Reference management tools help you collect, manage, cite, and share bibliographic references. These tools can be used to automatically generate both in-text citations and bibliographies, organize PDFs, and share references between team members.
Lane Library recommends Zotero, which can be downloaded and used free of charge, for most users.
Reference Management Software helps you:
This guide includes information about four reference management tools: Zotero, Endnote, Mendeley, and Refworks. For each program, we have included information about getting started with the software and accessing tutorials and help. This guide also includes information about using reference management software with Covidence for systematic literature reviews.
Software |
Cost |
Word Processor Plugins |
Browser Extensions |
Online Storage |
---|---|---|---|---|
Zotero | Free | Microsoft Word, LibreOffice, Google Docs, and a variety of other word processors and writing systems | Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge | 300 MB for free, more (including an unlimited storage option) available for a fee |
Endnote | $99 through the Stanford Bookstore. A free web-based version is also available. | Microsoft Word | Chrome, Firefox, and Safari | 2 GB with a free account, unlimited with a desktop account |
Mendeley | Free | Microsoft Word and LibreOffice | Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, and other web browsers | 2 GB for free, more storage options available for a fee |
RefWorks | Free via Stanford's site license | Microsoft Word and Google Docs | "Save to RefWorks" bookmarklet available for any modern browser | Unlimited number of references |