A reference manager is software that can make you more efficient and productive when you are writing major projects, such as long research papers, theses, dissertations, and articles or books for publication. All managers require you to establish an account before you start working. Most reference managers can perform these functions:
- Import references from databases and webpages
- Organize and store references in folders
- Capture and store full-text articles
- Create bibliographies in the citation style and document format of your choice
- Integrate with Microsoft Word through an add-in, so you can insert in-text citations and create a bibliography as you write
UNT Libraries sponsor the reference manager, RefWorks. We provide free accounts for all students, staff and faculty at UNT. Check out the RefWorks tab on this guide for more information and how to create your account.
For more information about the free managers, Mendeley, Zotero and EndNote Basic, visit the Reference Managers library guide. To see a comparison of 30 managers, visit Wikipedia's Comparison of Reference Management Software. Revisit the slideshow you saw in class about reference managers and RefWorks - see below.