Update a preprint citation to its peer-reviewed journal form: journal, volume, pages and DOI. Free, no sign-up.
What this tool does
Preprints are cited with a server name and an ID, like arXiv:2301.12345. Once the same work is published in a journal, the citation should change: the journal name, volume, article pages and DOI replace the server ID, and the year may change too. Citing the preprint after the journal version exists makes your reference list look out of date. This tool converts the preprint form into the journal form from the details you paste, and keeps a note of the preprint ID so the history stays traceable.
Why it matters
Good citations do quiet work. They let a reader find every source you used, they show that your argument rests on real evidence rather than memory, and they protect you: a clean reference list is much harder to challenge than a vague one. Most marks lost on referencing are not lost on difficult sources. They are lost on small, repeated slips — a missing year, a swapped initial, a title in the wrong case — that a quick tool pass catches before submission.
How to use it
- Paste the preprint ID and server, plus author and title.
- Add the journal name, volume, pages and DOI.
- Copy the journal citation, with the preprint noted.
Worked example
Preprint arXiv:2301.12345 (2023) later published as: Patel, R. (2024). Clean water systems. Nature Water, 2, 45–58. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-024-00001-x (Preprint: arXiv:2301.12345). The journal form is what belongs in the reference list.
Tips for good results
Keep the preprint ID in a note even after switching to the journal citation. Readers following the history will thank you.
Work from the source itself, not from another paper’s copy of it. And keep one style for the whole list: a single mixed entry undermines an otherwise perfect bibliography.
Honest limits
The tool converts formats; it does not check whether a journal version exists or whether the content changed between preprint and journal. Always confirm the journal details against the published article before citing it.
Common mistakes to avoid
Common mistakes to avoid: copying a reference from another paper without checking it against the original, trusting a PDF filename for the title or year, and mixing two styles in one list. Each of these looks harmless alone and careless together. Run the tool, read its output once, and compare it with the source itself before you paste it into your document.
Before you submit
Run through this short check before you submit: is every author name spelled as it appears on the source, is every year present and correct, and does every in-text citation have a matching entry in your reference list? Read the list once from top to bottom rather than skimming it. Most referencing errors are found in that single slow read, and fixing them there is far cheaper than fixing them after a reviewer finds them. If one entry still looks odd after that read, check it against the original source before you change anything else.
Frequently asked questions
Is this tool really free?
Yes. It runs in your browser on this page, with no account and no payment. Nothing you paste leaves your computer.
Do I still need to check the result?
Yes, once. Tools apply rules; they cannot verify facts about your source. Compare the output with the source itself before submitting.
Can I use the output in my paper?
Yes. The output is a formatted reference or analysis for your own work. Keep the source’s facts accurate and the formatting consistent across your list.
What if the tool’s output differs from my style guide?
Trust the style guide. Tools encode the common rules of a style; your university or journal’s own sheet wins every disagreement. Use the tool to do the routine work, then apply the local rule where it differs.
Also available in Spanish: Normalizador de Estilo de Preprints – Convierte Citas de Preprints a Citas de Revista Gratis.