Skip to Main Content
Purdue University Purdue Logo Purdue Libraries

BibTeX

BibTeX is a tool for incorporating citations into a LaTeX document. This guide will discuss how and why you might want to use this powerful tool.

Best Practices

  • Use a citation manager to actually manage your citations, and to output .bib files.
  • Doublecheck your data.
    • Are any pieces of information obviously missing (year, publisher, page number, etc.)?
    • Are any pieces of information poorly formatted (ALLCAPS, etc.)?
  • Back up your .bib files frequently.
  • Read the documentation for the package of your choice.
  • Read the documentation for the citation style of your choice.
  • Do not assume your citations are correct -- check them thoroughly!

Workshop Examples