Mendeley: Overview

Mendeley is a free reference manager, collaboration network, and recommendation engine for other academic works.

With Mendeley you can:

• Keep all your research in one place by adding references from databases or the web
• Read and annotate on the go—highlight PDFs, mark them up, and add sticky notes
• Generate citations and bibliographies easily with the MS Word plug-in
• Choose from thousands of reference styles including APA, MLA, and major journal styles
• Create a private group and collaborate with colleagues

To get started with Mendeley, create an account or sign in with an existing one at https://www.mendeley.com

Here is a short video that walks you through the account creation process:

Using Mendeley on the Web

Once you have a Mendeley account, you can use most of its features from within your favorite browser - no downloads required.  After you have signed in, you’ll be taken to a landing page. To get to the Reference Manager, click “Library” on the bar at the top of the page, and your reference library will load. Your library, PDF uploads, and any notes or annotations you make are saved in the cloud, meaning that you can access them from any device with just your login.

If you are signed into your account in your browser, the shortcut below will take you to your Mendeley web library. If not, you'll be prompted to sign in.

NEW - Mendeley Reference Manager

Mendeley has created a new Reference Manager that unifies the web experience with a standalone app, offering a simplified and consistent interface. Reference Manager can be used with any web browser by signing into Mendeley, or it can be downloaded and run on your local computer. In the future, new features and updates will come to Reference Manager first. Visit the link for more information.

Mendeley Desktop

The classic Mendeley Desktop app is available for Windows, macOS and Linux. Although it is no longer being updated, anyone who prefers this interface can continue to use it. If you alternate between using Mendeley Reference Manager on the web and the Desktop app, remember to hit the "sync" button frequently to ensure synchronization between your local library and your cloud library.

NOTE: If you plan to use the Citation Plug-In for Word, LibreOffice, or BibTeX, it is recommended to use the Mendeley Desktop app and to get the Citation Manager from its "Tools" menu.

The RBD Library offers Introduction to Mendeley workshops throughout the semester. Learn how to add citations to Mendeley from your computer, a library database, and the web, as well as how to use the software to annotate citations and create bibliographies using the Microsoft Word plug-in. Use the link below to register for the workshop.