Veterinary Medicine: Citation Software

EndNote, Mendeley, and Zotero are examples of citation software.

Citation software allows you to ...

• Keep track of all of your citations
• Save and organize PDFs (and other files associated with a citation)
• Import citations from databases like PubMed, SciFinder, PsycINFO, and Web of Science.
• Format citations when writing papers in whatever citation style that you need
• Take notes on articles and save them with the citation

Comparisons by other universities

Which citation manager is best for you? The links above and the table below can help you decide, but here are a few other questions to consider.

• What are your colleagues or your advisor using?
• Is money an overriding issue? If not, then EndNote may be the best choices. EndNote costs about $120 for students and $180 for faculty (less if multiple copies are purchased). The same EndNote version can be used for several years and upgrades are less expensive than the full price. There are free alternatives. Zotero and Mendeley are free (mostly).
• Do you need to be able to write papers in different citations styles? Most journals have different citation styles even if they are nominally using a style such as ACS style, APA, Chicago, or MLA.
• Is ease of use all important? Zotero and Mendeley are easiest.
• Is full functionality important? EndNote is more powerful and customizable.
• Do you plan to spend many years in academia? EndNote is best for large reference collections.
• Are journal abbreviations used in your preferred citation style(s)? EndNote handles this best.
• No decision is final! Citations can be moved from one citation manager to another.