Zotero makes it very easy to switch managers. The basic process is:
| Program | 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 |
| How much does it cost? |
Free to Temple faculty, students, and staff. Free cloud storage is limited to 2 GB. |
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 Free cloud storage is limited to 2 GB. |
Free program. Unlimited storage on your device. There are also free third-party add-ons for more functions. |
| 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 PDFs and web pages -Lots of functionality in an open-source product -Can share citations and other documents with others -the only citation manager to work with Google Docs |
| 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 interface and 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. Works with IE, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari |
| 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 |
| Program | EndNote Web | EndNote (Desktop) | Mendeley | Zotero |
| Add file attachments? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes. |
| 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) Can manually add images. |
| Duplicate record detection? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Yes. Automatic and requires merging duplicates. |
| 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 |
--sync desktop and web library and work across different devices -Saves and annotate snapshot of web pages -RSS feed -read and annotate PDFs and EPUBs |
