McMaster LibGuides: Graduate Student: Productivity and Organization: Manage Scholarly Resources

Enhanced database features

Create a free account in any database.

Citation Management Software

Citation management software can help you collect, organize and format citations in your selected style. There are many citation management softwares available, both paid and free, all with different strengths and weaknesses. McMaster Libraries does not support any one software but free popular choices include EndNote Basic, Mendeley and Zotero.

Although citation management software is meant to automate the citation process nevertheless it is a software and it is your responsibility to make sure that the citation is propery formatted and includes all necessary information.

EndNote Basic is a free web-based system for organizing articles and formatting bibliographies in their word processor.

Mendeley is a free citation management software system that supports private and public collaborations. Its features include the ability to manage, share, read, annotate, and cite reference papers.

Zotero is a free, easy-to-use tool that organizes cites and stores references in your library. Your library can be synced with the Zotero website, making your references accessible on the web from multiple locations.

Citation Management Software Comparison

There are several systems that can help you manage your citations and your collection of PDFs. This table compares three of the most popular ones, all of which provide a free option that is usually adequate for most users.

	Zotero	Mendeley	EndNote Basic
Developer	Roy Rosenzweig CHNM (Center for History and New Media)	Elsevier	Clarivate Analytics
Cost?	Free & Open Source Charges for adding storage space	Free Charges for adding storage space	Free Charges for buying desktop application
How does it work?	Website, browser extension (or bookmarklet) and desktop application (which can be synced across devices & with website)	Website, browser extension and desktop application (which can be synced across devices & with website)	Website only, browser bookmarklet
How do I get it? Account & Installation info	Register for a Zotero account and Downloads & install info	Create a Mendeley account and Downloads	Register as a member for an EndNote account
Browser Compatibility	Chrome Firefox Edge Safari	Chrome Firefox Edge Internet Explorer Safari	Chrome Firefox Edge Internet Explorer Safari
Operating System (OS) Compatibility	Windows Macintosh Linux	Windows Macintosh Linux	Windows Macintosh Linux
Word Processor Compatibility	MS Word Open/Libre Office Google Docs	MS Word	MS Word
What citation styles are available?	10,000+ Citation Style Language (CSL)	10,000+ Citation Style Language (CSL)	20+ most commonly used styles
Can I cite while I write? Can I create in-text citations, footnotes, and bibliographies?	Yes, with plugins MS Word plugin (Win/Mac) LibreOffice plugin (Win/Mac/Linux) Google Docs (when using browser connector plugin)	Yes, with plugin MS Word plugin (Win/Mac)	Yes, with plugin MS Word plugin (Win/Mac)
Does it support group work such as sharing articles and collaborative writing?	Yes, unlimited groups, each with unlimited members Private groups can share references and files (if enabled) Public groups (closed membership) can share references and files (if enabled) Public groups (open membership) can share references only More info about Zotero groups	Yes, create and own 5 private groups with a maxium of 25 members; join an unlimited number of private groups Private groups can share references & files More info about Mendeley private groups As of March 2021, Mendeley public groups have been retired.	Yes, up to 5,000 groups, each with up to 1,000 users No public groups Sharing references only More info about groups in EndNote Basic
Can I link to McMaster's full-text resources from my account? Are link resolvers supported?	Yes, Zotero is openURL compliant Must configure Library Lookup option to enable McMaster Libraries get it! links Use McMaster's OpenURL and McMaster's proxy URL (if needed)	No. As of February 2016, Mendeley is no longer openURL compliant. Links to publisher websites are included, but accessing McMaster's full-text resources using those links may only work on-campus.	Yes, with McMaster's subscription to WoS, EndNote Basic is automatically configured to use McMaster Libraries get it! links. To setup in other versions of EndNote (e.g., desktop) go to EndNote Preferences > Find Full Text and input McMaster's OpenURL path and Authenticate with McMaster's proxy URL
Can I add web pages to my account?	Yes. Save citations from a web page, or save the current web page itself Install Zotero Connector or Zotero bookmarklet	Yes. Save citations from a web page, or save the current web page itself Install Mendeley Web Importer	Yes. Save citations from a web page, or save the current web page itself Install EndNote Capture Reference tool
Can I add notes to entries in my account?	Write notes and add tags	Write notes and add tags	Write notes
Can I save PDFs to my account? Can I annotate & highlight PDFs?	Yes Zotero doesn't support in-system annotation and highlighting, but third party tools (e.g., Adobe Acrobat Reader, ZotFile) can be used for this task.	Yes Yes - Read, highlight and annotate PDFs	Yes EndNote Basic doesn't support in-system annotation and highlighting, but Adobe Acrobat Reader comment tools can be used for this task.
What is the storage capacity?	300MB (or 0.3 GB) of web storage Unlimited on desktop (size restricted by local storage capacity) Charges for adding storage space	2GB of web storage Unlimited on desktop (size restricted by local storage capacity) Charges for adding storage space	2GB of web storage
Will I have access after I leave McMaster?	Yes	Yes	Yes
Does it work on my mobile device (phone or tablet)?	3rd party Android & iOS apps available Zotero website is mobile-friendly	Mendeley's mobile apps have been discontinued as of March 15, 2021.	iOS apps available (iPhone and iPad)
Is it accessible? Is it AODA friendly?	Yes, although Zotero users have reported some issues with screen readers.	Yes. Designed to adhere to the U.S. Government Section 508 accessibility standards. See Mendeley's Accessibility page.	Yes. Designed to adhere to the U.S. Government Section 508 accessibility standards. See EndNote's ADA Compliance page.
Security	Cloud storage is optional (mandatory for collaboration) Cloud data stored on U.S. servers	Cloud storage is mandatory Cloud data stored on U.S. servers	Cloud storage is mandatory Cloud data stored on U.S. servers
User Support	Zotero Documentation & Support Zotero Video Tutorials Zotero Forums	Mendeley Help Guides Mendeley Support Center Mendeley Support on Twitter Mendeley Videos Mendeley Blog	EndNote Basic Guide

_{Last Reviewed: May 3, 2021}

Endnote 20

EndNote (produced by Clarivate) is a citation management tool that moves you through the research process as you search, organize, write, publish and share your work. Whether you're writing a paper or manuscript, leading a research project, maintaining a CV, teaching a course or applying for a grant, EndNote can help.

EndNote lets you ...

store, organize, and manage references in your own personal and searchable library
import reference data from online databases such as MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar and more
create rules to automatically organize references as you work
read, review, annotate and search PDF files
find full text in both subscription and open access resources
identify and remove duplicate content
insert citations while writing a paper
create and format bibliographies using various output styles (e.g., APA, Chicago, MLA, Vancouver)
share some or all of your references with collaborators and colleagues
manage team access and track activity and changes

NOTES:

McMaster has a site license for EndNote software (Windows or macOS) that is available to current McMaster employees and students for download (at no cost). EndNote has both a desktop (i.e., EndNote 21) and web component (i.e., EndNote web or EndNote online).
If working on a systematic review, also consider using Covidence, a web-based software platform that streamlines the production of systematic reviews. It supports citation screening, full text review, risk of bias assessment, and more. McMaster provides unlimited access to university affiliates.