Reference List Formatter and Alphabetiser
Paste a reference list and this formatter sorts it alphabetically by author surname, removes duplicates, strips stray numbering and normalises spacing. It is a tidy-up tool for lists you have already written in Harvard, APA or Vancouver, not a citation converter.
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How UK reference lists are ordered
| Style | Ordering rule |
|---|---|
| Harvard (Cite Them Right) | Alphabetical by author surname, no numbering. |
| APA 7 | Alphabetical by author surname, hanging indent. |
| Vancouver | Numerical, in order of first citation in the text. |
| OSCOLA | Separate tables of cases and legislation, then alphabetical bibliography. |
Paste a reference list and this formatter sorts it alphabetically by author surname, removes duplicates, strips stray numbering and normalises spacing. It is a tidy-up tool for lists you have already written in Harvard, APA or Vancouver, not a citation converter.
What is Reference List?
A reference list is the alphabetical list of every source cited in your text, placed at the end of the assignment. Harvard and APA order by author surname; Vancouver orders numerically by order of first citation.
Frequently asked questions
Does it convert between referencing styles?
No. It orders, deduplicates and cleans an existing list. Use the Harvard generator to build new references.
Will it keep Vancouver numbering?
Choose the numeric option and it preserves the original order rather than sorting alphabetically.
Does it fix formatting errors inside a reference?
It normalises spacing and punctuation spacing only. It cannot verify bibliographic accuracy, so always check against the source.
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