Research Impact Summer Series

Week 4 we're talking about citation management. It's incredibly important to keep track of your research in the way that works best for you. With so many journal articles to keep track of and the importance of giving proper credit where it's due it's vital to create a system that keeps all of your work in one place. Below I've provided some information about one resource, Zotero. My wonderful colleague Paige Scudder put together a guide with several different options for managing your data. Check out the full guide here: Citation Management

Step by step instructions for getting started are outlined below as well as a helpful introductory video to get started. 

 Why use a citation manager?

• Neatly store citations​

• Insert citations and bibliography into your writing with the click of a button

• Change the citation style of an entire paper with the click of a button​

• And more!​

• Access and annotate pdf’s​

• Share spreadsheets with colleagues​

• Share citations with colleagues​

• Etc… 

Help choosing a citation manager:

Since all citation management software can neatly store citations and create bibliographies, it can be hard to choose the best one for your needs. Use the flow chart below to help you choose between EndNote, Mendeley or Zotero.

Citation Manager Flow Chart Outline

Top of the flow diagram reads: Are you working on a systematic review?

1. If no to working on a systematic review, then Q: Are you mostly working on computers you can't download software to?

 A. If yes to working on a systematic review, then we recommend EndNote.

2. If no to working mostly on computers you can't download software to, then Q: Do you collect your references by placing PDFs in a folder?

A. If yes to working mostly on computers you can't download software to, then we recommend Mendeley

3. If no to collecting references by placing PDFs in a folder, then Q: Are you working with a group that you need to be able to share documents with?

A. If yes to collecting references by placing PDFs in a folder, then we recommend Mendeley.

4. If no to working with a group that you need to be able to share documents with, then Q: Do you need a software that allows you to annotate PDFs within it?

A. If yes to working with a group you need to be able to share documents with, then we recommend Zotero

5. If no to software that allows you to annotate PDFs within it, then Q: Would you like to attach PDFs to your citations with a "find full text" button?

A. If yes to software that allows you to annotate PDFs within it, then we recommend Mendeley or Endnote.

6. If no to needing a "find full text" button, then we recommend Mendeley.

A. If yes to a find full text button, then we recommend Zotero or Endnote.

Remember: All citation management software has the ability to talk to each other through the use of a Research Information System(RIS) file. No matter what citation management software you or your colleagues are using, you can send and receive citations with ease.