A citation manager helps you keep track of articles and books as you find them, tag and annotate them, and easily create citations and bibliographies in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or other writing software. Using any citation manager will be more efficient for most scholars than not using one at all.
Most citation managers consist of three parts:
Even if you use a citation manager, you will still need to consider what citation style you plan to use (even though the formatting with many citation managers is automatic).
In this guide, you'll find information on: PowerNotes, RefWorks, and Zotero.
If you have questions about choosing a citation manager, contact your local librarian. Also, feel free to contact us to when you have questions about best practices or if have trouble with these tools.
The System Libraries support RefWorks and Zotero. Which program is right for you? Some things to think about when you choose:
| PRODUCT | RefWorks | Zotero |
| Best Uses | Organizing research, collecting references from different sources, collaborating on projects, and generating citations | Organizing research, collecting references from different sources, collaborating on projects, and generating citations |
| Cost | Free through The System Libraries' license. | Open Source |
| Bluebook Style | Yes | Yes, with a plugin |
| Web plugins | Yes | Yes |
| Supported Browsers |
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Zotero connector
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| Word Add-on | Yes | Yes |
| Collaboration | Share folders and individual resources |
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