Overview: Just need one or two quick citations? No need to log in or subscribe – simply generate them in NoodleTools Express and copy and paste what you need into your document. Note: citations created in Express are not saved and cannot be exported to a word processor. 


This article applies to: 

✗ NoodleTools School Subscription

✗ NoodleTools Individual License

✗ NoodleTools MLA Lite

✔︎  NoodleTools Express

Instructions


Note: Citation forms in NoodleTools Express do not include:

  • options to import a citation by entering a DOI or ISBN
  • option to import a citation from a database (EBSCO, ProQuest, etc.)
  • annotations


Step 1:

Select a list style: MLA, APA, or CHI (Chicago).



Step 2: 

Select a source type from the dropdown list and click Create Citation. In some cases ("Database", "Advertisement", etc.), a page may then prompt you to select a more specific source type in order to place you on the right form.


Step 3: 

The citation form displayed is dynamic, showing you particular fields based on your project's style (MLA, APA, or Chicago), the source type and the publication medium selected.


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.


Step 4: 

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. 


Step 6: 

Click Save to generate the source citation. NoodleTools displays the formatted citation that can be copied and pasted into another document. Keep in mind that after you copy and paste (depending on the browser and what program you are pasting into), you may need to reapply formatting like italics or the font as needed.