Skip to Main Content Header

Referencing and Academic Integrity: Citation Managers or Citing Tools

What is a Citation Manager?

Reference Managment Software allows you to group your sources together as you find them and easily create citations and/or import them into your documents. These applications can simplify the citation mangement process for projects involving a high number of sources. Citation managers are used primarily in research and writing heavy courses.

To assist your with your referencing, the Library recommends the referencing management tools Zotero, Mendeley, RefWorks or EndNote. All have free versions and are easy-to-use tools to help you collect, organize, cite, and share research and can be used in conjunction with word.

Use the links in the applicable sections below to install either of these products or read the user manuals.

Watch the brief video for more information on using Citation Managers.

Reference Management Software

YES!! Link to our "How To" document or watch the video below

Zotero is a freely available desktop-based reference manager and can be used on Windows, Mac and Linux computers.

There is also an online version of Zotero, which you can set up to sync with your desktop version of Zotero and access your library of references from anywhere.

Zotero has a range of features to help you collect, organise and cite your references.

  • Add references to your Zotero library by importing text files, dragging and dropping PDF files, using a standard identifier (ISBN, DOI and PMID), using the Zotero Connector (a piece of software called a 'plugin' which you add to your web browser), or manually entering bibliographic details
  • Organise your library using collections and tags
  • Search and delete duplicate references
  • Share your references with colleagues
  • Cite your references using a plugin in Microsoft Word, LibreOffice, OpenOffice and Google Docs

Zotero Standalone

Zotero Standalone is the software you install on your computer that facilitates the collection, storage and management of your references in a library. Visit the link below to install Zotero on your computer:

Creating an online account

Creating an online account with Zotero allows you to:

  • Access your desktop library of references online from any computer with an internet connection
  • Sync your library across multiple computers
  • Create groups
  • Share your references

To create an online account, visit the web page below and click 'Register for a free account':

The online account can be used for free with 300 megabytes of storage. You can purchase more storage if necessary. The free version of Zotero is usually sufficient for storing references in your online Zotero library, but storing PDF files in your online account uses a lot of space. So that you do not need to pay for extra storage, we recommend disabling the sync of PDF files from your desktop to your online Zotero library. To do this:

  • Go to Zotero Standalone and navigate to 'Preferences'.
  • Click 'Sync' and untick the box that says 'Sync full-text content'.

To explore increasing your storage, visit the web page below:

Zotero Connector

The Zotero Connector is a web browser plugin that detects references on a web page and allows you to add references to Zotero Standalone quickly and easily. The plugin is available for Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Edge.

The Zotero Connector also facilitates the use of the word processor plugin for Google Docs (more details below in the Word processor section).

To install the Zotero Connector, visit the web page below:

Word processor plugin

The word processor plugin enables you to cite references from your Zotero library into your word processed document. To add the plugin to Microsoft Word, LibreOffice or OpenOffice:

  • Open the Zotero Standalone desktop programme on your computer and click 'Edit/ Preferences'
  • In the 'Cite' pane, choose 'Word Processors' and click on the button for the Microsoft Word Add-in or for LibreOffice/OpenOffice

To add the plugin to Google Docs, you need to have installed the Zotero Connector (details above in the section 'Zotero Connector'). To use the plugin in Google Docs, follow the instructions at the web page below:

Zotero on mobile devices

There are a number of third party iOS and Android app solutions, as well as an official iOS app that is in beta testing.

You can also access and manage your online Zotero library on your device's web browser without the need for an app. To add references from your device's web browser to your online Zotero library, you will need to use the Bookmarklet.

Visit the web page below for information on how to install the apps and use Zotero on a mobile device:

What is ZoteroBib?


ZoteroBib is a free tool that helps you quickly make reference lists (bibliographies) in many citation styles, without creating an account or installing software.

