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Citation Managers: Mendeley

For updating content on the published guide.

Mendeley

Mendeley originated as an open source citation manager and now partners with the publisher Elsevier to offer a free version as well as paid premium versions (including the option to pay for extra online storage beyond 2 GB). It is compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux. Users can also download a companion tool called Mendeley Cite, which integrates with Microsoft Office 360, Microsoft Word (version 16 and above), and the Microsoft Word app for iPad.

Set up Mendeley

To use Mendeley, you'll need to create a free account.

First, you'll be prompted to enter your email address. If you do not already have an Elsevier account, you will be directed to a page to register for one.

After filling in some brief information to create a public profile, you'll be taken to the Mendeley homepage, which has an option to download the Mendeley Reference Manager app.

Clicking "Download Mendeley Reference Manager" will take you to a page where you can download the appropriate software for your device's operating system (Windows, MacOS, or Linux).

Once you have downloaded the appropriate .exe file, open the file and follow the guided steps to install the software.

After the software is installed, you should be able to open Mendeley Reference Manager on your device. Mendeley will guide you through setting up your library. Once you finish setting up, you can use the Tools menu in Mendeley Desktop to install both the Mendeley Web Importer and the Mendeley Cite tool for Microsoft Word.

Optional

Set up your online Mendeley profile:

Sign into your account from the main Mendeley webpage to view your library online and update your profile with your research interests, education and work history, and publications. You can change the privacy settings to control who sees your profile.

Introduction to Mendeley

Building Your Reference Library

Collect:

 

Once you have installed the Mendeley Web Importer, you can click on the Mendeley extension in your browser toolbar to save citations for articles or other resources you find on the Web or in library databases, along with attached PDFs if available.

There are multiple ways to add sources to your Mendeley library. Click on the "Add references" icon in your Mendeley library to:

  • Import files and folders from your computer
  • Import libraries from other reference managers (compatible file types: BibTeX, Endnote XML, and RIS)
  • Set computer folders to "watch" for new files
  • Manually add records for sources of any type.​​​

You can also drag and drop files into the Mendeley library directly from your computer's file manager (File Explorer for Windows, Finder for MacOS).

 

Organize and Collaborate:

In addition to collecting sources and citations, Mendeley Reference Manager allows you to create groups and collections to keep your documents organized.

Collections are personal folders you can use to sort your references by topic, course, date range, or any other category you choose. Once you create a collection and give it a name, you can add documents from your library to that collection.

 

 

Groups function similarly to collections, but can be shared with other Mendeley users for collaborative project work. Adding other users to a group will allow them to view the folder, add sources, and make other edits.

 

More options and features:

  • Edit record information, including adding searchable tags and attaching general notes.
  • Search the full text of your library using keywords.
  • Sync and back up your data online to access it anywhere.
Read, Annotate, and Cite:

  • Read PDFs directly in Mendeley Desktop and add printable in-text annotations, highlighting, and sticky notes.
  • Highlighted passages can be added to your Notebook as inline quotations alongside your notes.
  • Insert in-text citations and bibliographies directly into Microsoft Word. Use the dropdown menu and click on "More Styles" to choose from thousands of general and publication-specific citation styles and dozens of languages.