What is reference management software?
Reference management software, also known as citation management software, allows 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
Some also have additional features such as:
- sharing your references and collaboration tools
- PDF highlighting
- social networking
Engineering Librarian
Zotero
A free tool to collect, manage, cite, and share sources.
You can:
- Download Zotero as a Firefox extension or standalone application
- Use plug-ins for other web browsers, Word, and LibreOffice
- Sync your Zotero library to view from any computer
- Use portable Firefox with Zotero on a flash drive to use on any computer
Learn more with the Zotero Quick Start Guide.
Mendeley
This free reference manager helps you organize sources, collaborate with others, and discover the latest research. Software must be installed on a personal computer.
You can:
- Manage references and citations
- Search and discover content
- Read and annotate articles
- Upload PDFs and sync across devices
- Create collaborative work groups
- Join the UA Mendeley group to collaborate on campus
Mendeley help guides
EndNote basic
Get started with EndNote basic
UA staff, students, and faculty are eligible for a free EndNote basic account through Web of Science database
- Import citations from databases
- Create and organize bibliographies
- Cite while you write
You can also purchase EndNote desktop software from the UA Bookstores (discounted price for UA community).
Learn more at EndNote basic help