Developing a system for managing and organizing your citations can make your research much easier. For shorter assignments, you might simply use a Word document that includes all of your citations and notes. For longer research assignments, however, tools like citation management software may work more effectively.
Citation management software programs allow you to download citations from various websites and databases. They also help you electronically store and organize the citations and insert them into your paper.
Note: Always check the citations generated by an online tool, since they can have small errors. Be sure the citation follows the citation style you are using. Citation Style Guides are available.
If you're looking for a lightweight tool to just format individual citations, take a look at citation generators like EasyBib.
Note that many databases also allow you to gather sources in a folder that you can access while searching the database. EBSCO databases, for example, have this function. Keep in mind, though, that you will still need a way to organize your sources when you are no longer accessing the database.
Other citation management questions? Ask A Librarian.