You might just need a reference generator for a quick one-off reference, or a powerful reference management tool like Zotero or Mendeley for managing references for a lit review or multiple research assignments.
Think carefully about what you need from a reference manager, i.e. do you want to collaborate and share your references with a group or team? Save and annotate PDFs and notes? Cite as you go with Word or Google Doc add-ins? etc.
Having a folder in a referencing tool like MyBib for each assignment means you can build and generate a well-formatted list of references at a click of a button.
Powerful reference management tools like Zotero and Mendeley allow you to tag, label and organise your references and notes into folders and collections. This is super hepful for filtering sources quickly, especially when working on large or long-term research.
Most referencing tools have a browser extension (like MyBib, Zotero Connector, or Mendeley Web Importer) that lets you:
Use the export button in the Library catalogue to download and import references for Library sources into your referencing manager.
You can also import and export references and reference lists across different reference managers (look for .ris file format).
The more powerful reference management tools like Zotero and Mendeley integrate with your writing software so you can:
Just make sure you have installed the plug-in or add-in for your chosen reference manager.
Reference managers save time, but they are not perfect!
Always human-double-check the references they generate:
