Citation Management Software

McMaster Libraries doesn't recommend any specific system, but we have a citation management software comparison chart to help you choose from three popular and free tools. Below are quick start guides that can lead you through the process of setting up a citation management system, starting to add references to it from a database, and using it MS Word to format your bibliography.

• Zotero Quick Start Guide
• Mendeley Quick Start Guide
• EndNote Basic Quick Start Guide

If these options don't meet your needs, you can view a much larger comparison chart on Wikipedia, which includes both free and fee-based alternatives.

	Zotero	Mendeley	EndNote Basic
Developer	Roy Rosenzweig CHNM (Center for History and New Media)	Elsevier	Clarivate Analytics
Cost?	Free & Open Source Charges for adding storage space	Free Charges for adding storage space	Free Charges for buying desktop application
How does it work?	Website, browser extension (or bookmarklet) and desktop application (which can be synced across devices & with website)	Website, browser extension and desktop application (which can be synced across devices & with website)	Website only, browser bookmarklet
How do I get it? Account & Installation info	Register for a Zotero account and Downloads & install info	Create a Mendeley account  and Downloads	Register as a member for an EndNote account
Browser Compatibility	Chrome Firefox Edge Safari	Chrome Firefox Edge Internet Explorer Safari	Chrome Firefox Edge Internet Explorer Safari
Operating System (OS) Compatibility	Windows Macintosh Linux	Windows Macintosh Linux	Windows Macintosh Linux
Word Processor Compatibility	MS Word Open/Libre Office Google Docs	MS Word	MS Word
What citation styles are available?	10,000+ Citation Style Language (CSL)	10,000+ Citation Style Language (CSL)	20+ most commonly used styles
Can I cite while I write?  Can I create in-text citations, footnotes, and bibliographies?	Yes, with plugins MS Word plugin (Win/Mac) LibreOffice plugin (Win/Mac/Linux) Google Docs (when using browser connector plugin)	Yes, with plugin MS Word plugin (Win/Mac)	Yes, with plugin MS Word plugin (Win/Mac)
Does it support group work such as sharing articles and collaborative writing?	Yes, unlimited groups, each with unlimited members Private groups can share references and files (if enabled) Public groups (closed membership) can share references and files (if enabled) Public groups (open membership) can share references only More info about Zotero groups	Yes, create and own 5 private groups with a maxium of 25 members; join an unlimited number of private groups Private groups can share references & files No public groups as of December 2020 More info about Mendeley private groups	Yes, up to 5,000 groups, each with up to 1,000 users No public groups Sharing references only More info about groups in EndNote Basic
Can I link to McMaster's full-text resources from my account? Are link resolvers supported?	Yes, Zotero is openURL compliant Must configure Library Lookup option to enable McMaster Libraries get it! links Use McMaster's OpenURL and McMaster's proxy URL (if needed)	No. As of February 2016, Mendeley is no longer openURL compliant. Links to publisher websites are included, but accessing McMaster's full-text resources using those links may only work on-campus.	Yes, with McMaster's subscription to WoS, EndNote Basic is automatically configured to use McMaster Libraries get it! links. To setup in other versions of EndNote (e.g., desktop) go to EndNote Preferences > Find Full Text and input McMaster's OpenURL path and Authenticate with McMaster's proxy URL
Can I add web pages to my account?	Yes. Save citations from a web page, or save the current web page itself Install Zotero Connector or Zotero bookmarklet	Yes. Save citations from a web page, or save the current web page itself Install Mendeley Web Importer	Yes. Save citations from a web page, or save the current web page itself Install EndNote Capture Reference tool
Can I add notes to entries in my account?	Write notes and add tags	Write notes and add tags	Write notes
Can I save PDFs to my account? Can I annotate & highlight PDFs?	Yes Zotero doesn't support in-system annotation and highlighting, but third party tools (e.g., Adobe Acrobat Reader, ZotFile) can be used for this task.	Yes Yes - Read, highlight and annotate PDFs	Yes EndNote Basic doesn't support in-system annotation and highlighting, but Adobe Acrobat Reader comment tools can be used for this task.
What is the storage capacity?	300MB (or 0.3 GB) of web storage Unlimited on desktop (size restricted by local storage capacity) Charges for adding storage space	2GB of web storage Unlimited on desktop (size restricted by local storage capacity) Charges for adding storage space	2GB of web storage
Will I have access after I leave McMaster?	Yes	Yes	Yes
Does it work on my mobile device (phone or tablet)?	3rd party Android & iOS apps available Zotero website is mobile-friendly	Mendeley's mobile apps have been discontinued as of March 15, 2021.	iOS apps available (iPhone and iPad)
Is it accessible? Is it AODA friendly?	Yes, although Zotero users have reported some issues with screen readers.	Yes. Designed to adhere to the U.S. Government Section 508 accessibility standards. See Mendeley's Accessibility page.	Yes. Designed to adhere to the U.S. Government Section 508 accessibility standards. See EndNote's ADA Compliance page.
Security	Cloud storage is optional (mandatory for collaboration) Cloud data stored on U.S. servers	Cloud storage is mandatory Cloud data stored on U.S. servers	Cloud storage is mandatory Cloud data stored on U.S. servers
User Support	Zotero Documentation & Support Zotero Video Tutorials Zotero Forums	Mendeley Help Guides Mendeley Support Center Mendeley Support on Twitter Mendeley Videos Mendeley Blog	EndNote Basic Guide
Library Help Guides	Zotero Quick Start Guide	Mendeley Quick Start Guide	EndNote Basic Quick Start Guide

_{Last Reviewed:  May 3,  2021}

Quick Start Guide

1. Setting up Zotero
   • Create a Zotero account
   • Download Zotero
   • Install Zotero Connector
2. Getting References into Zotero
   • Zotero Connector
   • Exporting and Importing References from a Database
   • Manually Add References
3. Formatting Documents & Creating Bibliographies in Word Processors
4. Creating a Bibliography from within Zotero
5. Quality Assurance
6. More Support for Zotero

Setting up Zotero

Create a Zotero account

Setting up a free Zotero account enables you to sync and access your references in Zotero on the web and it lets you join groups and back up all your attached files.

1. Go to https://www.zotero.org/user/register
2. Fill in the registration form (email required).
3. Select Register.
4. Once registered, you can Log in to Zotero web from https://www.zotero.org/user/login

Download Zotero 

1. Go to https://www.zotero.org/download
2. Download Zotero desktop for Windows, macOS, or Linux
3. Follow the prompts to install Zotero on your computer.
4. Once downloaded a Zotero icon should appear on your desktop.
   
5. To synchronize your references with Zotero web, open Zotero desktop, go to the Edit menu and select Preferences
6. On the Zotero Preferences window, select Sync, go to the Settings tab and input your Zotero account information and then click Set Up Syncing button.

Install Zotero Connector

The Zotero Connector is a browser extension that enables you to add and save references to Zotero directly from your web browser.

1. Go to https://www.zotero.org/download in your preferred web browser.
2. Download the Zotero Connector for your browser.
3. Once installed, the Zotero Connector should appear as a Zotero icon near the address bar in your browser. 

NOTE: A Zotero bookmarklet that works in any browser, including those on smartphones and tablets, is also available, although the Zotero Connector browser extension is recommended.

Getting References into Zotero

There are a few different ways to get references into Zotero.

Zotero Connector

• As you browse the web, the Zotero Connector will automatically find bibliographic information (or metadata) on web pages you visit and allow you to save the item to Zotero.
• Once the Zotero Connector has been installed in your browser, go to a web page that contains the item you would like to cite.
• Open Zotero (desktop or web) - the program must be active before you can save items.
• Zotero Connector will put icons (similar to the ones below) in your browser’s address bar. The icons will change depending on the item displayed (e.g., book, journal article, report, sound recording, and more)

• On web pages where Zotero is unable to recognize the item type, the icon will be a grey web page.
  Once saved, the entry in Zotero can then be edited to the appropriate type of source. 

• On web pages that contain information about multiple items (e.g., a list of Google Scholar search results), the icon will be a yellow folder.
  Clicking this folder icon will open a Zotero Item Selector window where you can select the items that you want to save to Zotero 

• Click on the icon in the browser to save the item in Zotero. In the example below, the web page describes a book so clicking the book icon saves its details to Zotero.
  After you click the icon (or save) button, a pop-up window should appear indicating which Zotero library or folder the item is being saved to. If you want to save the item to a different location, you can change the selection in the drop-down menu 

Exporting and Importing References from a Database

References found in a database can be exported (or saved) to a file and then imported into Zotero.

