Reference & Citation Management
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.
The Libraries recommend Zotero, because it is open source and widely used. 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
- Install the standalone application.
- 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
Columbia University Libraries staff only provide technical support for questions related to Zotero. Support contacts for additional citation management tools are listed here.
Mendeley
Install:
Support:
- Mendeley Help Guides to get you started or expand your knowledge
- Elsevier support documentation
- Chat support
- Email support
EndNote
Install:
- Download EndNote 20 for Windows
- Download EndNote 20 for Mac
- Download the License.dat file
The license.dat file needs to be in the same location as the installation file in order for the registration to work (e.g. If you downloaded the installation file to your Downloads folder, the license.dat file needs to be there as well).
EndNote Online:
Access through Web of Science
In the black bar, click the Products menu >> EndNote.
Support:
Overleaf
Subscription:
Support:
- LaTeX users: Bibliography management in LaTeX
- Overleaf support
Different disciplines use different citation styles. For questions related to your discipline, please contact your subject liaison librarian.
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: