Research GuidesResearch GuidesHow do you know which citation manager is right for you?
Check the chart below -- you'll see a comparison of citation managers (some the Library supports). You'll want to consider questions like:
What is the norm in your field? What do your collaborators use?
Do you prefer a Web-based tool, or one that is installed on your computer?
Will you be sharing citations or your database with others?
Endnote Web is a good choice for many undergraduates. It is free, web-based, and easy to use.
It's not a lifetime commitment - you can change citation managers. And you can use more than one citation manager and move citations from one type of manager to another.
Go HERE for more information about Citation Tools at Drew.
Adapted from U of Minnesota Libraries
| EndNote Basic | Mendeley | Zotero | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free to Drew students, staff, & faculty | Free for basic edition | Free |
| Access | Access free from Web Of Science |
Download a desktop version—allows offline use and online version at Mendeley |
Desktop software available for download at Zotero Use on computer or flash drive or sync across computers Allows work offline |
| Collaboration | Share libraries with other EndNote users and citations via EndNote Basic | Create shared groups for citations but limited sharing for pdf's | Create group libraries and sync through Zotero |
| Audience |
Good for undergraduate level research and collaboration. |
Good choice for papers for classes Good choice if you already have a lot of pdfs for your research. |
Good choice for papers for classes. Best choice for capturing web-based and other non-standard sources (non-journal) |
| Ease of Use |
Moderately easy |
Moderately easy | Easy |
|
Importing Citations |
|||
| ... from library databases | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ... from library catalog | No | No | No |
| ... from websites | Save manually | Yes | Yes |
| PDF annotations & highlighting | No | Yes |
No 3rd party software options available |
| Storage Capacity & | Limited to 10,000 references |
2GB for free More space available for a fee. |
300 MB for free. More space available for a fee. |
| Notes & Tags | Can add notes and tags. | Can add notes and tags | Can add notes and tags. |
| Word Processing Software Compatibility |
Cite-While-You-Write: MS Word and OpenOffice |
MS Word Plugin, Open Office, and BibTex |
Word Processor Plugins for MSWord, Google Docs & LibreOffice |
| Citation Styles |
All major styles. Can request custom styles. |
All major styles. Can edit and create new styles. | All major styles. Can edit and create new styles. |
Find comparisons of a more comprehensive list of citation managers at Wikipedia's Comparison of reference management software. Source: adapted from Univ of Minnesota Libraries.
Check out Wikipedia's comparison of reference management software for more information.
Questions? Need Help? Email reference@drew.edu
Drew University Library, http://www.drew.edu/library