information about your source. You can:

  • Correct individual fields.
  • Use the dropdown list(s) at the top of the form to change the source or content types.
  • Modify the publication medium if necessary by selecting a different one on the left (e.g. "Website" instead of "Print"). Add any new data required if you have updated the publication medium or source/content type.

Click Save.