Reference managers are tools that allow to create a personal database of bibliographic references. These references can be used to generate citations and to elaborate the bibliography of the academic works an investigation.
They allow to organise, edit, look for references saved and insert the appointments and the list of bibliography automatically, with the style of citation selected.
Data can be imported manually or automatically way from catalogues, databases, web pages, or archives in pdf.
You can choose the tool that better adapt to your needs. You can consult this comparative table elaborated by the CSUC.
Zotero
Zotero is a free and open sources reference management software developed by Center for History and New Half of George Mason University.
Available for Mac, Windows and Linux.
Acces and features
It is recommended to create a user account to achieve all the possibilities that offer us this tool: synchronized with the cloud, access from any device connected to the internet and the possibility to work with groups.
The main features of this tool are:
Create a database of bibliographic references and attachments.
Manage and organise the library in collections.
Add appointments and bibliographies in works.
Share collections with other users.
The free version offers 300 Mb. This capacity counts the files (PDFs, pictures, and screenshot) included in the library. With 300MB can include until 100 PDFs. of text (if they contain pictures this number reduces considerably).
Work with Zotero
The version Zotero Web can be synchronised with a Zotero Desktop and allows to access to the references saved from any computer.
It works with a plug-in integrated with Microsoft Word, LibreOffice Writer and Google Docs, that includes by doing the installation of Zotero in your computer.
Mendeley Is a reference management software developed by Elsevier. It works like bibliographic agent and is also an academic social network, that allows to organise your investigation, collaborate with other users, and find the last documents published.
Available for Mac, Windows and Linux.
Access and features
To use Mendeley is necessary to create a user account.
The main features of this tool are:
You can automatically generate bibliographies.
Find relevant papers related to your area of research
Import papers from other platforms.
Collaborate with other researchers online.
Access to your papers from any places online.
100 GB of capacity - 1000 private groups - 100 members by group (Mendeley Institutional Edition).
Work with Mendeley
Mendeley combines a version for desktop, that can install to your computer (Mendeley Reference Manager) that synchronises automatically with a version web (Mendeley Web Library) with which also can work directly.
The extension of browser Web Importerbutton is necessary to install for to be able to import reference and papers from the databases or web pages of automatic way.
The version Mendeley Reference Manager use the plug-in Mendeley Cite, new extension for Word. Is needed add from the portal of Microsoft.
Attention: From September of 2022, Mendeley Desktop goes to be an outdated tool because the responsible company will leave to do maintenance, updates, and tasks of development. If you work with Mendeley Desktop will need to change for the Mendeley Reference Manager.
There are sources of instant citation available via web, that provide an appointment or a bibliography in different styles and immediate way. To use them is not necessary create a user account neither install any software. So does not do lacking to create any account neither install any software, so that once inserted, the references remain only to the document of text where copy and does not save to any application.
They can present errors in generating the references because they do not update the styles of citation systematically. Also, in generating lists of bibliography because the list is not sorted alphabetically ordered.
The following options of this listing are compatible with the others bibliographic agents described in this page.
UCercaTot: It generates the bibliographic reference of the document in screen by clicking on the icon “between quotation marks”. It allows to choose between the following styles of citation: MLA, APA, Chicago, Harvard. Formats of export: Word, RIS and BibTeX. References of all the types of documents.
Cite this for me: the most popular for the big quantity of styles and formats that includes. Also,it works with an extension for Chrome to generate references quickly. References of all the types of documents. Check the guide.
MyBib: Indicated for beginners because it generates the references step-by-step. It includes big quantity of styles and formats. It offers direct export to Mendeley, Zotero and Google Drive. It works with an extension for Chrome. References of all the types of documents. Check the blog What's new?.
Zoterobib: When you do not need all the features of regular Zotero. It supports a big quantity of styles and formats. Direct export to Zotero. Check ZoteroBib FAQ
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