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Sacred Heart University Library Newsletter for Graduate Students No. 2, February 2019

Citation Management: You Don’t Like Zotero? Here Are Some Alternatives

Citation Management: You Don't Like Zotero? Here are Some Alternatives 

The Library has featured Zotero because users have found it easy to use, well-supported, and costs nothing (except the time to learn it).  But not everyone likes Zotero –tastes and needs vary.  Here are three alternative resources that may better meet your research needs:

  1. Mendeley is owned by Elsevier and there is a free basic version available, with 2GB storage.  The basic version allows you to create and own one private account.  If you create a private group for sharing work, a free account is limited to three members.  The networking capability allows you to collaborate by sharing documents with others in your group.  The Mendeley Plus plan (5GB storage and “great for students”) is $55/year and the Pro plan (10GB storage and other features) costs $110/year.https://www.mendeley.com
  2. EndNote Basic is provided by Clarivate Analytics and Web of Science.  The free version provides 2GB of free online storage and 50,000 maximum records.  EbscoHOST databases (including QuickSearch) provide the ability to directly export your articles to EndNote.  If you want a permanent license and install the software on your device, student pricing is one-time $115. https://endnote.com/product-details/basic/
  3. Easybib Add-in for Microsoft 365: Sacred Heart University subscribes to Microsoft 365 -- you can log in using your SHU ID and password.  After log-in, you can add EasyBib to Word on your laptop. or the online 365 version, following this link: https://appsource.microsoft.com/en-us/product/office/WA104381648?tab=Overview  --note that this is a add-in for Word and only functions inside of Word.  The application will place an icon in Word, visible when you click on the References tab.  You can search for sources and import a citation directly into your Word document.  Supported styles are MLA7 and 8, APA, and Chicago.  You can also find this add-in at the EasyBib site itself. 

You can compare side-by-side:

  1. Zotero and Mendeley (courtesy of York University Libraries)
  2. Mendeley and Endnote (courtesy of Health Sciences Library System, Univ. of Pittsburgh)
  3. Zotero, Endnote, Mendeley, and EasyBIB, courtesy of University of Calgary in Qatar (this is a .pdf document)

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