Reference management systems such as EndNote, Zotero and Mendeley help in collecting, organising and managing references. But what is reference management, and how will using these systems help you to succeed in your degree?
Reference management software such as EndNote makes the process of collecting, organising and inserting references into your assignments easy and intuitive. All UoG students and staff have a free subscription to the EndNote desktop application through the university.
Library staff can also advise on the use of EndNote Web, EndNote's free online tool. EndNote Web can be synced to your desktop library, thus acting as a back-up and allowing you to save your references after you leave the university. There's also other free-to-use reference management software available such as Mendeley and Zotero, which the library is unable to provide support with.
Which reference management system should I use?
EndNote is the reference management system recommended by UoG. EndNote is compatible with Mac and Windows, with a free iOS app for iPad. There are other free-to-use reference management systems like Zotero and Mendeley with different functionalities which you can use; see the pdf link below for a detailed comparison of these different reference management systems, to help with deciding the best tool for your use.
How will using EndNote help you to succeed in your degree?
Watch the 3 minute introductory video below to learn more about the importance of referencing and how to use EndNote, UoG's recommended reference management system!
EndNote:
Stores the details of your references in a personal, searchable library, which you can then organise using tags and groups
Allows you to collaborate with ease by letting you share or 'sync' your library with peers and collaborators
The 'Cite While You Write' tool in Microsoft Office allows you to insert your references into the text of your assignment using the correct referencing style
EndNote also aids in the research process by allowing you to add notes and annotated pdfs to your desktop library
To learn how to install and use EndNote you can book an appointment with the Assistant Librarians at FCH and Oxstalls. The Assistant Librarians are able to offer 1-to-1 appointments either in-person or through Microsoft Teams, as well as group sessions for cohorts of students. These group sessions are particularly recommended for PG and third-year UG students. If you wish to organise a group training session (max of 12 students per session) you can do so by co-ordinating with your Academic Liaison Librarian.
Staff can download EndNote to their university device through the 'Company Portal' app.
To download EndNote onto a personal device, you can do so through the Software Downloads page. The process differs for Mac and Window users; Window users are required to download both the installation program and a license file, while for Mac only the installation program is required. The account for EndNote on the iOS app will be separate to your university subscription, so you will need to sync the two libraries through EndNote Web.
Other reference management tools:
EndNote Web is the free online version of EndNote, which you can use to sync your EndNote library with other accounts/devices and retain your references after leaving the university.
MyBib and ZoteroBib are free online tools that help users auto-generate references. Both MyBib and ZoteroBib are ad-free and can be installed as a browser extension for Chrome. Online referencing tools like MyBib and ZoteroBib perform many of the same functions as EndNote, however they aren't suited for managing large numbers of references and the system will sometimes generate incorrect citations.
Cite Them Right is a free online resource students have access to through the university, also available as a textbook. Cite Them Right provides clear and concise examples for referencing different types of sources ranging from podcasts, lectures, GenAI, maps, and more.
Microsoft Word has its own basic referencing tool, available via the ‘References’ tab. The References tab is used when adding endnotes (notes that appear at the end of a page/document) for the UoG MHRA style.