 

How to use it:

  • Go to zbib.org.
  • Type or paste a source (like a book title, URL, DOI, or ISBN) in the search box and click Cite.
  • ZoteroBib will create the citation for you.
  • Edit details if needed by clicking on the citation.
  • Repeat for each source you want in your bibliography.
  • Choose your citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).
  • Copy or download your final bibliography.

Tips:

  • Great for quick, one-time bibliographies.
  • The bibliography is saved in your browser until you clear it.
  • Always double-check for mistakes.
  • If saving from a URL doesn’t work, or you have a book, printout, or PDF that you can’t easily find online, you can copy or type in an ISBN, DOI, PubMed ID, or arXiv ID. 
  • Not sure which to use? The Zotero/ZoteroBib website offers guidance for choosing the option that is best for you.
  • Visit the ZoteroBib FAQ for more details. 

Mendeley is a free, full-featured reference management software that simplifies in-text citations and reference lists for researchers and academics, and is available on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers.

Mendeley has a range of features to help you collect, organise and cite your references.

Where to download

We recommend you install these three tools to get the best out of Mendeley:

  • The desktop app now called - Mendeley Reference Manager.Thesis students should use the Mendeley desktop version to download and back up references and work offline.
  • The browser plugin – Mendeley Web Importer Install it in your preferred browser and pin it to your toolbar for quick access
  • The MS Word add-on - Mendeley Cite opens as a Word document—follow the prompts to install. Mendeley Cite will then appear in Word’s References menu and is also available in Word 365 online.

Create your Elsevier/Mendeley account;

When installing Mendeley you will be asked to create an Elsevier/Mendeley account. Be sure to note the password, as you will need it often!

Moving from Mendeley Desktop to Mendeley Reference Manager

To use Mendeley Reference Manager, install the software (see the Download section of this page) and sign in with your existing Elsevier email address and password. Mendeley Reference Manager will sync with your online account and pull your references through to the desktop interface.

Where can I get help?

Library staff are always happy to help with any Mendeley questions.

Reach us through chat, email library@eca.edu.au, or book an appointment.

EndNote is a reference manager that is both desktop and web-based and can be used on Windows and Mac computers. EndNote can be installed on personal computers, is available on Bodleian Libraries reading room PCs and can be installed on office computers in the University. See the 'Install' section of this page for further details.

The web-based version, called EndNote Basic is free for everyone regardless of whether they are at an institution or not. There is also EndNote Online and an iOS app.

EndNoteOnline has a range of features to help you collect, organise and cite your references. With EndNote you can:

  • Add references to your EndNote library by directly exporting from databases and search engines, dragging and dropping PDF files, using the Capture EndNote Reference web browser plugin, using EndNote Click, or manually entering bibliographic details
  • Organise your library using groups and tags
  • Search and delete duplicate references
  • Share your references with colleagues
  • Cite your references using a plugin in Microsoft Word, Apache OpenOffice, LibreOffice and Wolfram Mathematica 8
  • Downloading Free EndNote

EndNote can be used as a desktop or web-based application. The desktop version of EndNote has more features and is free for University of Oxford members to use while they are members of the institution. We would recommend using the desktop version of EndNote.

EndNote Online also facilitates syncing of your desktop library across multiple computers.

There is an iOS app which you can use on your iPad or iPhone and the app can be downloaded from the Apple store. Note, you need to have an EndNote Online account to use the app.

 

Interested in learning more about citation managers? The following links refer to tables compare notable reference management software, also known as citation managers. This list can be overwhelming, but is easily sorted by multiple criteria. Take your time and look over all the possibilities available to you. 

Wikipedia has an updated list of older applications that may no longer be supported, as well as actively-maintained software which includes separate lists for Operating System Support, Export and Import File Formats, Citation styles, Word Processor integration and Database Connectivity.

Oxford Universty Library has and excellent comparison of the reference managers RefWorks, EndNote, Zotero and Mendeley, including a brief overview of their Pros, Cons & Integration with AI

footer