Getting Started
Welcome to Academic References – a professional citation and reference management solution for WordPress.
What is Academic References?
Academic References enables content creators to:
- Add academic citations to posts and pages using Gutenberg blocks
- Build a searchable library of references (articles, books, websites)
- Automatically fetch citation data from DOI, PubMed, ISBN, and more
- Format citations in 10,700+ styles (APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, etc.)
- Import and export references in BibTeX, RIS, and CSL-JSON formats
- Sync with Zotero and Mendeley reference managers
- Let users maintain personal reading lists and favorites
Who Should Use This Plugin?
Academic Bloggers Write research-backed content with proper citations that readers can verify.
Researchers & Academics Share your published work with automatically formatted bibliographies.
Educators Create course materials with properly cited readings and resources.
Science Communicators Reference primary sources to build credibility with your audience.
Students Maintain a reference library while writing your thesis or dissertation blog.
Requirements
- WordPress 6.0 or higher
- PHP 8.0 or higher
- Block editor (Gutenberg) for best experience
The plugin also works with the Classic Editor using shortcodes.
Installation
- Download the plugin from your account at wbcomdesigns.com
- Upload to
/wp-content/plugins/academic-references/ - Activate through the Plugins menu in WordPress
- Navigate to References in the admin menu to get started
Dashboard Overview
After activation, find the plugin at References in your WordPress admin menu.
Plugin dashboard showing your reference library
Admin Menu Items
- References – View and manage all your references
- Add New – Create a new reference
- Categories – Organize references by topic
- Tags – Add keywords to references
- Collections – Group related references
- Import/Export – Bulk import and export
- Settings – Configure the plugin
Quick Start Checklist
Follow these steps to start using Academic References:
- Choose Your Citation Style Navigate to References > Settings > Citation Style and select your preferred format (APA 7th, MLA 9th, etc.)
- Add Your First Reference Go to References > Add New. Enter a DOI, PubMed ID, or ISBN in the Auto-Cite panel to automatically fetch citation data.
- Insert a Citation Edit a post, add a Citation block, and select the reference you want to cite.
- Add a Bibliography Add a Bibliography block at the end of your post to display all cited works.
- Import Existing References If you have references in Zotero, Mendeley, or a BibTeX file, use References > Import/Export to bring them in.
Understanding Reference Types
Academic References supports these reference types:
| Type | Use For |
|---|---|
| Article | Journal articles, magazine articles |
| Book | Complete books |
| Chapter | Book chapters, sections |
| Conference Paper | Conference proceedings |
| Thesis | Dissertations, theses |
| Report | Technical reports, white papers |
| Webpage | Online articles, blog posts |
| Dataset | Research data |
| Software | Programs, apps |
Each type has specific fields that citation styles use to format the reference correctly.
Next Steps
- Auto-Cite – Learn how to automatically fetch reference data
- Citation Block – Insert citations in your posts
- Bibliography Block – Display your references
- Citation Styles – Choose and customize formatting
- Importing References – Bring in existing references