Library Research Tutorials

A citation manager is a software tool used to create personalized databases of citation information and notes. They allow you to:

• import and organize citation information from article indexes and other sources,
• export your citations into Word documents or other types of publications,
• format citations for your papers and bibliographies using APA and many other styles, and
• include your own notes.

Choosing a citation manager

• Guide to Citation Managers at UMN
• Wikipedia's comparison of reference management software

EndNote is a computer-based, desktop citation manager available for purchase through the University Bookstore that allows you to:

• create your own database of citations by importing references from article databases and the library catalog
• have unlimited reference and attachment storage
• automatically generate bibliographies and in-text citations in all major styles
• edit and customize styles

EndNote Online is a free online citation manager that allows you to:

• collect and store up to 50,000 references
• organize and share your references with others
• insert references and format a bibliography in Word

ZoteroBib (https://zbib.org/) is a free service that helps you build a bibliography from any computer or device, without creating an account or installing software. It is a quick and easy way to create a one-time bibliography for a paper.

Zotero (download link) is a free, open-source citation manager that:

• imports and organizes citations and PDFs;
• recognizes and creates citations for wide range of file types;
• formats citations in thousands of styles including APA and Chicago;
• easily adds in-text citations to Word and Google Doc documents, and creates a bibliography from those citations;
• allows you to add notes to your citation information for later use.