Reference management is collecting, organizing, storing and using your references (journal articles, books, websites, videos, etc.). References are used to generate citations, which are used in scholarly articles, and other publications, to acknowledge your sources of information.
Reference management tools allow you to:
Reference management tools save time and frustration when writing papers, gathering references for grant applications or reports, monitoring the literature and sharing your research.
With so many reference management programs available, it can be difficult to decide which one to use. This chart highlights features of some of the tools. Click on the tabs above for more information about the individual programs. Please note that the Medical Center Library only actively supports EndNote and Zotero. We also do not provide guidance on citation styles.
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Cost |
Free to Duke faculty, staff and students with NetID through Duke OIT |
Free to everyone |
Free to Duke faculty, staff and students with NetID |
Free to everyone |
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Operating system |
Desktop software for Windows and Mac; option to sync with web account |
Online |
Online |
Embed in Firefox browser or desktop software for Windows and Mac |
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Ease of use |
Moderate |
Easy |
Easy |
Easy |
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Import citations from databases |
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Automatically create citation from PDF |
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Attach PDFs |
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Annotate PDFs |
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Sharing options |
A Library may be shared (EndNote account needed) |
Share groups |
Create shared folders with multiple sharing settings |
Create group |
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Word processor compatibility |
Microsoft Word, Open Office, Pages |
Microsoft Word |
Microsoft Word, Google Docs |
Microsoft Word, Open Office, Google Docs |
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Major citation styles |
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Free online storage |
5,000 MB |
2,000 MB |
5,000 MB |
300 MB (more space inexpensive) |
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Best for |
People who use one to two main computers for research and writing; PDF; management; organizing references for complex projects; inserting citations and bibliographies in almost any style |
Ease of use; group work; inserting citations and bibliographies in common styles (e.g. APA, MLA) |
People who use many computers for research and writing; group work; inserting citations and bibliographies in almost any style |
Capturing different types of references (e.g. Websites); group work |
