Citation management software makes tracking and using information resources easier and more effective, helping you to:

• Capture bibliographic and full-text information as you explore
• Organize, evaluate, annotate, and search within your collection
• Cite and list resources in a wide range of bibliographic styles as needed
• Access the information on your desktop, mobile device or through a web browser
• Synchronize your data across multiple devices
• Share your research with others

The Libraries recommend Zotero, because it is open source and widely used.

Email a librarian with expertise in using Zotero at zotero-help@library.columbia.edu, or contact your subject liaison librarian for questions related to your discipline.

Columbia University Libraries staff are available to provide technical support for questions related to Zotero.

With Zotero, you can:

• Collect, organize, cite and share your research sources
• Download, capture, and index full text from PDFs and websites
• Highlight and annotate your files and share your libraries with collaborators

Install:

• Download Zotero
  1. Install the standalone application.
  2. Download Zotero Connector browser extension
     Zotero's integration with Firefox is considerably more efficient that with other browsers.
• Zotero Quick Start Guide - instructions, tips, and videos

Migrate:

• How to import reference libraries from other software you may have used in the past

Support:

• The Libraries offer free hands-on workshops on using Zotero. Find information about these sessions, and register online on the Libraries Workshops page.
• For questions related to Zotero, email zotero-help@library.columbia.edu

Different disciplines use different citation styles. For questions related to your discipline, please contact your subject liaison librarian.

For additional citation help, watch a tutorial about organizing and citing sources and/or attend an upcoming workshop on citation management.

The three most common citation styles are APA (American Psychological Association), MLA (Modern Language Association), and Chicago Style. In general, APA is used in the social sciences, MLA is used in the humanities, and Chicago Style is used in history. However, your instructor will tell you what style you should use in your work for class assignments.

Quick Guides:

• Duke University Libraries - APA, Chicago, CSE, MLA, & Turabian
• OWL Writing Lab - APA & MLA

Full-text Manuals:

• Chicago Manual of Style, 18th edition
• MLA Handbook, 9th edition (print only); see also, MLA Style Center
• APA Publication Manual, 7th edition

Other Citation Management Systems:
Download EndNote 20 for Windows
Download EndNote 20 for Mac