Overview of Citation Software: Pros, Cons, and Best Uses
By Sarah Jackson
Citation programs are a common feature of library instruction, helping users to manage difficult and cumbersome projects. Four programs are particularly common on academic and health science campuses: EndNote, Mendeley, Zotero, and RefWorks. It’s clear when comparing them, though, that each brings its own unique opportunities and challenges. While your campus may primarily support one, having a basic understanding of all four can help you communicate a program’s value to your users.
EndNote
EndNote comes in two forms — EndNote 20 for desktops, and EndNote Web for online. There are some great reasons to use EndNote, especially EndNote 20: It has a solid interface, allows for quick highlighting and insertion of citations in MS Word, and it works seamlessly with PubMed. While both versions have limitations (EndNote 20 stores information locally, while EndNote Web requires an internet connection), they can synchronize with one another, uploading EndNote 20 databases into EndNote Web for use on any computer.
Together, the two versions of EndNote are fantastic; separately, they leave a lot to be desired. With EndNote 20, users have the ability to download over 7,000 styles and edit them easily, while EndNote Web has only a little over 3,400 styles that can’t be modified. In terms of cost, EndNote 20 costs ($249.95) on desktops and laptops, but is available for free on iPads and iPhones, while EndNote Web is free.
Both versions have Find It! Integration and can also be expanded with the Cite While Your Write plugin; it allows users to import from library catalogs and databases, attach associated files, and search external databases. The newest version even allows users to search full text from PDFs. Though the Capture Reference Bookmarklet isn’t as intuitive as other citation programs in this list, EndNote Web does have this feature, which can be synchronized with EndNote 20. While both versions allow users to create groups, only EndNote Web can share groups with other registered users, allowing them to view and edit shared citations.
Mendeley
Mendeley is free desktop software that can synchronize with an online, editable account. Web importer Bookmarklet is available for most browsers, and as a plugin for both MS Word and OpenOffice. The program lives on your computer, but web-based synchronization allows you to share citations and documents with up to 10 other users, or create public reading lists available to all. Private groups, however, are limited to three members.
Mendeley allows users to import from many popular databases, libraries, and catalogs, as well as extracting citation information from PDFs, which can be attached, highlighted, annotated, and searched in Mendeley itself. Mendeley includes about 2,800 styles for use with MS Word and Open Office, but these output styles can’t be edited.
Managing large libraries can be difficult with Mendeley, though it does allow you to remove duplicate citations. Overall, Mendeley shines when users want to collaborate with colleagues and have their PDFs and citations synched across desktop, web, and iPad.
Zotero
Zotero is free software, along with a browser add-on that supports Firefox, Safari, and Chrome. While libraries are still stored on the user’s computer, web synchronization is available. Users can also manually import using RIS/BiBTeX. Zotero is especially good for web sources, able to archive web pages and import citations from web-based publications, commercial sites, and social networks. Users can also easily save and annotate snapshots of web pages.
For more traditional citations, it can search and import records using PMID, DOI, or IBSN, and extract citation data from PDFs. Like Mendeley, it allows users to search full text PDFs with the option to attach them and associated files automatically. Users can also share their citations through shared folders, giving individuals or groups permission to add or edit them.
Zotero works with MS Word, Google Docs, OpenOffice, and Libre Office, with a quick copy function that lets you drag and drop a citation from your Zotero library into the text field of any word processor to generate a bibliography. While Zotero houses over 10,000 citation styles, editing them for unusual cases is extremely difficult.
Overall, Zotero is easy to learn and best for managing quick collections of citations. It’s an excellent option when users want intuitive tools that work with a variety of web resources and databases, the ability to work in groups, and the option to synchronize from web to desktop. Unfortunately, it’s less ideal for managing large libraries.
RefWorks
RefWorks is a web-based interface accessible from anywhere. It is free for students, and offers institutional subscriptions. Users can export directly from many popular databases, import using RIS/BiBTeX, or grab citations from certain websites using plug-ins like RefGrab-It and Bookmarklet. Users can conduct full text searches and collect a wide variety of references such as presentations, government documents, or technical reports from the web and attach PDFs and associated files. In terms of collaboration, RefWorks allows users to share folders either publically, privately via RefShare, or by sharing accounts. RefWorks also boasts a mobile version called RefMobile.
RefWorks is best for manipulating a large set of citations and transitioning quickly and easily between styles. It works especially well when exporting many citations directly from library databases, and seems best able to identify and remove exact and near duplicates. To maintain access to citations after leaving an institution, however, users need to create their own account.
Overall
There’s no perfect program that can cover every use case. It’s common for libraries and campuses to focus on a particular citation manager, allowing them to offer deep support into its features and nuances, but understanding multiple options can help when making recommendations to users, and when recognizing your chosen program’s strengths and challenges.