Free PLOS Citation Generator
PLOS uses numbered references in brackets for open-access scientific publishing, including PLOS ONE. CiteMe formats PLOS citations automatically from 10+ scholarly databases — paste a DOI or search by topic for formatted references instantly.
How to use the PLOS citation generator
Search your source in PLOS
Enter a title, DOI, URL, ISBN, or author name to find the right source in real academic databases.
Verify the metadata
Check author names, year, title, and source details before copying the final citation.
Copy the citation and in-text format
Get the full PLOS reference plus the matching in-text citation or footnote format instantly.
Why Use Our PLOS Citation Generator?
Real Academic Databases
Search 250M+ works from OpenAlex, Semantic Scholar, and CrossRef. Every citation is real and verifiable with DOI links.
PLOS Format
Formatted according to PLOS journal guidelines. Numbered references in brackets.
Open Access Focused
PLOS is a leading open access publisher. Our generator finds and links to freely available versions of papers.
Export Options
Copy formatted citations or export to BibTeX/RIS for use with Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote, and other reference managers.
PLOS Citation Examples
Journal Article
In-text: [1]
Book
In-text: [2]
Examples formatted in PLOS style
PLOS In-Text Citations
Bracket Numbers
Numbers in square brackets:
...as shown in recent studies [1].Multiple References
Comma-separated or range:
...supported by studies [1,3] or [1-3].Frequently Asked Questions
What is PLOS citation style?
PLOS style uses numbered references in brackets [1] in order of appearance. Used by all PLOS journals.
Is this generator free?
Yes! CiteMe offers free PLOS citations.
How accurate is this generator?
Very accurate. We format according to PLOS author guidelines.
Common PLOS citation mistakes
Avoid the most frequent formatting errors with a quick checklist by source type.
Open mistakes guide →Cite by Source Type in PLOS
Start with the source pages most readers need, then explore the full set of examples and formatting rules for this style.
Journal Article citations
Format open-access journal articles in PLOS style with numbered references, DOI-aware lookup, and metadata suited to PLOS ONE and related research workflows.
PDF citations
Cite preprints, reports, supplementary files, and research PDFs in PLOS style with numbered references for open-science workflows.
Website citations
Generate accurate PLOS citations for websites, web pages, and online articles. Handles missing authors and dates automatically.
Citation tools & comparisons
Start Generating PLOS Citations
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Need a different style? (secondary)
These cross-style links are intentionally secondary to keep style-specific journeys focused.