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Citation Management

Citation Management Software

Citation Managers are software applications that allow you to:

  • collect and organize your research
  • format citations for written assignments
  • share sources with group members or professors

Use the chart below to choose the correct application for you:

Zotero RefWorks
(New)
RefWorks
(Legacy)
EndNote
(Desktop)
EndNote
(Basic)
Mendeley
(Desktop)
Mendeley
(Web)
Description Web-based tool and standalone software that helps you collect, organize, share and cite sources Web-based bibliography and database manager that allows you to create your own personal database by importing references from text files or online databases and other various sources. Older version of RefWorks Citation management software that helps you collect, store, organize and cite sources Web-based service that helps you collect, organize, share and cite sources Reference manager and academic social network that helps you organize your research, collaborate with others online, and discover the latest research Online version of Mendeley (limited features)
Best For Small or large research projects     Large research projects (thesis, book) written using your own computer Smaller research projects, and when internet access is more reliable than access to a specific computer    
Cost Free for everyone Free download through the library with Hunter e-mail and group code   Citation management software that helps you collect, store, organize and cite sources Web-based service that helps you collect, organize, share and cite sources Reference manager and academic social network that helps you organize your research, collaborate with others online, and discover the latest research  
Sharing Yes - set up groups, share libraries Yes - share citations through folders Yes - share citations through folders Yes - through included EndNote Web account Yes - create groups to share lists Yes - use groups to share  
Download software?    
Work offline?  
Integration with Word Processors? Yes - download plugins for Word and OpenOffice to create in-text citations and bibliographies Yes - Write-n-Cite plugin allows integration with MS Office Yes - Write-n-Cite plugin allows integration with MS Office Yes - create in-text citations and bibliographies with Cite While You Write plug-in for Word Yes - create in-text citations and bibliographies with Cite While You Write plug-in for Word Yes - download plugin for Word integration  
Import citations from databases?  

University of Texas Libraries guide to Citation Managers.

For a more in-depth comparison see this Citation Management Software Comparison Chart