Cunningham Memorial Library: Applied Clinical and Educational Sciences (ACES): Citation Management Software

Collection Research Materials

Citation Management Software exists as a place to collect articles, chapters, images, videos and other materials that you gather while working online. You will want to decide which of these tools to use before you get too far along in your work because it will eventually become quite cumbersome to rearrange storages systems. The information below compares the three major softwares, it does not include Google Scholar or Google Drive. Contact your Education Library if you are interested in learning more about any of these softwares.

Overview of Citation Software

Citation software helps you to:

import citations from your favorite databases and websites.
build and organize bibliographies.
format citations for papers.
take notes on articles and save them in your collection of citations.
save and organize PDFs, screenshots, graphs, images, and other files for your research.

CML supports Endnote while some individual librarians are able to assist with Zotero or Medeley. How do you know which program is right for you? The following are some things to think about in making your choice.

	EndNote	Zotero	Mendeley
Strengths?	Excellent for organizing citations for papers and theses Good customer support Highly customizable Can handle a large amount of references	Simple download of records Good for managing a variety of formats, including web pages Lots of functionality in an open-source product. Downloads records from several databases that don't work with other citation products, including Factiva, USPTO, Espacenet, & FreePatentsOnline. Can share citations and documents with others	Great for managing PDFs Does a good job of pulling citation metadata from PDFs Can share citations and documents with others
Type	Desktop client software; also has web interface, EndNote Web, through Web of Knowledge Note: EndNote Web isn't as robust as the desktop version.	Desktop software and browser add-on for Firefox, Chrome, and Safari.	Desktop software and web-based. Works with IE, Firefox, Chrome and Safari.
Cost	Free while enrolled at Indiana State University. Download Endnote.	Free with 300MB of back-up storage. Storage & group upgrades available for a reasonable monthly fee. Open source. Download Zotero.	Free with 2GB of web space. Storage & group upgrades available for a monthly fee. Download Mendeley.
Learning curve	Takes longer to learn, but not difficult with training.	Quick to learn; simple design, many online user guides and demos.	Quick to learn; Pretty simple interface.
How does it work?	Export references from compatible databases into EndNote.	Zotero can tell when you are looking at an item and shows an icon for it in the browser's URL bar. Click the icon to add the item to your Zotero references.	Export references from compatible databases. Mendeley will also retrieve metadata for pdfs that are brought in.
How simple is it to import records?	Simple to import records from most research databases.	Very simple, as long as the resource is compatible with Zotero.	Very simple using the Mendeley browser plugin. However, the import doesn't work with as many databases as other products.
What kinds of records can you import and organize (PDFs, images, etc.)?	Best with records for traditional formats (articles, books, etc.). PDFs and other file types can also be stored in the records.	Traditional formats (books, articles, patents), as well as web pages. PDFs, web screenshots, and other file types can also be stored in the records.	Best with records for traditional formats (articles, books, etc.). PDFs and other file types can also be stored in the records.
Can you search within PDFs	Yes, but search isn't intuitive.	Yes. Make PDFs searchable by choosing to index them in the preferences menu.	Yes. Highlights the words you are searching for.
Are records in your library viewable by others?	No.	Yes, if you choose to share them. You can set up individual and group profiles and share records.	Yes, if you choose to share them. You can set up individual and group profiles and share records.
Can you export records to other citation software?	Yes.	Yes.	Yes.
Does it work with word processing software?	Yes. Powerful formatting and customization features in Word; also works with OpenOffice and LaTex through BibTex.	Yes. Works with Word and LibreOffice; also works with LaTex through BibTex. You can create a list of Works Cited for Google Docs.	Yes. Works with Word and OpenOffice.
Does it back up your records?	No.	Yes, if you choose to back up or sync your Zotero library. A small amount of storage is free.	Yes.
Can you annotate PDFs (highlight & make notes)?	Yes.	No.	Yes.
Other important features	Has a "find full text" option to download full text for records (when you have access to the PDF) Has Firefox addon	Can be used for collaborative work with groups Will automatically attach PDFs to records if you choose If you back up records, you can sync multiple computers Integrated with work on web that you do Does not have Firefox addon	Very good for collaborative work If you back up records, you can sync multiple computers Has Firefox addon
Does it have a mobile site or app?	Yes, an iPad app.	Yes, a mobile site through zotero.org. There's also an app called ZotPad for iPhone/iPad.	Yes, a lite mobile app for iPhone/iPad.
Link to vendor documentation	Technical Support & Services	Documentation	Support

Source. Reproduced with permission.