Google indexes most things on the web. “Most things” includes publications which are searchable through Google Scholar. Google Scholar generates BibTeX citations which can be imported into a .bib file or citation database.
To download BibTeX citation go to Google Scholar and search for a publication. Through the cite button below a search result Google provides formatted citations for MLA, APA, and Chicago styles.
Now click the link “Import into BibTeX” at the bottom of the window to copy and paste the BibTeX citation.
You will be presented with the BibTeX citation, here for The TeXbook:
@book{knuth1986texbook,
title={The texbook},
author={Knuth, Donald Ervin and Bibby, Duane},
volume={1993},
year={1986},
publisher={Addison-Wesley Reading, MA, USA}
}
If you have a Google account, you can configure Google Scholar to show the “Import into BibTeX” on the search result page. Here is how:
- Login with your Google account
- Use the small down arrow in the top right corner to access Settings
- At the bottom, select “Show links to import into” and select BibTeX
- Click Save
As long as you are logged-in, you can directly access the BibTeX citation.
It’s always better to double check the citation generated by Google Scholar. Especially if the titles or author names contain special characters such as symbols or umlauts. In the example, the title should be changed to:
title={The \TeX{}book}
What method or service do you use to generate citations? Let me know below.