Please note that this guide is for Mendeley Desktop, which is the older version, NOT Mendeley Reference Manager, which is the new version.
Mendeley have launched a new version of their reference management software called Mendeley Reference Manager. At the moment there is no deadline for moving over to the new system and support is still available on the old system.
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.
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!
Software | Cost | Desktop/Online | Storage | Word processor | Citation styles | Advantages |
EndNote | Under the JISC Collections Endnote agreement (at no additional cost to the University) staff and students are able to install the software on their own devices for free. | Both: Synchronise across your devices | Unlimited | Word, LibreOffice, OpenOffice, Pages | 6000+ | Collect the largest number of references; enhanced integration with Web of Science and PubMed; online support |
Mendeley | Free (owned by Elsevier, an information and analytics company) | Both: Synchronise across your devices | 2GB free | Word, OpenOffice, LibreOffice, NeoOffice | 9000+ | Integrated PDF tools; enhanced sharing with other researchers; online support |
Zotero | Free, open source | Both: Synchronise across your devices | 300MB free | Word, OpenOffice, LibreOffice, NeoOffice | 9000+ | One-click capture with most databases; store a diverse range of sources; online community |
Juris-M | Free, open source | Both: Synchronise across your devices | 300MB free | Word, OpenOffice, LibreOffice, NeoOffice | 9000+ | Enhanced legal and multilingual referencing |
Zotero Bib | Free, open source | Online only | NA: One-off bibliographies stored in local browser | Word, OpenOffice, LibreOffice, NeoOffice | 9000+ | Create one-off bibliographies without opening an account; may be especially useful for undergraduates |
EndNote (as well as EndNote Basic)
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.