Reference management tools

Reference management tools

Tools to help you integrate and manage references and bibliographies.

EndNote, Mendeley and Zotero are just some of the tools used for managing references and bibliographies. RMIT students and staff can download EndNote Desktop for free through the University site licensing arrangement.

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System and support comparison

EndNote Zotero Mendeley
Free for RMIT staff and students Free Free
Operating systems: Windows and Mac OS Operating systems: Windows and Mac OS Operating systems: Windows and Mac OS
Compatible with MS Word, OpenOffice, LibreOffice, Google Docs, Apple Pages Compatible with MS Word, OpenOffice, LibreOffice, Google Docs Compatible with MS Word, OpenOffice, LibreOffice, LaTeX
Mobile app for iOS only Mobile apps for iOS and Android No mobile apps
Desktop and EndNote Online Web-based Web-based
Unlimited storage (2 GB for EndNote Online) Free 300 MB 100 GB (institutional edition)
Supports RMIT Harvard style Supports RMIT Harvard style Supports RMIT Harvard style
Library support Limited library support Limited library support
Community support network Community support network Community support network

Feature and functionality comparison

EndNote Zotero Mendeley
Can import from databases Can import from databases Can import from databases
Import citations from web pages (EndNote Online only) Import citations from web pages (also archive page) Import citations from web pages
Extract citations from PDFs Extract citations from PDFs Extract citations from PDFs
Add tags to references Add tags to references Add tags to references
Transfer a library between applications Transfer a library between applications Transfer a library between applications (desktop only)
Full-text searching across PDFs Full-text searching across PDFs Full-text searching across PDFs (disabled by default)
Organise PDFs and other documents Organise PDFs and other documents (storage limits) Organise PDFs and other documents
Annotate and highlight PDFs Annotate and highlight PDFs Annotate and highlight PDFs
No selective syncing of documents Selective syncing of documents Selective syncing of documents
Private groups only Private and public groups Private groups only
Other features: Insert figures and charts with word processor integration Other features: Sync library with multiple computers, use tags to organise and search Other features: Sync with library from multiple computers

EndNote, Mendeley and Zotero make it easy to change to another reference manager. Please note: while citations will be copied, PDFs of articles may not be exported.

Decorative.

Not sure which reference manager to choose?

This module will help you decide which tool to use to organise your references. It explores the features of three popular reference managers: Endnote, Zotero, and Mendeley.

Choosing a reference manager module

Brief overview of reference managers

EndNote reference manager

EndNote is a tool for managing references and bibliographies. Depending on your needs, you can either download EndNote Desktop to your computer or sign up online for EndNote Online.

EndNote will

  • gather, store and manage references
  • automatically create and format bibliographies in your referencing style
  • search and retrieve records from catalogues and databases
  • insert citations directly into documents in your referencing style.

EndNote Desktop

EndNote Desktop is the full version of the EndNote software. We recommend it for researchers, Honours, postgraduates and anyone else who needs to keep track of a large number of references in their research work.

Access EndNote Desktop and additional files downloads

EndNote Online

This is the online version of EndNote Desktop. We recommend it for undergraduates, Vocational Education students and anyone who needs to use a small number of references in their assignments.

Sign up for EndNote Online

Help and training

Learn how to use EndNote with our EndNote: a beginner’s guide or explore other online tutorials, webinars and discussion forums for help and tips.

Access training guides and more

Mendeley reference manager

Mendeley is a free and user-friendly reference manager that allows you to collect, organise, cite, and share references. It has two components that can be used together or separately: Mendeley Reference Manager Desktop and Mendeley Reference Manager Web.

Features of Mendeley include:

  • Compatible with Mac and Windows
  • ‘Drag and drop’ files into Mendeley, and the program finds the bibliographic information on the web
  • Import citations from databases and other reference management tools
  • Create subject folders, groups and tags for articles
  • Works with word processing applications such as Microsoft Word and LibreOffice to create citations and bibliographies
  • Store, annotate and highlight PDFs from within your library
  • Enables collaboration and sharing
  • Webpages/citations can be captured using the Web Importer (web version only).

Help

Help is available from Mendeley’s website.

Zotero reference manager

Zotero is as an alternative to the EndNote desktop program. Use it to store, manage, and cite bibliographic references, such as books, articles, documents, web pages, artwork, films, sound recordings, bills, cases, and statutes.

Are you using Zotero Connector browser extension? Due to the authentication system upgrade, you will need to update the proxy settings. For instructions, go to the OpenAthens guide.

Features

Citations or references (called items) are stored in a folder “My Library”, and you can create sub-folders (called collections). Collections can be set up with Advanced Search function to automatically add new items.

You can assign tags to each item for later retrieval. Items can have notes, files and links attached to them. File attachments, such as PDFs and images, can be opened within Firefox, and other file-types open in external programs. Web pages are attached as links, or snapshots of the page on a particular date.

When searching the Internet, you can add items (including PDFs when available) to ‘My Library’ by clicking on the ‘Capture’ icon on the Zotero toolbar or add items manually.

One of the main features is the ability to create and join research groups on a specific topic. Each group can share its own research library, complete with files, bibliographic data, notes, and discussion threads.

Plug-ins for word processors

Plug-ins are available for Microsoft Word and OpenOffice.

In-text citations, footnotes and endnotes are all supported. Zotero can insert citations and bibliographies into any text field or program. Simply drag-and-drop items, and use ‘Quick Copy’ to send citations to the clipboard, or export them directly to a file.

Bibliographies are automatically generated and styles can be changed at any time.

It can be used with Google Docs, but at the moment (November 2011) there is no way to get an automatically updating bibliography in a Google Document.

Referencing styles supported

Zotero supports 1,767 styles, including APA 6th, Vancouver, several versions of Chicago and Harvard. New citation styles can be created and added to this list. A full list of Zotero styles is available.

Storage limits

Each user gets 300 MB of free storage for attached files, with larger storage plans available for purchase.

Access and downloads

Please note: software cannot be downloaded or installed on RMIT lab computers.

Websites transfer their data to Zotero through ‘translators’. There is a list of the compatible sites, which includes Pub Med, Scopus and EbscoHOST and many library catalogues. You can capture book records from LibrarySearch into Zotero. Make sure that sufficient details are captured. When tested in May 2013 you cannot capture article records.

Help

Help is available from Zotero’s website.

Reference generators

Are you working on a short assignment that will need a few references only? Then try using one of the free online reference generators instead of the a reference manaager, such as EndNote.

Why use online referencing generators:

  • Can format references in most popular styles
  • Let you copy and paste the references into your bibliography or reference list
  • You can use them in a browser.

If you decide to try one of these tools for your RMIT assignment, remember:

  • Use them for APA, Vancouver, MLA and Oxford styles only. RMIT has its own version of the Harvard style, so for this style it is safer to use our Easy Cite.
  • They can generate full references, but most can't help you with in-text citations.
  • They lack advanced features available in EndNote and other bibliographic management tools.
  • You might not be able to download bibliographic records from LibrarySearch and the databases. If this option is available, you will need to check the records for any errors that need correcting.
  • Don't submit your assignment without reviewing the references first. Online generators are error-prone, so always check the list of references they produce.

Here are some examples of reference generators:

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

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