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Citation Managers

A guide to navigating the transition from Refworks to other citation management softwares.

As of July 1, 2020, Augustana College will no longer subscribe to Refworks as our citation manager. The Library will support faculty and students as they shift towards using existing free softwares for their citation management needs. All students and faculty who wish to retain access to their saved citations will need to transfer them to one of these new softwares no later than June 30, 2020. 

 

All Three Programs Can: 

  • Safely store your citations in a single location;
  • Pull in citations from library databases; 
  • Format bibliographies in pre-set citation formats, including common styles such as MLA, APA, Chicago, and CSE. 
  • Attach files such as .pdfs or notes related to resources; 
  • Insert citations into your chosen word processor;
  • Be used for free!
     

Reasons to Choose EndNote Basic: 

  • Well-established citation management software;
  • 6000+ citation styles;
  • Easily import existing folders from Refworks into EndNote Basic;
  • Cooperates well with library's new website and search platform;
  • Shares log-in credentials with Web of Science; 
  • Allows shared group folders between users.
     

Reasons to Choose Mendeley: 

  • Easy-to-use interface; 
  • Well adept at storing .pdf files and has an integrated .pdf viewer;
  • Cooperates well with library's new website and search platform;
  • Browser extension available for recording citations outside of library databases
     

Reasons to Choose Zotero: 

  • Allows for shared folders between users;
  • Good for pulling in content from a diverse range of sources, including sites such as ARTstor and Flickr; 
  • Includes a more robust browser extension for capturing content outside of library databases; 
  • Open-source platform, making it a more sustainable platform for long-term use. 

 

Comparison Table

  EndNote Basic Mendeley Zotero

Cost

 Free if Using Basic Version Free Free
Access Web App Desktop App; Web App; (Sync w/ Each Other) Desktop App; Web App (Sync w/ Each Other)
Cross-Platform Mac & Windows Mac, Windows, & Linux Mac, Windows, & Linux
Organize PDFs and Other Documents Yes Yes Yes
Selective Syncing of Documents Yes Yes

Yes
Annotate/Highlight PDFs Yes Yes No
Tagging Allows you to add 'Keywords' Yes Yes
Full-Text Searching Across PDFs Yes Yes Yes
Private  Groups Yes Yes Yes
Public Groups No Yes (Up to 3 People) Yes
Community Network No    
Mobile App None with Free Account iOS and Android No Official Apps
Built-In Citation Formats

6000+ Citation Styles

 15 Citation Styles 12 Citation Styles
Additional Notes: 
  1. Uses Same Login Credentials as Web of Science, so users who have an existing Web of Science account will not have to create a new login. 
     
  2. For CSE style citations, does not abbreviate journal titles automatically. Users will have to abbreviate the titles themselves. 
     
  3. Allows users to transfer citations directly into folders (called groups in EndNote) from pre-existing folders in Refworks. Allows for maintaining of organization system(s).
  1. Users must download a plugin to create a bibliography in their chosen word processor. 
     
  2. Does not allow importing of Refworks citations directly into folders. Must re-create any existing folders from Refworks. 
  1. In order to import files from Refworks, users will have to install Zotero on their personal computers.
     
  2. For most other uses, there is an online platform that is accessible anywhere. Must install browser extension in order to allow for sync with desktop.
     
  3. Does not allow importing of Refworks citations directly into folders. Must re-create any existing folders from Refworks. 
     
  4. Zotero is an open-source product, meaning that it is not owned by a private company and has more sustainable long-term access.

 

 

Word Processor Compatibility

  Microsoft Word (Windows) Microsoft Word (Macs) OpenOffice Apple Pages Google Docs LibreOffice
EndNote Basic Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Mendeley Yes Yes Yes No No Yes
Zotero Yes yes Yes No Yes Yes

 

Transferring Citations to EndNote Basic from Refworks

https://youtu.be/n-ptVQzGaf8

Exporting Citations from Refworks: 

  1. Log in to your Refworks Account. 
  2. Select the Resources or Folder you wish to export. 
  3. At the top of the page, click the Share button. 
  4. Select Export References. 
  5. Select file format for the citations to be downloaded in. Please note that exporting to EndNote Basic seems to work best if you download in .RIS format. 
  6. Click Export. 
  7. Your file should download to the bottom left-hand corner of your screen. You should also see a confirmation message at the top of your screen. 

 

How to Import .RIS files into EndNote Basic: 

  1. Create a free account for EndNote Basic at this link. If you have previously created an account for the Web of Science database, these platforms share login credentials - so you can skip this step. 
  2. In the top menu bar, hover over the Collect option. 
  3. Select Import References. 
  4. Choose the file you wish to upload. This should be the .RIS file you downloaded from Refworks. 
  5. Under Import Option, select RefMan RIS. 
  6. Choose your import destination. If you wish for the items you are importing to be in their own 'folder,' which EndNote refers to as a 'group,' you can select and name a new Group at this step. 
  7. Import your file. 
  8. You should receive a confirmation notice at the top of your screen detailing how many citations were imported. 
  9. Verify that your citations imported correctly. 

 

Transferring Citations to Mendeley from Refworks

https://youtu.be/gO8ggCDI1yA

Exporting Citations from Refworks: 

  1. Log in to your Refworks Account. 
  2. Select the Resources or Folder you wish to export. 
  3. At the top of the page, click the Share button. 
  4. Select Export References. 
  5. Select file format for the citations to be downloaded in. Note that for transferring from Refworks to Mendeley, you need to choose either the BibTeX or .RIS file format type. 
  6. Click Export. 
  7. Your file should download to the bottom left-hand corner of your screen. You should also see a confirmation message at the top of your screen. 

 

How to Import  BibTex or .RIS files into Mendeley: 

  1. Create a free account for Mendeley at this link. 
  2. In the top menu bar, select the Library option.
  3. At the top of the left-hand column, select + Add. 
  4. From the bottom two menu options, select the import option that corresponds to the file format you chose to download from in Refworks (either BibTeX or .RIS). 
  5. Select the file that you downloaded from Refworks, and then import the file.  
  6. The downloaded citations should import directly into your Mendeley library. 
  7. Verify that your citations imported correctly. 
  8. If you wish to create folders to organize your citations, you will have to do so manually in the left-hand column.

Transferring Citations to Zotero from Refworks

https://youtu.be/e5wi7UhARJE

Exporting Citations from Refworks: 

  1. Log in to your Refworks Account. 
  2. Select the Resources or Folder you wish to export. 
  3. At the top of the page, click the Share button. 
  4. Select Export References. 
  5. Select file format for the citations to be downloaded in. Note that for transferring from Refworks to Mendeley, you need to choose either the BibTeX or .RIS file format type. 
  6. Click Export. 
  7. Your file should download to the bottom left-hand corner of your screen. You should also see a confirmation message at the top of your screen. 

 

How to Import  files into Zotero: 

  1. Create a free account for Zotero at this link. Be sure to register for a free account. 
  2. Download Zotero for your computer (either Mac/PC/Linux)
  3. Once you have downloaded the Zotero software, select File in the upper left-hand corner. 
  4. Then select Import. 
  5. Select the file you downloaded from Refworks (either .RIS or BibTeX format), then import the file.
  6. The downloaded citations should import directly into your Zotero library. 
  7. Verify that your citations imported correctly. 
  8. If you wish to create folders to organize your citations, you will have to do so manually in the left-hand column.
  9. Note: In order to sync your desktop application with the web-based application, you will need to download the free browser extension from Zotero and enable syncing.