Earth and Environmental Sciences Research Guide for Courseworks: Citation Management

Research Guide for Earth and Environmental Sciences.

Citation Management

 

Citation management software products:

Please note:  Columbia University Libraries will be reviewing its support for EndNote over the next academic year.  If you are just getting started with citation management, we strongly recommend using a robust, free application such as Zotero.  If you are a long-time user of Endnote, we recommend you spend some time familiarizing yourself with an alternative tool in order to determine if there is another which best fits your needs.

Citation management software makes mining and using information resources easier and more effective, helping you to:

  • Capture bibliographic and full-text information as you explore
  • Organize, evaluate, annotate, and search within your collection
  • Cite and list resources in a wide range of bibliographic styles as needed
  • Access the information on your desktop or online
  • Synchronize your data across multiple machines
  • Share your research with others

 

Need help choosing a reference manager? Check out Wikipedia's Comparison of Reference Management Software

Getting Help

WORKSHOPS:

  • The Libraries offer free hands-on workshops on using citation management software.  You can find information about dates and times as well as register online to attend one of these sessions on the Libraries Workshops page.

WHICH ONE SHOULD I PICK?

  • We generally recommend Zotero if you're just starting out.  Your specific work environment may dictate your choice -- e.g. are you joining a lab where something else is already in use? Do you expect a lot of collaborative work in which it might be useful to share citation libraries? -- but in general, Zotero should work for all your needs.

GETTING HELP:

  • As always, you can Ask A Librarian any questions related to library-supported resources.  You can do so in person at a reference desk, by email, by phone, or in an online chat session.

CONVERTING AN EXISTING CITATION LIBRARY TO A DIFFERENT APPLICATION:

CURIOUS ABOUT OTHER SOFTWARE?

Ask A Librarian