• To import your citations into Zotero, your export file should be in one of the following bibliographic file formats. The most popular or common options are bolded.
  • Zotero RDF
  • CSL JSON
  • BibTeX
  • BibLaTeX
  • RIS
  • Bibliontology RDF
  • MODS (Metadata Object Description Schema)
  • Endnote XML - best format for exporting from Endnote
  • Citavi XML - best format for exporting from Citavi
  • MAB2  
  • MARC
  • MARCXML
  • MEDLINE/nbib
  • OVID Tagged
  • PubMed XML
  • RefWorks Tagged - best format for exporting from RefWorks
  • Web of Science Tagged
  • Refer/BibIX - generally avoid if any other option is available
  • XML ContextObject
  • Unqualified Dublin Core RDF
    
    Here is a sample export screen from an EBSCO database which includes a Direct Export in RIS Format option that works with Zotero and other citation management tools.

• Once you've exported the references in a supported file format, open Zotero desktop and go to the File menu, select Import and choose A file with the exported citations and follow the prompts to load them into your account. [In Zotero web, select + sign  then Upload File].
  
  

Manually Add References

• To add a reference manually, open Zotero desktop and click the green New Item button (or + sign in Zotero web) and select the desired item type from the drop-down menu.
  
• In the resulting Info form, type in the item's bibliographic information (or metadata).

Formatting Documents & Creating Bibliographies in Word Processors

Zotero can automatically create and update bibliographies and format citations (in-text, footnotes) in a variety of citation styles in your document by installing Zotero's plugins for word processors such as Microsoft Word, LibreOffice or Google Docs

• For Microsoft Word (or LibreOffice), open Zotero desktop, go the Edit menu and select Preferences
  • At the Zotero Preferences window, select Cite, go the Word Processors tab and install the Microsoft Word Add-in (or LibreOffice Add-in) and click OK.
  • Once installed, a Zotero tab should appear in Word (or LibreOffice).
  • In Word (or LibreOffice), use the options in the Zotero plugin toolbar to format citations and bibliographies in your documents. Visit Zotero's word processor integration documentation for detailed instructions.

Creating a Bibliography from within Zotero

If all you need to do is create a list of references to email to someone or post to a website, it is not necessary to use a word processor plugin. You can create a bibliography directly within Zotero.

1. In Zotero desktop, select the references or folder to create the bibliography from and right click on the selected references and choose Create Bibliography from Items... [In Zotero web, select references and then pick the Create Bibliography button in the toolbar.]
   
   
2. In the resulting window, select the Citation Style (e.g., APA), Output Mode (i.e., Bibliography) and Output Method (e.g., RTF - Rich Text Format) and then follow the prompts depending on the selections you have made. [In Zotero web, select Citation Style from drop-down menu and Copy to Clipboard or Copy HTML].
   
   

Quality Assurance

Zotero facilitates the management and formatting of citations. However, it is vital that you check the citation data at the import stage and check the formatting of your in-text citations and the generated bibliography to ensure the completeness and accuracy of the data captured or the references being produced.

More Support for Zotero

For more assistance and support in using Zotero please refer to: 

• Zotero's documentation and support pages
• Zotero's video tutorials
• Zotero Forums

_{Last Reviewed: December 10, 2020}
 

Quick Start Guide 

1. Setting Up Mendeley
   • Create a free Mendeley account
   • Download Mendeley Reference Manager
   • Install Mendeley Web Importer extension
   • Install Mendeley Cite (plugin for Microsoft Word)
2. Getting References into Mendeley
   • Mendeley Web Importer
   • Drag and Drop
   • Add New
3. Creating Bibliographies
   • Creating Bibliographies within Micosoft Word
   • Creating Bibliographies within Mendeley
4. Quality Assurance
5. More Support for Mendeley

Setting up Mendeley

Create a free Mendeley account

1. Go to https://www.mendeley.com
2. Select Create a free account
3. Set up an account using your McMaster email address.

Download Mendeley Reference Manager

1. Go to https://www.mendeley.com/download-reference-manager
2. Download Mendeley Reference Manager for Windows, macOS, or Linux.
3. Follow the prompts to install Mendeley Reference Manager on your computer.
4. When you open Mendeley Reference Manager, sign in to your Mendeley account.

