Why We Use Citation Managers
These tools, sometimes called reference managers, make it easy to keep track of research and cite it appropriately. Work smarter, not harder!
- Save citations, PDFs, and web snapshots easily of almost any source you want
- Generate in-text citations and bibliographies directly in your documents
- Use browser extensions to capture citations from a web page with one click
- Organize resources with folders, tags, and notes
- Collaborate with others
Citation Manager Options
Zotero and Mendeley are two popular citation managers that have desktop applications, Microsoft Word plugins, and browser extensions that are free to download. EndNote Basic -- sometimes called EndNote Online -- is a free version of the popular paid tool, EndNote, that does not have a desktop application.
-
Zotero
- 300 MB free storage
- Browser extension available to import citations directly from a web page
- Take automatic "snapshots" of webpages to archive alongside with your citations
- Microsoft Word and Google Docs plugins available to generate in-text citations and bibliographies in your document
- Attach PDF files to your citations in the desktop application
- More privacy for your citations and saved documents
-
Mendeley
- 2 GB free storage
- Browser extension available to import citations directly from a web page
- Microsoft Word plugin available to generate in-text citations and bibliographies in your document
- Read and annotate PDF files within the application
-
EndNote Basic
- 2 GB free storage
- Web-only interface
- Browser extension available to import citations directly from a web page
- Microsoft Word and Apple pages plugin available to generate in-text citations and bibliographies in your document
Questions?
For more information on picking the right manager for you, please contact a librarian or see the links below.
