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Reference management tools

Reference management tools are designed to help you to store, organise, evaluate, and cite thousands of citations.

If you are unfamiliar with reference management tools or would like a reminder of their functionality, please visit the bibliographic management webpage on the library website where you will find further guidance.

This webpage is designed to offer a basic overview of four of the most widely used reference management tools for research:

  • EndNote 21
  • EndNote Online
  • Mendeley
  • Zotero

These reference management tools offer similar core functionality, as can be seen by the below comparison tables.

Which you choose to use – if you choose to use them at all – is down to personal preference and suitability for your research project.

Please note that the library does not offer direct support with the installation or use of these tools. This webpage is designed to offer a basic overview only, and to signpost to further support.

If you have any queries about this webpage, please contact library-research-support@open.ac.uk

Reference management tools comparison tables

How can I use these reference management tools?

Functionality - can I…? EndNote 21 EndNote Online Mendeley Zotero 6
Manually create references Yes Yes Yes Yes
Drag and drop the PDF of an article into the tool to create a reference Yes – drag and drop into the toolbar at top of screen No Yes – drag and drop into references area Yes – drag and drop into references area
Import references from a digital file (as downloaded from a database, e.g. Web of Science) Yes – RIS and others Yes – RIS and others Yes – RIS, BibTeX, and others Yes – many (full list of compatible file types for Zotero)
Organise references into folders Yes – folders are called “groups” Yes – folders are called “groups” Yes Yes – folders are called “collections”
Add notes to references Yes Yes Yes Yes
Add subject tags to references Yes Yes – subject tags are called “labels” Yes Yes
Add attachments to a reference (e.g. PDF of article, document containing notes) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Identify duplicate references Yes Yes Yes Yes
Use offline without an internet connection Yes No Yes Yes
Conduct keyword searches within reference collections (including user-generated subject tags and notes) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Conduct keyword searches within attachments to references Yes No Yes Yes
Share reference collections with other registered users of the tool Yes – folders, called “groups”, can be shared Yes – folders, called “groups”, can be shared Yes – shared collections are called “groups” Yes – shared collections are called “groups”
Use other unique features Create rules to automatically sort references into “smart groups” (e.g. sort all articles by a single author into one folder) “Match” tool helps locate a suitable journal for your manuscript

The most compatible tool to use with BibTeX and LaTeX

“Watch a folder on your desktop” functionality – every time you add a PDF to your chosen folder the reference is added to Mendeley

 Zotero app available for use on Android devices

What plug-ins and apps are available with these Reference Management Tools?

Plug-ins available…? EndNote 21 EndNote Online Mendeley Zotero 6
Browser extension Yes, EndNote Click – helps you to quickly locate article PDFs Yes, EndNote Click – helps you to quickly locate article PDFs Yes, Mendeley Web Importer – allows you to cite PDFs and webpages while browsing (click “sync” in the desktop app for citations from the Web Importer to appear) Yes, Zotero Connector – allows you to cite PDFs and webpages while browsing
Writing program plug-in (i.e. MS Word, Google Docs, LaTeX, etc) Yes, downloaded automatically with the Desktop app – this appears as an “EndNote 21” tab in Word Yes, manually download the “Cite While You Write Plug-In” linked to in your online account for use with Word Yes, downloaded automatically with the Desktop app – this appears in the “Reference” tab in Word Yes, downloaded automatically with the Desktop app – this appears as the “Zotero” tab in Word
Mobile app No Yes, Apple iOS (not available on Android) No Yes, Apple iOS and Android

How do I access these Reference Management Tools and where can I find further support?

Tell me more about…? EndNote 21 EndNote Online Mendeley Zotero 6
Purchase model Payment required – the OU provides access for researchers Free Free up to 2 GB cloud storage – additional storage can be purchased Free up to 300 MB of cloud storage – additional storage can be purchased
Developer Clarivate Clarivate Elsevier Corporation for Digital Scholarship (nonprofit)
Storage capacity on the cloud Unlimited 50,000 references and 2 GB attachments – sync with EndNote 21 for unlimited storage Up to 2 GB of cloud storage – additional storage can be purchased Up to 300 MB of cloud storage – additional storage can be purchased
Desktop app Yes, if you have an OU managed device contact the IT Service Desk to install - please note that you will need to contact the IT Service Desk to update the desktop app when new versions are released No, but sync with EndNote 21 is possible Yes, if you have an OU managed device contact the IT Service Desk to install Yes, install from the Zotero website, if you have an OU managed device contact the IT Service Desk for support
Browser interface No, but sync with EndNote Online is possible Yes, EndNote Online is accessed via a browser Yes, sign into Mendeley online - recommend signing in “via your organisation” and using your OU email address Yes, register for a Zotero account to access your Zotero Web Library using any email address
Registration requirements Registration is not required for EndNote 21 if installed via the IT Service Desk - recommend registering seperately with EndNote Online and syncing with EndNote 21 Registration is required using any email and new original password – recommend using OU email if syncing with EndNote 21 Registration is required using any email and new original password – if installing to an OU managed device, recommend registering “via your organisation” and using OU email Registration is not required for the Zotero desktop app, but registration is required for using the browser interface – you can register with any email and a new original password
Syncing (i.e. keeping reference collections consistent and complete across multiple devices, in both the browser and the desktop app) Yes, register for an EndNote Online account, then click “sync configuration>sync now” and sign in Yes, sync with EndNote 21 is possible (you must have EndNote 21 installed) Yes, register for a Mendeley online account then click the “sync” icon in the desktop app Yes, register for a Zotero account then click the “sync” icon in the desktop app
Accessibility statement EndNote 21 Accessibility Statement No statement Mendeley Accessibility Statement No statement
Links for further support EndNote 21 Training Resources EndNote Online Training Resources Mendeley help guides Zotero support documentation

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