Library Services
During your academic study you will be referring to many sources of information, and to avoid plagiarism you must correctly cite and reference your sources in all your work. Reference management tools are designed to assist with citing and referencing, and also to help with organising and managing your references. (This is particularly helpful when writing literature reviews or thesis projects).
There are many reference managers available, and whether you decide to use one, and which you choose, is up to you.
Library staff support the free reference management tools in the table below. We have outlined the key features to help you decide which one suits you best.
If you have any questions, please email us.
| Feature | Mendeley | Zotero | Quick citation tools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Store references | Yes | Yes | Only if cookies enabled |
| Operating system requirements |
Windows |
Windows Mac OS Linux |
Browser-based |
| Web-based or desktop | Both | Both | Web only |
| Insert citations into MS Word documents | Yes | Yes | Use copy and paste |
| Compatibility with other document software | Apache Open Office LaTeX (via BibTeX) |
Google Docs Libre Office LaTeX (via BibTeX) |
Use copy and paste |
| Format reference lists | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bulk import citations from databases | Yes | Yes | Imports one reference at a time |
| Attach files to references (e.g. PDF) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Add personal notes to references | Yes | Yes | Maybe |
| Collaboration and sharing |
Mendeley Groups - |
Zotero Group Libraries | MyBib Sharing Not available for ZoteroBib |
| Storage space | 2 GB free | 300 MB free | MyBib stored in browser cache or in free account ZoteroBib stored in browser cache |
Note: Using reference managers should not replace your own learning on how to reference correctly. No reference manager is 100% perfect, so always double-check the output for completeness and accuracy to ensure you don't lose marks for incorrect referencing. Use our referencing guides to help you, or ask your librarian.