EndNote, RefWorks, Zotero, Mendeley Help - Sheldon Margen Public Health Library

EndNote

EndNote automates the creation of bibliographies. Writers can save hours of typing and interpreting journal and other style requirements by simply selecting the publication or style by name and generating a perfectly formatted document. The EndNote support site includes new and updated import filters and output styles to download.

Offers sophisticated, flexible tools for organizing references and PDFs and for creating bibliographies

Offers most comprehensive array of citation output styles

Link EndNote records to PDFs and other types of documents saved on your hard drive

In EndNote version X2 and higher: download article PDFs automatically

Use UC-eLinks to find the full text of the article from within EndNote

EndNote software must be purchased and installed onto your computer

EndNote is not very intuitive, but is not difficult with training

Best option for large research projects

Current version of EndNote Web is not recommended

EndNote Knowledgebase, FAQs, and the Tutorials Library are the best places to start when you are learning EndNote or have problems.

RefWorks

RefWorks is a web-based tool that allows users to create their own personal database by importing references from text files or online databases. You can use these references in writing papers and automatically format the paper and the bibliography in seconds. Web-based means you can access RefWorks from any computer with Internet access. Access to RefWorks is provided by the UCB Library to UCB students, staff, and faculty.

Zotero

Zotero is a (free) Firefox extension that helps manage documents found online through the browser. It collects metadata (including citation information) and stores PDFs, files, images, links, and whole web pages for easier retrieval. Zotero can store a "snapshot" of a document, which may actually be the PDF of the document. Zotero is also available in a stand-alone (downloadable) version. Those using multiple computers may also sync their Zotero database between computers and may share citations within a work group.

Mendeley

Mendeley is a free online service that allows you to index and organize your PDF documents, collaborate with fellow researchers and share information via shared and public collections, and discover new research through the Mendeley research network. In addition, you can create reference lists and bibliographies in Word (Windows only) or OpenOffice (all platforms).

Comparisons of Programs

Tabular Comparison of Features:

Tool	EndNote	RefWorks	Zotero	Mendeley
Cost	Student discount available.	Paid for by UC Berkeley Library	Free and open source	Free and paid versions
Can use on both Mac and PC?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Can use on mobile device?	iPad app coming in early 2013.	Via mobile website	Third party apps - Blog posting	iPhone, iPad app
Integrates with MS Word to create/format in-text citations and reference lists?	Yes; also works with OpenOffice	Yes; requires download of Write-N-Cite utility	Yes; also works with OpenOffice	Yes; also works with OpenOffice
No. of citation styles	4500+	800+	About 16 pre-loaded, "thousands" available for download from Zotero	Over 1180
No. of import filters	700+	"Over 870"	247 "translators;" other sources captured as web page	About 50, + COinS, + integrates with Zotero's "translators"
Web based?	EndNote Web available with EndNote purchase or sign up from a Web of Knowledge database (e.g., Web of Science)	Yes; can use on any computer with Internet access	Browser (Firefox) based; can use Portable Firefox; can also "sync" to Zotero server. Stand-alone version also available	Desktop- and Web-Based
Duplicate record detection?	Yes; fully customizable	Yes; 2 options for detecting duplicates	Coming with future version	Limited
Can capture web page and create record?	No	Yes, with the RefGrab-It utility	Yes; can also capture bibliographic data from a web page	Yes; can also capture bibliographic data from a web page
Sharing possible?	EndNote Web	Can share database/folder. Can create a shared logon for a UCB group	Can create groups and share databases	Can share database, comments, and more
Open source?	No	No	Yes	No

Comparison of reference management software (Wikipedia): Comparisons of over 20 commercial, free, and open-source, desktop-based, server-based and web-based tools. Includes charts on how they stack up on integration with word processors, supported platforms, import and export capabilities, citation styles and more.