Citation managers are available to help you collect, organize, cite, and share references and sources (e.g. full-text articles). Tools such as EndNote, Mendeley, and Zotero allow you to:
If you would like to learn more about citation management tools, visit our Citation Manager LibGuide or email us at engsci@queensu.ca to book a consultation with a librarian.
Detailed comparisons of citation managers can be found online and as published journal articles.
Table 1: Citation Management Tools at a Glance
Adapted from: Ivey, C., & Crum, J. (2018). Choosing the right citation management tool: EndNote, Mendeley, RefWorks, or Zotero. Journal of the Medical Library Association: JMLA, 106(3), 399.
| EndNote | Mendeley | Zotero | |
| Platforms | Mac, Windows | Mac, Windows, Linux | Mac, Windows, Linux |
| Browsers | Internet Explorer (IE), Firefox, Chrome, Safari | IE, Firefox, Chrome, Safari | Firefox, Chrome, Safari |
| Browser plug-ins | IE (Windows only) and Firefox (Windows and Mac) | IE, Firefox, Chrome, Safari | Firefox, Chrome, and Safari |
| Mobile apps | iOS (iPad only) | Android, iOS | None; mobile-friendly site available |
| Word processing integration | Microsoft Word (Windows and Mac) |
Microsoft Word (Windows and Mac), LibreOffice (Linux, Mac, and Windows) | Microsoft Word (Windows and Mac), Libre Office (Linux, Mac, and Windows), [now compatible with Google Docs as well] |
| Importing references | Refer/BibIX, tab delimited, RIS, ISI-CE, filters for hundreds of databases | BibTeX, EndNote, XML, RIS, Zotero library, txt, Ovid (Medlars reprint), PubMed/MEDLINE (nbib), Mendeley web catalog | Bibliontology RDF, BibTeX browser bookmarks, Citavi 5 XML, CSL JSON, EndNote XML, MAB2, MARC, MARCXML, PubMed/MEDLINE (nbib), MODS, Ovid tagged, Primo normalized XML, PubMed XML, RDF, Refer/BibIX, RefWorks tagged, RIS, Web of Science tagged, XML ContextObject |
| Add reference by identifier | Available by searching external databases in application | ArXiv ID, DOI, PMID | ISBN, DOI, PMID |
| Offline availability | Yes, references and files stored locally | Yes, references and files stored locally |
Yes, references and files stored locally |
| Retraction alerts | Yes, integrates with the Retraction Watch database | To be confirmed | Yes, integrates with the Retraction Watch database |
The ASCE citation style uses a variation of the author-date style.
Zotero (Open-source)
Pros: User-friendly and great for beginners, compatible with MS Word and Google Docs, unlimited sharing groups with unlimited membership, can highlight and annotate PDFs within app, full-text searching within app, options to add images or websites, drag and drop to save PDFs
Cons: Limited free storage space for PDFs (300MB)
Pick if... you use Google Docs, want to add non-traditional citations (images, webpages), and work in groups for many simultaneous projects
EndNote (Clarivate)
Pros: Embedded export options with many popular research databases, unlimited storage for PDFs, compatible with MS Word, can highlight and annotate PDFs within app, full-text searching within app, contains spellcheck, works off-line
Cons: Not compatible with Google Docs, no options for public groups (invite-only access),
Pick if... you have a lot of citations that you need to manage, need to sometimes work offline, and frequently work in groups. Great choice for grad students and faculty or those with more robust research needs.
Mendeley (Elsevier)
Pros: 2GB of free storage, compatible with MS Word, annotate and highlight PDFs in app, full-text searching in app, private and public groups, works offline, social networking features, drag and drop to add PDFs
Cons: Not compatible with Google Docs, only one private group with free account,
Pick if... you use MS Word, want to work in a small group, and collaborate via social networks
