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Citation Management Tools

Popular Citation Management Tools

Given the variety of citation management options available, it's important to choose the system that's right for you. The table below lists just a few of the more popular tools. Note that the UMGC Library does not provide support for any of these tools; please see the citation management tool's own support documentation or contact the maker of the tool if you need help with using any of these tools.

Click on the tabs at the top of the page for detailed information about each of the tools listed in the table.

  Zotero EndNote Mendeley

Cost

(subject to change)

Free for 300 MB of storage

$20 per year for 2 GB of storage

$60 per year for 6 GB of storage

$120 per year for unlimited storage

$274.95 list price for one-time purchase; discounted pricing available for UMGC students, faculty, and staff

$124.95 list price for users of previous versions to upgrade to the latest version; discounted pricing available for UMGC students, faculty, and staff

Free for 2 GB of storage

$55 per year for 5 GB of storage

$110 per year for 10 GB of storage

$165 per year for unlimited storage

Web/desktop Desktop and web versions Desktop and web versions Desktop and web versions
Importing From databases and web pages From databases and web pages From databases and web pages
PDFs PDF file management and organization; can sync with third-party annotation software Allows highlighting and note taking Allows highlighting and note taking
Sharing and collaborating Can sync and share group libraries Can share with up to 100 collaborators Several types of groups available. Users with free accounts can create only one group with three members.
Learning curve Relatively easy to learn; simple design Not quite as user-friendly as other options Quick to install and easy to learn; user-friendly interface

 

Key Differences Between Zotero, EndNote, and Mendeley

Zotero:

  • Is compatible with Google Docs

EndNote:

  • Has the most storage included; unlimited reference and attachment storage is included in EndNote 21

Mendeley:

  • Connects with social media platforms and facilitates connections between users
  • Has an associated Android and iOS compatible app, which works well on mobile devices