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Writing in the Health and Social Sciences

Guide to writing, citing, and publishing resources for the health and social sciences.

Citation Management Tools Enable You To...

  • Import citations from databases, websites, catalogs
  • Organize citations using folders and tags
  • Attach PDFs, images, etc. to your citations
  • Annotate your citations and/or PDFs
  • Output auto-formatted bibliographies and in-text citations (APA, MLA, & hundreds more styles)

How do I choose the right tool?

It depends on your personal needs and preferences. This comparison list can help.

Library Classes

Bobst Library offers (one-shot) classes that cover citation management, data use and management, high performance computing, and general research skills.

Just need to format a few references?

How Do I Choose? class handout

Citation Management Tools

For help choosing a citation management tool: 

See comparison list

For help using a citation management tool: 

See schedule of RefWorks, EndNote, and Zotero classes (coded in pink)


Features and Functionality of Citation Management Tools

EndNote:

  • Access: Software download;* free**
  • Adding References: Import citation information from online databases, library catalogs, and web pages (if using web component)
  • Output: Create in-text citations and bibliographies
  • Collaboration: Share references with others; share PDFs (up to 17 group members);**** publicly share profile and citations
  • Storage: Unlimited

RefWorks:

  • Access: Web-based; free**
  • Adding References: Import citation information from online databases, library catalogs, and web pages
  • Output: Create in-text citations and bibliographies
  • Collaboration: Share references with others
  • Storage: 5GB

Zotero:

  • Access: Software download;* free
  • Adding References: Import citation information from online databases, library catalogs, and web pages
  • Output: Create in-text citations and bibliographies
  • Collaboration: Share references with others; share PDFs (unlimited group members);**** publicly share profile and citations
  • Storage: 300 MB cloud based and unlimited on desktop***

Notes:

*While these tools are not Web based, meaning you need to download a desktop application, they do have a web component (which can be used without being on the desktop download and which can be synced with the desktop).

**NYU Libraries licenses the use of RefWorks and EndNote for NYU students and faculty.

***Can pay for a more robust subscription, but the basic package is free.

****PDFs may be shared in private groups (size of group depends on tool, as does the amount of free storage available for PDFs).