How do I cite a book in BibTeX?

To cite a book in BibTeX (standard), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.

How to Cite a Book in BibTeX (standard)

Learn how to cite printed and electronic books in BibTeX format (standard). This guide includes the reference list format, in-text citation examples, and key formatting rules.

BibTeX Reference List Format

Here is the standard BibTeX format for citing a book in your reference list:

BibTeX Example for a Book

A complete BibTeX reference for a book, formatted by the official BibTeX CSL style definition — the same engine that powers the generator on this site:

@book{Okafor2019craft, address = {Cambridge}, author = {Okafor, Amara}, edition = {2}, year = {2019}, publisher = {University Press}, title = {The craft of research writing}, }

Step-by-Step Guide

Gather source information: Collect the author name, title, publication date, and URL or DOI for your book.
Format the reference: Arrange the elements following the BibTeX (standard) template shown above.
Create the in-text citation: Add a parenthetical or narrative citation in your paper where you reference this source.
Add to your reference list: Include the full formatted citation at the end of your paper.
Double-check formatting: Verify italics, punctuation, capitalization, and hanging indents match BibTeX requirements.

Evidence and review notes

Worked examples are generated by citeproc from the published CSL definition, not written by a language model. Editorial guidance and sources in this section were reviewed on 2026-08-14.

CSL style record: bibtex.csl

Metadata to collect

author or editor
book title
edition
publisher
publication year
ISBN

Common metadata traps

Match the ISBN and year to the edition you actually used.
Do not cite the whole book when your source is a chapter by another author.

Read the detailed source guide →

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a book in BibTeX?: To cite a book in BibTeX (standard), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.
What is the BibTeX format for a book citation?: The BibTeX format for a book is: @book{Okafor2019craft, address = {Cambridge}, author = {Okafor, Amara}, edition = {2}, year = {2019}, publisher = {University Press}, title = {The craft of research writing}, }