Earlier in the summer we heard from Google that they were planning on adding a citation tool to Google Docs. Now those of us who have been using it for a while remember the Research tool which let you add citations to documents with footnotes. Google replaced the feature in 2016 with the Explore tool which includes the ability to add citations as well as pictures to items referenced in the document that were sourced online.
Fast forward to October 2020 and by now most of you will have a brand new citation tool available to you in Google Docs. This tool is much more robust and for all you language arts teachers, yes you can now use it to create proper bibliographies and not just footnote references.
Here is a screenshot of the sidebar where a bibliography has been created from the citations.
You add your citation sources in the sidebar and then you can insert in-text citations where needed in the body of your document.
You can choose from a number of different sources including books, book sections, website and journal and newspaper articles. Books, Journals and newspapers can additionally be categorized by how they were accessed by choosing print, website or online database.
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Once completed you can then add a bibliography and choose from MLA, APA or Chicago. Click the cite button and the correct citation will be insured inline in your text.
Once you have completed the citations you can insert a bibliography using the button at the bottom of the sidebar.
Look for this feature to appear in your Tools menu in Google Docs in the next few weeks. Most districts will have this available by the middle of October.
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