There are a variety of citation management tools available that help you collect, manage, and cite your sources. The librarians at Brandeis offer support for EndNote and Zotero. The following chart shows the pros and cons of each tool.
EndNote vs. Zotero
Which should I pick?
Zotero 5.0 |
EndNote X8 - X9 soon |
|
Best if... |
- You use a variety of online sources such as blogs, NGO reports, news websites, video, journal articles & books. - You collaborate with more than one research group at time. - You have a lot of PDFs already saved to add to a manager. |
- You primarily use sources like journal articles & books. - Your research group uses it. - You wish to search PubMed, WoS or other databases Brandeis subscribes to in the program with no switching back and forth to a browser. |
Saving references |
- Browser plug-in = one click to grab citation information from websites and library databases. Compatible with Chrome, Firefox, Safari. |
- Journal and database tools to download citation preferred. - Install Capture References browser plugin to add references from non-journal or database sites. Compatible with Firefox and Internet Explorer. |
Creates citation from PDFs you already have |
Yes. Drag a PDF into Zotero, and it will look for citation information automatically. |
Yes. Import (no drag-and-drop) a PDF into EndNote and it will look for citation information automatically. |
Finds PDFs for citations you have |
Yes: will automatically find and attach PDFs to records if you choose. |
Yes: if Brandeis subscribes, will automatically find and attach PDFs to records if you choose. |
Creating bibliographies and in-text citations |
- Generate citations easily in over 8,000 styles, including APA, Chicago, and MLA - or create one. - Create and update citations from within MS Word or LibreOffice. - Drag-and-drop or copy/paste bibliographies into any text editor (e.g., Google Docs, email, etc). |
- Generate citations easily in over 6,000 styles, including APA, Chicago, and MLA - or create one. - Create and update citations from within MS Word. - Drag-and-drop or copy/paste bibliographies into any text editor (e.g., Google Docs, email, etc). |
Platforms |
Mac, Windows, Linux, Online |
Mac, Windows, Online |
Mobile apps |
- Mobile website and bookmarklet allow you to view and save citations to your Zotero library. - Third-party apps available for iOS and Android. |
- Mobile website allows you to view and save citations, and integrates with the MS Word App on Android devices. - EndNote app available for iPad. |
Sharing options |
- Collaboratively manage and share sources with a group. - Create and join public groups. - Granular permissions available for group members and public. |
- Share a Group or whole library. |
Note-taking and PDF annotation |
- Notes can be attached to citations and searched in your library. |
- Notes can be added to a field of the citation information and searched in your library. - Annotate PDFs in built-in viewer. |
Syncing and online storage |
- Unlimited citations can be synced online. Up to 300 MB of attached files (e.g., PDFs) can be synced on Zotero servers for free; storage plans can be purchased for additional file storage. - Or set up syncing with free cloud storage like Box or Google Drive. |
- Brandeis subscription covers unlimited online citations and attachments. |
Technical support |
Robust documentation and user community; no professional tech support. |
Documentation, training videos, and user community forums; professional tech support available while at Brandeis by email and phone. |
Developer |
Open-source software; Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media and Corporation for Digital Scholarship |
Commercial software; Clarivate Analytics |
Cost |
Free |
Free to you while at Brandeis; $113.95 (student) or $249.95 regular price |
Information accurate only for versions named, as of July 12 2018.