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A free tool for researchers & students

Reference list formatter

Upload BibTeX or RIS exports and download a formatted reference list in APA 7, Harvard, or Vancouver style as Word and plain text.

Format references See how it works
  1. 1. Upload BibTeX or RIS files
  2. 2. Choose APA 7, Harvard, or Vancouver
  3. 3. Download Word and/or plain text

Upload your files

Turn a library export into a submission-ready reference list without retyping each entry.

  • BibTeX (.bib) and RIS (.ris / .txt) accepted
  • APA 7, Harvard, or Vancouver output
  • Word (.docx) and plain text (.txt)
  • Up to 5 files / 50,000 references / 100MB total filesize.
Required. We'll let you know once your files are ready. Comma separate multiple addresses.

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BibTeX (.bib) or RIS (.ris / EndNote .txt) from Zotero, Mendeley, Scopus, EndNote, and other reference managers. Up to 5 files / 50,000 references / 100MB total filesize.
Optional. Helps label citations in your report and exports.
Citation style
Output formats
Choose one or both file types to generate.
Uploading your files…

This may take awhile depending on file size. Please keep this page open.

What you get

Formatted references in a ZIP file, plus a shareable online report.

Three common styles

Choose APA 7th edition, Harvard, or Vancouver before you upload.

Word document

Download references.docx with hanging-indent paragraphs ready to paste or edit.

Plain text

Download references.txt for quick copy into submissions or appendices.

BibTeX or RIS input

Import from Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote, Scopus, and other managers or databases.

Shareable report

Every job has a unique public URL with counts and sample references.

Smile

Spend less time fixing reference formatting by hand.

As used by students at ...

  • Monash University
  • University of London
  • National University of Singapore
  • University of California
  • Queen's University
  • University of Reading
  • University of Southern Queensland
  • University of Vienna
  • Massey University
  • University of Texas at Arlington
  • Université Paris Cité
  • Utrecht University
  • Université de Toulouse
  • Vietnam National University, Hanoi
  • University of South Africa
  • Indira Gandhi National Open University
  • Universiti Teknologi MARA
  • University of Indonesia
  • Tecnológico Nacional de México
  • National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
  • Durham University
  • University of Wales
  • University of the Sunshine Coast
  • The University of Western Australia
  • University of KwaZulu-Natal
  • Victoria University of Wellington

How it works

From export to formatted reference list in four steps.

  1. 1
    Export from your library
    Save BibTeX or RIS from Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote, or another tool.
  2. 2
    Pick style and outputs
    Select APA 7, Harvard, or Vancouver and Word and/or plain text.
  3. 3
    Upload and wait
    We email you when your ZIP is ready.
  4. 4
    Download and submit
    Use the formatted list in your assignment, thesis, or manuscript.
Format references free

FAQ

Quick answers about reference formatting.

What does this tool do?

It reads BibTeX (.bib) or RIS exports and writes a formatted reference list in APA 7, Harvard, or Vancouver style.

Which citation styles are supported?

APA 7th edition, Harvard, and Vancouver.

Which files can I upload?

BibTeX (.bib) or RIS (.ris / EndNote .txt) from reference managers and databases.

Is this tool free?

Yes. Researcher's Friend is free to use. You can process up to 5 files and 50,000 references per job.

How do I cite this app?

Please cite as
Eckstein, Gary. 'Researchers Friend'. Making Literature Selection More Accurate, 2026, https://researchersfriend.org.