A citation manager is a program used to store, organize, share, and output citations. Some citation managers have the added functionality of an academic social network. Once the citation information is stored in the citation manager, it can be output in many different styles, like MLA, APA, Chicago, or others. It saves the writer/researcher from having to type out the same citation and bibliography over and over again by hand.
Citation managers make it easy to:
Citation managers integrate with word-processing programs for inputting in-text citations and generating the corresponding bibliographies.
A citation manager is a valuable time-saving tool for researchers and anyone writing a paper with cited references/bibliographies.
Temple supports EndNote/EndNote Web, Mendeley, and Zotero. In addition to these, there are many other citation managers available for free or for purchase.
| EndNote Web | EndNote (Desktop) | Mendeley | Zotero | |
| How to access? | Log in via TU Libraries' Web of Science database. (Must create free WofS account) | Purchase. Current prices for Temple students and affiliates available through https://onthehub.com | https://www.mendeley.com | https://www.zotero.com |
| Strengths |
-Good for organizing citations for papers and formatting bibliographies -Allows users to share citations -Web-based -Since Temple has a site license, no cost for users |
-Excellent for organizing citations for papers and theses -Good customer support -Highly customizable -Can handle a large number of references |
-Great for managing PDFs -Does a good job of pulling citation metadata from PDFs -Can share citations and documents with others |
-Simple download of records -Good for managing a variety of formats, including web pages -Lots of functionality in an open-source product -Can share citations and other documents with others |
| Learning Curve | Fairly quick to learn; many online user guides and demos | Takes longer to learn, but not difficult with training | Quick to learn. Pretty simple interface | Quick to learn; simple design, many online user guides and demos |
| What format is it? | Web-based | Desktop software that syncs up with EndNote Web | Desktop software and web-based. Works with IE, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari | Desktop software and web-based. Open source |
| How much does it cost? | Free to Temple faculty, students, and staff | Current prices for Temple students and affiliates available through https://onthehub.com | There is a free version; more features are available for an additional charge. Register and download at https://www.mendeley.com | There is a free version; more features are available for an additional charge. Download add-ons and desktop programs at https://www.zotero.org |
| How does it work? | Export references from compatible databases into EndNote Web | Export references from compatible databases into EndNote | Export references from compatible databases. Download using browser plugin. Mendeley will also retrieve metadata for PDFs that are dragged and dropped |
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
|
| Is full text linking available? | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| EndNote Web | EndNote (Desktop) | Mendeley | Zotero | |
| Add file attachments? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Can link citations to PDFs in folders on your computer |
| Auto-download PDFs? | No | Yes | Yes, most of the time | Yes, most of the time |
| PDF annotation? | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
Store and cite images? |
No | Yes | Yes (web screenshots) | Yes (web screenshots) |
| Duplicate record detection? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Yes |
| Does it work with word processing software? | Yes. Powerful formatting and customization features in Word; also works with LaTeX through BibTeX and Open Office | Yes. Powerful formatting and customization features in Word; also works with LaTeX through BibTeX and Open Office | Yes. Works with Word and Open Office; also works with LaTeX through BibTeX | Yes. Works with Word, Google Docs, and LibreOffice; also works with LaTeX through BibTeX |
| Collaborate with other people? | Can share folders of references within EndNote Web; can export references to share with others; can create groups for collaboration | Best for single users, but can export references to share with others. (If syncing to EndNote Web, can use ithe online sharing features) | Very good for collaborative work. Create, search, and join public and private groups that focus on specific topics; can share records if you choose to do so through group folders | Yes, create, search, and join public and private groups that focus on specific topics; can share records if you choose to do so |
| Other Important Features | -Syncs up with EndNote desktop version, but can be used without it |
-PDF file management and organization features -Good PDF reader that enables highlighting and comments |
-Very good for collaborative work -Good PDF reader that enables highlighting and comments -Can set up a "watched folder" which automatically imports PDFs downloaded into that folder into your Mendeley library |
-If you back up records, you can sync multiple computers -Integrated with work on the web that you do -Saves snapshot of web pages -Not recommended for public computer users |
