Citing Sources: Reference Management Tools

There are many different reference management software options available, which helps you to:

• collect references
• store references in a web account or on your desktop
• organize references
• add notes to your references
• link to full text, web pages and documents
• cite your references and create bibliographies

The NU Library supports EndNote, Zotero, and Mendeley.

EndNote is reference organizer that allows you to create a personal database of the references that you retrieve from searches of library catalogues, databases and the Internet. It has both online and desktop versions.

EndNote Online is free, while EndNote, the desktop version is available through library subscription.

Zotero is a free, online reference manager.

Mendeley is a free, online reference manager and PDF organizer.

How do you know which program is right for you?

Some things to think about when you choose:

• What programs are your groupmates/professors using? For example, if fellow researchers are all using Zotero to share citations, you might consider Zotero so that you can share your research, too.
• Use what you like! There is no one perfect program, so use what you're comfortable with.
• You can use more than one software. Records can be transferred from one program to another.