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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 a free, open-source tool that creates, stores and manages references and bibliographies. Depending on your needs, you can either use Zotero Desktop or Zotero Online.
Features of Zotero include:
- Compatible with Mac and Windows
- Import citations from LibrarySearch, databases and Google Scholar
- Use the Zotero Connector (a browser extension) to add an online article or webpage
- Use an Identifier (e.g. ISBN, DOI, etc.) to add a new reference
- Create and add a new reference from a PDF file
- Manually add references
- Attach full-text PDF files to your references
- Works with word processing applications such as Microsoft Word, LibreOffice and Google Docs to create citations and bibliographies
- Organise references into Collections (like folders)
- Enables collaboration and sharing.
Help
Help is available from Zotero’s website.
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.
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:
- BibMe
- CitationGenerator (integrates with Grammarly)
- Citation Machine
- EasyBib
- ResearchoMatic
