Bibliographic Management Tools
Summary of Bibliographic Management Tools
| Name of Software |
Kind of Software |
Cost & Availability |
| EndNote |
desktop-based; citations stored on local computer |
individual licenses cost $200+; ask your departmental administrator if your department has an EndNote license |
| EndNote Web |
web-based; citations stored on remote server |
free of charge for all members of the WCMC community; must be inside the network to activate an account |
| RefWorks |
web-based; citations stored on remote server |
free of charge for all members of the WCMC community; must be inside the network to activate an account |
| Zotero |
Firefox extension; citations stored on local computer |
free |
Which should I choose?
Among bibliographic management tools, there are no clear winners. Choosing one depends, in large part, on your needs. Of these options, EndNote, with its huge library of journal-specific formatting styles, is probably the most serious and versatile piece of software. On the other hand, EndNote Web and RefWorks, because they are web-based, might be better suited for a person who uses multiple machines or works in a collaborative environment.
Finally, Zotero, the open source Firefox extension for bibliographic management, may well be the most promising, because it is so easy to use. Zotero is browser-based, and, in most cases, all it takes is a single click to add a citation to your bibliography. Like EndNote and RefWorks, Zotero integrates well with Microsoft Word, but lacks the thousands of formatting styles that EndNote has. Developers of Zotero have promised great new features including remote library backup, many more additional formatting styles, and the ability to access your library from anywhere on the web.
Migrating your bibliographic library between one piece of software and the next is definitely an option. If you need help with this or any other problems with these tools, please contact infodesk@med.cornell.edu.
Bibliographic Management Tutorials
See Also
Last Updated: July 12, 2008
