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Reference management is the act of keeping track of the sources of information you have used or want to use for your work.
Doing this systematically in an organised way will help you make the most of your time, making it easier to get to your sources and to create your references and bibliographies more effectively and efficiently.
There are many online tools available to help with managing your references. These are especially useful for longer pieces of work (e.g. your dissertation) where you may want to use a larger number of references.
Keep a note of the sources you use as you use them.
Look at the reference management tools Teesside University supports and which reference style you should use.
Learn how to reference correctly so you can check the references are correct.
Organise your references into folders in a manner that suits you - consider by keywords, themes etc.
Be careful using other referencing tools eg Word as these do not match Teesside University referencing styles.
Referencing management tools can help you:
Collect your references from different databases and websites and store them in one place.
Organise your references into different folders.
Add notes and save or link to the full-text of documents.
Identify and remove duplicate references - especially useful in large scale research such as systematic reviews.
Easily create reference lists / bibliographies and citations in the correct format.
Share your references with others..
However:
You still need to have learnt why referencing is necessary and how to reference in the required style for your School.
There are many different tools available, so how do you know which one is the best for you?
Each tool has their own features, strengths and weaknesses.
It may be helpful to consider the following:
Check the comparison table (next tab) for further information.
If you would like to discuss the options available please email libraryhelp@tees.ac.uk who will put you in contact with an appropriate person to advise you.
Below is a comparison table of 4 of the most popular products:
| Issue / Question | RefWorks | EndNote | Mendeley | Zotero |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How much does it cost? | Free to Teesside University members through a subscription purchased by Student and Library Services. |
Site license to desktop version available free to Teesside University staff and students. This needs to be installed by IT services. Teesside University staff and students can also freely access an online version via library’s subscription to the database Web of Science. This can be used independently. |
Free for standard product (Download) up to 2GB). Can pay for upgraded individual subscription (based on storage space). |
Free for standard product (up to 300MB). Can pay for upgraded individual subscription (based on amount of storage). |
|
Where can I use it? Is there an online / mobile / desktop version? |
Can access full functionality online on any mobile device or PC. Accessed via the cloud. |
Online version and iPad app freely available. Desktop version needed for full functionality / all features. An individual can install the desktop version on up to 3 machines. (Though access for more than one person will need separate accounts). Allows syncing between desktop and online version. |
App and online version available - limited functionality. Desktop version needed for full functionality. |
App and online version available - limited functionality. Desktop version needed for full functionality. |
| Can I import references directly from online databases? |
Yes. Most have a direct export function. Guidance sheets available. |
Yes from many databases (Desktop version) EndNote online allows direct export from EBSCO databases and Web of Science. |
No.
|
Yes from some. Some require import of a file. |
| Can I import pdfs directly into the system? |
Yes. |
Yes (Desktop version only). | Yes. | Yes. |
| Does it allow for creation of a bibliography from with Word or other word processing tools? | Yes (RefWorks Citation Manager). |
Yes (Cite While You Write). Available in both Desktop and online versions. |
Yes (Mendeley Cite). Only Word, Open Office (not Google Docs) |
Yes. Supports Word, LibreOffice and Google Docs. |
| Does it offer my School citation style e.g. Harvard style as outlined in Cite them Right? | Yes - Teesside University (Harvard Style) and other School referencing styles are available. | Yes (though possibly not current version of Cite them Right available) |
Yes but cannot guarantee accuracy (cannot amend the referencing style if inaccurate. |
Yes - but cannot guarantee accuracy.
|
| Is support / help available? |
Student and Library Services offers support materials.
Good external support |
Student and Library Services offers training and support for EndNote Desktop. Good external support and documentation and webinars (for newest versions only). |
External online help. Documentation and You Tube videos (limited for free version). |
Online documentation and help (can be quite technical).
Discussion forums. |
| What are the strengths? |
Stable and reliable Fully supported. Can have an alumni account after graduation (as long as we have a subscription). |
Desktop - one of the most advanced / sophisticated tools available Online version - easy to use |
Good for the social network component. Good at pulling metadata from web resources automatically e.g. for pdfs. More storage space in standard product but upgrades are more expensive than Zotero. |
Good advanced free tool Good at pulling metadata from web resources automatically e.g. for pdfs. Open source. |
| What are the weaknesses? | Importing directly from the web. |
Installation required. Can be complicated to learn. Desktop - restricted to 3 devices. Not compatible with cloud storage solutions (e.g. OneDrive). Have to pay for regular upgrades if bought an individual license. |
Two interfaces (web and desktop / standalone) are very different. Owned by a private company (Elsevier). |
Two interfaces (web and desktop / standalone) are very different. Online documentation can be complicated to understand. Limited storage space for free plan. |
| Good choice if you: |
Want support to get started. Need to work on different pcs / devices. |
If you are a high-level researcher. Need to manage a large number of references (Desktop version). Working on a systematic review (Desktop version). |
Want to work collaboratively and link into a research community. |
Happy to work autonomously. Would prefer not to use RefWorks. |