Citation Managers

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EndNote/EndNote Web/Mendeley/RefWorks/Zotero Features Comparison

Basics EndNote Desktop EndNote Web Mendeley RefWorks Zotero
Cost Requires individual purchase by user, research group or department. Educational discounts available through UW-Bookstore or DoIT Free to UW-Madison students, staff and faculty
Free to everyone (costs for upgraded storage)
Free to UW-Madison students, staff, faculty, and alumni Free to everyone (costs for upgraded storage)
Operating System Macintosh, Windows Web-based (operating system-independent) Macintosh, Windows, Linux Web-based (operating system-independent)

Macintosh, Windows, Linux

Share data among other citation management programs Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Read-only capability Yes (set library to read-only or locked status) Yes (Read-only share "group" with anyone who has an EndNote Web account) No Yes. Unlimited (UW-Madison affiliation required)
Global edit Can globally add/replace terms No. No. Can globally add/replace terms No.
Duplicate detection

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes When syncing libraries, not within a library
Automatic journal abbreviation lists

11 lists supplied , including National Library of Medicine, American Chemical Society, Modern Language Association. Can import others

None

None

None None
Link to PDFs or other materials
  • Open URL compliant (Must configure EndNote to use the UW-Madison Libraries Find It links)
  • Max. 45 files/record. Thumbnail images supplied which point to materials in the data folder for each EndNote library
  • Max. 1 image in Figure field
  • OpenURL compliant (automatically uses the UW-Madison Libraries Find It links)
  • Can enter URLs directly
  • Can Link to PDF files on the web
  • With EN X5 - look at wording
  • OpenURL compliant (must configure Mendeley to use the UW-Madison Libraries Find It links)
  • Add attachments
  • Web snapshots
  • OpenURL compliant (automatically uses the UW-Madison Libraries Find It links)
  • Attach files to records. Max. 20MB/attachment. Default attachment storage of 5GB/account
  • Links field for files via manual entry of absolute path
  • OpenURL compliant (must configure Zotero to use the UW-Madison Libraries Find It links)
  • Add attachments
  • Web snapshots
Retrieve PDF citation data Queries DOI and PubMed (EnX5 update). Mixed success No Queries PubMed database for matches. Mixed success No Queries Google Scholar database for matches. Mixed success
Add notes to PDFs Yes (X5 and forward) No Yes No Yes
Full Text PDF search Yes (EnX4) No Yes No Yes
Direct Search of Online Catalogs/Databases Yes: List Yes Automatic capture Yes Automatic capture
Direct Export (from databases) Yes: List Yes: List Yes: List Yes Yes: List
Creates formatted bibliographies, in-text citations, and footnotes in word processor Yes Yes (MS Word only) Yes Yes Yes
Edit or create styles Yes No Yes, if you know language (XML) Yes Yes, if you know Citation Style Language (CSL)
Create a Subject Bibliography (Create a list of references grouped by subject or other data field)

Yes. You may generate a bibliography grouped by any field (e.g. subject, author).

No

No

No No
Collaboration features
  • Traveling Library within a word processor document
  • PDFs contained within a library .data subfolder for ease of sharing
  • Save as compressed file with data subfolder
  • Share EndNote Web account with other EndNote Web users
  • Create public and private groups Automatic synchronization of collections among multiple computers

Refworks account

  • Multi-user access
  • Simultaneous editing of an account
  • Offers read-only access of the same data

RefShare

  • Share their database (or folders) with members of their own institution and globally with any researcher having Internet access
  • Create public and private groups
  • Automatic synchronization of collections among multiple computers
Mobile Device Application
  • Includes application for handheld devices
  • Enter references into your handheld device
  • Synchronize files between your desktop and handheld libraries
No IPad, smart phones RefMobile - for mobile and smart phones, PDAs. See RefMobile for details. Store your collection on the Zotero server. Use your browser to view your collection.
Access citations remotely No. Desktop client. Can sync library with EndNote Web, version X5 (?) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Store PDFs in personal citation database Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes (Limited) Yes
Screen capture web page content (blogs, streaming video, etc.) No

No

Yes

No Yes
More Features EndNote Desktop EndNote Web Mendeley RefWorks Zotero
Storage/Maximum number of records Unlimited. 100,000 recommended 10,000 Unlimited on desktop (Size restricted by local storage capacity); 500 MB free web space Unlimited Unlimited on desktop (Size restricted by local storage capacity); 100 MB free web storage
Maximum number of reference types (e.g. journal, book) Pre-defined (customizable): 50 User-defined: 3 Pre-defined (customizable): 50 User-defined: 3 Pre-defined: 20

Pre-defined: 31 User-defined: None

Pre-defined: 35
Search and Replace Yes No No Yes No
Auto-complete data entry Yes, for author(s), keyword(s), and journal title No Yes, for journal title, tags, keywords Yes, for author(s), keyword(s), and journal titles Yes, for author(s), journal title, tags
Spell Check Yes No No No No
Sort capabilites Any field

Author, title or year.

Any information categories

Selected fields. Results of a search are automatically ranked by relevance Any information categories
Field Search Yes, by any field Yes, by author Yes, by author, title, publication names, year & notes Yes, by selected fields Yes, by any field
Advanced Search Yes. Includes truncation and date range searching No No Yes. Includes embedded truncation (excluding Descriptor field terms) Yes. All fields
Filters for importing from online databases Yes. List Yes. List of instructions by vendor.
Others available on request.
Imports wikis, websites, and databases.
Web snapshot retains the presentation of a particular web page.
Yes. List of database vendors. Others available on request. Imports wikis, websites, and databases.
Web snapshot retains the presentation of a particular web page.
Edit or create filters Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Create a bibliography as a file within citation manager
  • HTML
  • Rich Text Format (RTF)
  • XML
  • Plain Text
  • HTML
  • Rich Text Format (RTF)
  • Plain Text
  • Word for Windows 2000 or later
  • Word for Mac 98 or later
  • Word for Windows 2000 or later
  • Word for Mac 98 or later
  • HTML
  • Rich Text Format (RTF)
  • Plain Text
  • XML
  • Open Office
  • HTML
  • Rich Text Format (RTF)
  • Open Office
  • Plain text
Export

Export records to:

  • Tab Delimited
  • BibTeX

Export records to:

  • Tab Delimited
  • BibTeX
  • EndNote (XML)
  • RIS
  • Refer export

Export records to:

  • BibTeX
  • EndNote (XML)
  • RIS

Export records to:

  • RefWorks Tagged Format
  • RIS - Bibliographic Software (EndNote)
  • Backup/Restore feature for sharing library, folders, and custom output styles
  • Tab Delimited

Export records to:

  • Zotero
  • BibTeX
  • RIS
  • Refer/BiblX
RSS Feeds No No No
  • Integrated RSS feed reader
  • Create RSS feeds from a folder or database of references and published via RefShare
Yes

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