Biological Sciences: Citation Management

Bibliographic management software can make your life MUCH easier! It allows you to create a personal database of your references which you can easily search, organize, annotate, and share.  Once included in your database, you can create in-text citations with a MS Word add-in and automatically generate works cited lists in your preferred format.  It also also possible to store PDFs along with each record, making your research materials accessible anywhere with a wireless connection.   

We provide support for three types of citation management software:

Interested? AU Libraries offers classes on Endnote, Zotero, and Mendeley.  You can sign up for one here.

You can also email me for individual or small group consultations on Zotero.

Which citation manager is best for you? Here are a few other questions to consider...answers are subject to change and vary by personal opinion!

• What do your colleagues use? You will have someone to turn to for help. It also can streamline collaboration. 
• Is ease of use all important? Zotero is a bit easier to use.
• Is cost critical? Zotero and Mendeley are free (mostly).
• Do you save PDFs for every reference? Zotero and Mendeley can automatically download PDFs when available.
• Is managing website important? Zotero excels at this.
• 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.

For a more thorough comparison, view our Overview of Citation Managers.