Install Mendeley Web Importer extension

1. Open https://www.mendeley.com/reference-management/web-importer in your preferred web browser.
2. Download the Web Importer extension for your browser.
3. The Web Importer will appear as the Mendeley icon near the address bar in your browser. Open a web page and click on the Web Importer icon 
4. Sign in to your Mendeley account in the Web Importer window.

Optional: Install Mendeley Cite (plugin for Microsoft Word)

1. Open Mendeley Reference Manager.
2. In the Tools menu, click on Install Mendeley Cite for Microsoft Word.
3. Follow the prompts to install the plugin.
4. When you open Microsoft Word, click on the References ribbon and open Mendeley Cite. Sign in to your Mendeley account in the Mendeley Cite plugin.

Getting References into Mendeley

There are a few different ways to get references into Mendeley Reference Manager.

Mendeley Web Importer 

• Once the Mendeley web importer is installed, go to a web page you’d like to cite.
• Click on the Mendeley icon  near the address bar in your browser. A Web Importer pop-up window should open in your browser.
• In the Web Importer window ...
  • sign in to your Mendeley account (if not already open)
  • select  the checkbox next to the reference you’d like to import
  • if you’d like the PDF (if one is available), check the Add PDFs if available box.
  • from the drop-down list, select the library (or folder) you’d like to add your reference to and click the Add button.

Drag and Drop 

• Download the PDF of the item you’d like to import into Mendeley.
• Select the PDF (can select multiple, if you’d like!) and simply drag and drop into Mendeley Reference Manager.

Add New

• In Mendeley Reference Manager, use the Add New option to import citations from a file, manually add an entry, or import a library of citations from another reference manager product.

Creating Bibliographies

Creating Bibliographies within Microsoft Word

• Once you've installed Mendeley Cite, open Microsoft Word.
• Go to the References tab in your Word document.
• Select Mendeley Cite and sign in to Mendeley Reference Manager.
• Position the cursor where you want the bibliography to appear in your document and go to the Mendeley Cite add-in window.
• Select the More menu and select the Insert Bibliography button in the drop down list.

Creating Bibliographies within Mendeley Reference Manager

• Right click the resource you’d like to cite, and select Copy As and then Formatted Citation.
• You can then copy and paste the citation into your bibliography.

Quality Assurance

Mendeley facilitates the management and formatting of citations. However, it is vital that you check the citation data at the import stage and check the formatting of your in-text citations and the generated bibliography to ensure the completeness and accuracy of the data captured or the references being produced.

More Support for Mendeley

• Mendeley Reference Manger: A Guide for New Users (Elsevier)
• Mendeley Support Centre (FAQ, email, and chat)
• Mendeley Support (@MendeleySupport on Twitter)
• Mendeley Guides
• Mendeley Videos (on YouTube)
• Mendeley Blog (News and Updates)

_{Last Reviewed: April 27, 2021}

Quick Start Guide 

1. Create an Account
2. Adding References to EndNote Basic
   • Exporting references directly from databases
   • Importing references from databases
   • Caputure references with a browser bookmarklet
   • Manually add references
3. Creating Bibliographies with EndNote Basic
   • Creating bibliographies in Microsoft Word
   • Creating bibliographies within EndNote Basic
4. Quality Assurance
5. More Support for EndNote Basic

Create an Account

To use EndNote Basic you must register for an account. 
Once you have established an account, go to myendnoteweb.com  to sign in and access your references. Bookmark this page in your browser for easy access.

Adding References to EndNote Basic

There are several different ways to get references or citations into EndNote Basic. These methods are outlined below. 

Exporting references directly from databases

Some databases, like those on the EBSCO and Web of Science platforms have options to directly export references to EndNote Basic.

1. While in a database, select reference(s) of interest (e.g., mark items to a folder or list)
2. Look for Export (or Save) options 
3. Select Direct Export to EndNote Web (or variant) and then the Save button.
   NOTE: If the EndNote Web/Online option is not available, select RIS Format and follow the instructions for importing references. 

Importing references from databases

You can save references from many databases and import them into EndNote Basic.

