A citation manager is a digital tool or software that helps you collect, organize, and format references for research and writing. It allows you to:
Store and manage sources like books, articles, and websites.
Generate citations and bibliographies in various styles (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).
Insert in-text citations directly into your writing, often through integrations with word processors.
Collaborate with others on shared libraries of references.
| Feature | Lean Library Workspace (formerly Sciwheel) | Zotero | EndNote | Mendeley |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where to find it? | Databases by Title list on the library website | https://www.zotero.org/ | https://endnote.com/ | https://www.mendeley.com/ |
| Library help | Lean Library Workspace | Zotero | EndNote | Mendeley |
| Cost | Free UT Tyler access |
Free: 300 MB $20/yr: 2 GB $60/yr: 6 GB $120/yr: unlimited |
Free 30 day trial Student: $150 (one-time purchase) First time purchase: $275 (one-time purchase) Upgrade: $125 (one-time purchase) |
Free: 2GB $4.99/mo: 5 GB $9.99/mo: 10 GB $14.99/mo: unlimited |
| Access | Browser-based (extensions available for Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Safari, Opera) | Desktop & browser extension; cloud sync | Desktop & browser extension; cloud sync | Desktop & browser; cloud sync |
| Word Processing Integration | Microsoft Word add-in, Google Docs add-on | Microsoft Word, Google Docs via add-in | Word integration, Cite While You Write (CWYW) | Microsoft Word and LibreOffice add-in |
| Citation Import & Export | PDF, other citation managers, reference files (RIS, BIB, MEDLINE, XML), identifiers (DOI, PMID, PMCID, ISBN, URL), from search results |
Zotero RDF, CSL, JSON, BibTeX, BibLaTeX, RIS, word processors, text editors, excel files, databases |
RIS, BibTeX, PDF, generic bibliographic data file types, databases | BibTeX, RIS, PDF, databases, EndNote, XML, webpages, databases, Zotero |
| Storage Capacity | Unlimited | 300 MB, 2 GB, 6 GB, unlimited (see cost above) | 2 GB online, unlimited desktop | 5 GB, 10 GB, unlimited (see cost above) |
| Sharing Options | Share projects | Share libraries with groups; collaborative editing |
Share libraries |
Group libraries; team collaboration |
| FAQs | FAQs | Knowledge Base | FAQs | Support Center |
