Choosing a reference manager
This video will give you a brief overview of the features of Endnote, Zotero, and Mendeley. Please note: you will need to log into your RMIT account to view this video.
Which Reference Manager – EndNote, Zotero, Mendeley (Microsoft Stream, 17 mins)
The following may also help you to decide which reference manager suits your needs:
Which referencing style will you need to use? Are you submitting an article to be published in a journal that uses their own citation style?
EndNote may be best for you – thousands of extra styles can be added to EndNote (some specific to journals). Editing or creating styles is also relatively simple to do with EndNote.
Will you generally use the reference manager on one device (for example a desktop computer or a laptop)?
EndNote may be the reference manager tool for you.
Do you prefer to work online/on the cloud via multiple devices?
Mendeley may be the reference manager for you.
Do you prefer using open source software?
Zotero is the reference manager for you.
Do you add annotations (for example highlight or add notes) to PDF documents?
Mendeley may be the reference manager for you.
Do you have a reference list in a document (for example Word) that you want to add to a reference manager?
Zotero is the reference manager tool for you. Note: Start with CrossRef and references require DOI.
Are most of your references obtained from the Internet?
Mendeley or Zotero may be reference manager tools for you.
Are you required to use LaTeX for the preparation of a paper?
Mendeley may be the reference manager tool for you.
Overview of features:
| Features | EndNote | Zotero | Mendeley |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost? | Free for RMIT staff and students | Free | Free |
| Available on Windows and Mac OS? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Import from databases? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Add tags to references? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Private groups | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Full text searching across PDFs? | Yes | Yes (not enabled by default) | Yes |
| Extract citations from PDFs? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Annotate and highlight PDFs? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ability to transfer a library between applications? | Yes | Yes | Yes, with desktop version |
| Public groups | No | Yes | Yes |
| RMIT Harvard style | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Library support | Yes | Limited | Limited |
| Organise PDFs and other documents | Yes | Yes, though the free version has storage limits | Yes |
| Community network? | No | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile apps for iOS and Android? | iPad only | Yes (see 3rd party apps) | Yes |
| Selective syncing of documents | No | Yes | Yes |
| Import citations from web pages? | EndNote Online only | Yes (can also archive page) | Yes |
| Web based? | Limited | Yes | Yes |
Additional information:
| Features | EndNote | Zotero | Mendeley |
|---|---|---|---|
| Word processor compatibility | MS Word, OpenOffice, LibreOffice, Google Docs, Apple Pages | MS Word, OpenOffice, LibreOffice, Google Docs | MS Word, OpenOffice, LibreOffice, LaTeX |
| Storage capacity | Unlimited (2gb for EndNote Online) | 300mb (free) | 100gb (institutional edition) |
| Other features | Insert figures and charts using word processor integration | Sync library with multiple computers, use tags to organise and search | Sync with library from multiple computers |
