Mendeley: What are Reference Management Tools?

Reference management tools are software or web-based tools that:

• collect, store, organise and format references 

• create bibliographies and in-text citations in a particular reference style

They are sometimes called citation tools. They work by storing the bibliographic information of items such as articles, and connecting with word processors so in-text citations and bibliographies can easily and automatically be created in a document. 

When choosing a tool, consider:

• Cost - Is there a cost involved?

• Desktop/Online- Will you want to access the tool both off and online?

• Storage - How many references and attachments (such as PDFs) can you store?

• Word Processor - Is the tool compatible with the word processor you use? 

• Reference Style - Does the tool format in your preferred style? 

• Advantages - Does the tool offer specific features that meet your needs?

Take this short survey to identify what matters to you before you explore the guide!

Sussex Library provides detailed guides for the most popular software

• EndNote (as well as EndNote Basic)

• Mendeley

• Zotero (as well as Juris-M and Zotero Bib).

You can find a regularly updated Wikipedia guide to reference management software.

See the table below for a quick comparison.