I Need to: Use: Why: Work from multiple computers or locations Zotero Mendeley EndNote Web Zotero saves your citation library to your local computer, but syncs with multiple computers so you can work from home, work, or school. Mendeley is a program that lives on your local computer, but syncs with a web account.
EndNote Web is web based. Your citation library is accessible from any computer that is connected to the web.
Work without an Internet connection Zotero Mendeley EndNote Zotero, Mendeley and EndNote can store your citation libraries locally on your computer. Archive web pages and import citations from sites such as Amazon, Flickr, and ArtSTOR Zotero Zotero allows you to easily save snapshots of web pages and annotate them within your citation library.
It is a great tool for saving citation information from some web-based publications and commercial and social networking sites. Work on a group project or share my citations with others Zotero Mendeley EndNote Web Zotero allows you to share your citations through shared folders - you can give individuals or groups permissions to add and edit the citations in the shared folder. Mendeley allows you to share citations and documents with a group of up to 10 other users, or create a public reading list that is open to all.
EndNote Web allows you to share groups with anyone who is registered with the service. You can allow others to view or edit your citations. Adapted with permission from “,” copyright © 2011 The Pennsylvania State University. Citation Manager Comparison Table Zotero Mendeley EndNote EndNote Web Access Zotero software with browser add-on (Firefox and Chrome).
BibDesk is a graphical BibTeX-bibliography manager for Mac OS X. BibDesk is designed to help organize and use bibliographic databases in BibTeX.bib format. Reference Manager, and ProCite databases. By bridging UNIX underpinnings and GUI, TextMate cherry-picks the best of both worlds to the benefit of expert scripters and novice. Reference management entails the collection, annotation, curation, and citation of published information. This is exactly what Bookends does. Bookends can perform Internet searches to retrieve references and associated pdfs or web pages, or immediately find and import references for which you already have the pdf.
Desktop software, but can sync with an online account which is editable Desktop software with an online version (EndNote Web) Web-based Where is my database stored? Local computer with optional web based syncing between computers Local computer with web based syncing between computers Local Computer with cloud storage and syncing via EndNote Web Web-based How does it work? Detect citations that can be captured from databases or web pages. Search and import records using PMID, DOI, or ISBN. Extract citation information from PDFs. Import from many popular databases.
Extract citation information from PDFs. Export from databases into EndNote. Can search catalogs from within EndNote. Browser bookmarklet can import from many databases. Can also import using text files Ability to work offline Yes Yes Yes No Cost Free to anyone Free. UChicago faculty, students, and staff can register through Web of Science fro more features Departments can. Free to UChicago faculty, students, and staff Word-processor compatibility MS Word, Google Docs, Open Office MS Word, Open Office, LaTex Microsoft Word, OpenOffice (EndNote X3+), Pages (X4+) MS Word Import from Library databases Yes Yes Direct export from specific databases Yes Import from Library Catalog Yes Yes Yes Yes Find It!
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Michelle Lavery is a graduate student of Biology at the University of New Brunswick, Canada. She has recently started writing up her thesis, and has been waffling between various reference managers. You can follow her on. I’ve recently concluded data collection for my degree (insert week-long celebration here), and have rapidly realized that my background literature has been stored in a rather disorganized way for the past few years (i.e.
All over my desk and the floor surrounding my desk). As usual, Google has the answer. After clumsily searching “disorganized science papers help please,” I found a wide variety of reference management programs. But what is a reference manager? At its most basic, a reference manager is your digital filing cabinet.
At its most convenient, it is your bibliography creator. But in between, various programs come with various perks—digital notating, keyword assignments, automatic article updates, suggested papers, etc. To the uninitiated, choosing a reference manager seems like choosing the graduate school equivalent of a spouse—and it is. You might need to test some first to find out what you like and what you need. That’s why I’m starting with some of these fabulous and free ones: Features: You can find out more on —it’s laid out pretty clearly. Cons: Only exports bibliographies to Microsoft Word, OpenOffice.org, and LibreOffice.
Features: The “Ultimate Researcher Toolkit” is explained on. Cons: Has serious difficulty with historical references (i.e. I can’t get any of my fish population estimates from 1858 to upload with proper citations, even when I put them in by hand!).
Features: Again, they’re pretty good at selling themselves on. Cons: They don’t really have a mobile version; however, this can be compensated for with other add-ons. Once I have an idea of what I actually need and what is superfluous, I’ll settle down with one of the above, or I’ll splurge and pay for one of these swankier variations: Features: A list of features can be found on. Cons: Expensive! Although many academic institutions have partnerships with this program, so you may be able to get it for free, or at a more reasonable price.
You can also try it out for free, for 30 days. Features: A little less expensive than their other proprietary counterparts, they have just as many features that can be found on. Cons: Obviously the cost; however, there is a 30-day free trial and student discounts advertised directly on their homepage. This was an app designed for Mac, so beware, Windows users—you may not find it as Windows-y as some of the others. Features: A favorite of the various institutions at which I have found myself, RefWorks has a long list of features found on.
Cons: Like EndNote, this can set you back a pretty penny. However, many academic institutions have adopted this program as well, so you may be able to find it at a more reasonable price. For more information, Wikipedia has come up with an extensive comparison chart you can find. There are tons of these programs on the market, so be sure to shop around.
Also, keep in mind that these programs can be useful when collaborating, but only if you all use the same apps! Some supervisors may also insist on a particular program, so consult with others before purchasing. Since what I need in a reference manager might be very different from what you need, I’ll leave it to you to play around and find what works best for you. But I’ve been told that when you find the one, you’ll know in your heart that it’s right. And it will be a partnership to last a graduate degree’s lifetime.
Best of luck with your search! Do you have a favorite reference management program? What features do you like most about it? Share it with us in the comments, so that we may learn from your wisdom. Photo courtesy of Flickr user, used under Creative Commons licensing.