Manage Citations and Bibliographies

Citation/reference management programs like  Zotero, EndNote, and Mendeley help you capture research sources, organize them in your own online research library, and quickly create citations and bibliographies for your own papers. This comparison chart may help you decide which program best meets your research needs. A more comprehensive comparison chart (PDF) is also available. Still have questions? Contact Us.

Comparison of Zotero, EndNote, and Mendeley

Zotero EndNote Mendeley
Cost

SI has institutional license, so free to SI staff and affiliates

Free basic account available to anyone (fee to upgrade)

SI has institutional license, so free to SI staff and affiliates 

Free basic account available to anyone (fee to upgrade)

Free basic account available to anyone (fee to upgrade)
Access Register for free account, download app, and install browser connector at Zotero.org SI staff can download via Prism Research Software page Free download at Mendeley.com
Storage

SI institutional account = unlimited cloud storage when @si.edu email address is attached to account

Free account = 300 MB of cloud storage. (Upgrades: $20/year for 2 GB, $60/year for 6 GB, $120/year for unlimited)

Via SI institutional subscription - EndNote X9 (desktop): Unlimited cloud storage via Endnote Online

EndNote Online only: unlimited cloud storage

Free account = 2 GB of cloud storage. 

Upgrades: $55/year for 5 GB, $110/year for 10 GB, $165/year for unlimited
Word processor plug-ins Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and LibreOffice Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, and LibreOffice Microsoft Word, BibTeX, and LibreOffice
Pros
  • User-friendly.
  • Can auto-detect items to save with browser extension.
  • Unlimited # of private or public groups.
  • Many research databases (ex. Web of Science) offer export options specifically for EndNote.
  • User-friendly.
  • Free searchable online library of papers and citations.
  • Good tools for adding annotations to PDFs.
Cons
  • Very limited cloud storage space w/free non-institutional account.
  • Not as user-friendly, but improving.
  • Not able to save webpage snapshots.
  • Only 1 private group (3 members) with free account.
  • Still mainly popular in scientific communities.
Good choice if you want to:
  • Work in groups and freely share resources.
  • Easily save article PDFs, webpages + snapshots with a single click via browser extension.
  • Manage a massive number of references. 
  • Collaborate on projects and communicate with colleagues.
  • Communicate in an online community with colleagues.
  • Work in a small group w/ good collaboration tools.
Training resources

SLA staff offers training on Zotero - check Training Opportunities page.

Handouts from SLA trainings:

Resources from Zotero.org:

 EndNote website offers training resources including a how-to guide and video tutorials.​ Mendeley website offers a good selection of user guides and tutorials to get started.

    Last Updated November 9, 2021