Here are some questions to ask yourself to decide which citation manager is right for you.
1. Where do I find most of my citations?
If you find most of your citations through OneSearch or other library databases, RefWorks might be right for you. It has the easiest export options from library resources, requiring only one click and no downloading of citation files.
If you find most of your citations through Google Scholar, RefWorks or EndNote might be right for you. Google Scholar has a direct export to those two citation managers.
If you find most of your citations through other websites, a citation manager with a browser extension or bookmarklet might be right for you. Look into RefWorks, Zotero, Paperpile, or Papers.
2. What is my budget?
There are free options and paid options, as well as different purchase/subscription options. A good citation manager is worth the investment!
If you want a free option, consider Zotero or RefWorks, which the TCS libraries provide a full subscription to free of charge, or Mendeley, which are free to use up to a certain storage point.
For a one-time purchase, consider EndNote, which has a student discount.
For a monthly subscription, consider Paperpile or Papers.
3. Do I need to share my citations with others?
Anyone at TCS can sign up for a free RefWorks account under our subscription. You can share folders with other RefWorks users or external users as needed.
EndNote, Paperpile, and Papers make it easy to share papers and folders with external users.
4. How do I prefer to write?
If you write using Microsoft Word, there are several citation managers that provide integrations: RefWorks, Zotero, EndNote, Mendeley, Paperpile, and Papers all work with Microsoft Word.
If you write using Google Docs, your options include RefWorks, Zotero, and Paperpile.
