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MNE 422 - Engineering Sustainable Development

Citation managers

When writing a substantial paper, it is a good idea to organize your research by using citation manager software to create a database of citations and research notes. Then you can use the software to insert citations into your paper in a specific format.The software also creates a bibliography (works cited list) in whatever format needed.

You can use citation managers to:

  • Build a database of references to books, periodicals, and other materials.
  • Import citation information from library catalogs and databases.
  • Add citation information manually.
  • Import or link to websites, PDF files, and other file types.
  • Format citations in a variety of styles, including IEEE, CS, etc.
  • Insert a bibliography or citations as in-text citations, footnotes, or endnotes.

UA accessible managers

EndNote 21 is available for free to University of Arizona students. Both are easy to use to organize your research references. You can export citation information directly from library catalogs and many research databases. You can import PDF documents into the system automatically that extracts citation information. Also, you can manually add in citation information.

When you are ready to insert your citations into your paper, you can select the desired format for your citation style. Please note that you still have to double-check to see that the citations formatted correctly. The link above provides links to resources on how to use EndNote.

 

Free citation managers

Zotero - an open source system

Get started with 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 - brought to you by Elsevier

Get started with Mendeley.

This free reference manager helps you organize sources, collaborate with others, and discover the latest research. This 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.