Engineering -- Mechanical Engineering

Citing your papers is an important part of the research process.

However, citing your papers can also become one of the more frustrating and time-consuming parts of the research process. Citation management software can help you save time by allowing you to:

• Collect citations from your online databases, library catalogues and websites
• Organize, edit, and search through the citations you've saved
• Build and organize bibliographies in well-known styles like APA, MLA, and even style-specific journals like Nature
• Format citations for papers
• Take notes on articles and save them in your collection of citations
• Save and organize PDFs, screenshots, graphs, images, and other files for your research--even offline!

The Library currently offers frequent workshops on Zotero, an open-source system for Citation management.

How do you choose the best citation management software? There are many factors to consider, such as:  

• Is the software open?
• Can I export my data?
• How much does the software cost? 
• Can I collaborate with colleagues/friends and share my citations in groups? 
• Can I access my citations and PDFs on different computers? 
• Can I use a mobile device to work with my citations? 
• Is my data being stored on a server in the United States? 

We've put together a comparison chart below to help you identify the different features available and figure out the best option for you.