1. While in a database, select reference(s) of interest (e.g., mark items to a folder or list).
2. Look for Export (or Save) options.
3. Select RIS Format and Save.  NOTE: Remember the name of the database you searched.
4. Once you have saved the references in a file, sign in to EndNote Basic.
5. In EndNote Basic, go to the Collect tab and select Import References.
6. On the Import References page, go to File: and select the Choose File button. This will open a window for you to find and select the import file.
7. Go to the Import Option: drop-down menu and select the database you exported the records from. If the database you used isn't in the list, select RefMan RIS.
8. Optionally, from the To: drop-down menu, select the group (or folder) into which you want to save the references.
9. Click the Import button.
   
   The references imported from the file are now saved to the folder you selected or into your Unfiled folder.

Capture references with a browser bookmarklet

EndNote Basic provides a Capture Reference tool that allows you to capture information about the webpage you are viewing. This works best when you are reading an abstract of a journal article or a news website.

The Capture tool is a browser bookmarklet  that you can get as follows:

• Sign in to EndNote Basic 
• Select the Downloads tab and follow the install instructions for Capture:
• Once installed, you should see Capture Reference in the browser's Bookmarks or Favourites toolbar. 

1. While you are in a database or on a web page that you want to cite, click the Capture Reference bookmark and a pop-up window should open in your browser.
   NOTE: The first time you use the Capture tool during a session, you will be prompted to sign in to EndNote Basic.
2. When the Capture New Reference  window appears, ensure that the correct Reference Type: has been selected from the drop-down menu (e.g., Journal Article, Web Page) and review or input all the relevant bibliographic fields (author, title, year, etc.) for that item. Ensure that the information in the Capture New Reference window is correct and complete, so that EndNote will be able to format your bibliography correctly later.
3. Once completed, select which Groups: you want to save the reference to and click Save To: my.endnote.com 

Manually add references

1. Sign in to EndNote Basic
2. Go to the Collect tab and select New Reference
3. Go the the Reference Type drop-down menu and select the appropriate type (Book, Journal Article, Web Page, etc.). 
4. Enter the details of the reference into the appropriate bibliographic fields (i.e., author, title, year, etc.).  
5. Choose the Group where the reference will be saved from the My Groups drop-down list.
6. Click the Save button. NOTE: The Save button appears once information has been added. 
   Option to attach the item/file is also available.

Creating Bibliographies with EndNote Basic

EndNote Basic can automatically create bibliographies and format citations in documents, assignments, manuscripts, and more in a variety of citation styles.

Create bibliographies in Microsoft Word

EndNote Basic has a plug-in that allows you to create and automatically update your bibliography and citations in your Microsoft Word document.

To get the Microsoft Word plug-in ...

• Sign in to EndNote Basic 
• Select the Downloads tab and follow the install instructions for Cite While Your Write
• Once installed, you should see an EndNote tab in Microsoft Word.

1. While in Word, go to the EndNote tab and select Insert Citation. Any citation inserted will automatically be added to your bibliography at then end of your document.
2. To change the way that your bibliography is formatted, click on the Configure Bibliography button in the toolbar. This window lets you change the citation style on the Format Bibliography tab; adjust the font and title of the bibliography on the Layout tab; and enable or disable immediate formatting of your citations and bibliographyon the Instant Formatting tab.

Create bibliographies within EndNote Basic

EndNote Basic lets you quickly create a bibliography from all the references in a group or folder. If you just need a few references that you want to post to a blog or email to somebody, copy them to the Quick List in the My References tab.

To create a bibliography ...

1. Sign in to EndNote Basic 
2. Go to the Format tab and select Bibliography.
3. In the References: drop-down menu, select the folder or group that you want to use as the source for your bibliography
4. In the Bibliographic style: drop-down menu, select a bibliographic output style from the list (i.e., APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).
5. In the File format drop-down menu, select one of the file formats listed: HTML, TXT (plain text) or RTF (rich text format).
6. Click the Save, E-mail or Preview & Print button.

Quality Assurance

EndNote Basic facilitates the management and formatting of citations. However, it is vital that you check the citation data at the import stage and check the formatting of your in-text citations and the generated bibliography to ensure the completeness and accuracy of the data captured or the references being produced.

More Support for EndNote Basic

Check out the EndNote Basic website for more guides and tutorials.

_{Last Reviewed: November 25, 2020}