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Citation Management: Home

A guide to Citation Management using two of our recommended resources: Zotero and EndNoteWeb

Welcome!

This is a quick-start guide to getting you up and running using a citation management tool. This guide walks you through Zotero and EndNoteWeb, but there are many tools available.

If you'd like to see other options, see the Research Tools page. 


If you're looking for answers about specific citation styles or rules, such as:

  • Does the MLA format required the title "Works Cited" or "Bibliography" on the citations page?
  • How do I cite a source that I found within another source?

then you should make an appointment IIT's Writing Center. 

Need an online resource right now? Try Purdue University's OWL Writing Lab. They have a lot of information on using the APA, MLA and Chicago citation styles. 

Questions?

Get help from the Research Help Office:

phone: (312) 567-3616

email: library@iit.edu

Pros and Cons of using Zotero

Pros

  • It's very easy to use.
  • It's fast & free
  • Zotero for Firefox does not require local admin privileges to install. You can install it on the library's computers, but it will be deleted when you log off.
  • Zotero Standalone is available for Mac OSX, Windows, and Linux.
  • Zotero Standalone has plug-ins available for Chrome & Safari. 
  • Plug-ins available for You can set up an account for online syncing.
  • It has an add-in for Microsoft Word and LibreOffice.

 


Cons

  • Browser specific: works with Chrome FireFox and Safari, but not Internet Explorer.
  • Syncing is not the same as backing up your data. Zotero recommends that if you are working on a large document, you back up your library file manually.
  • Zotero Standalone requires local admin rights on your computer to install, so you will not be able to install it on lab or library computers.
  • Online sync is view-only, no editing.
  • Only a few citation formats are supported, but they are the most common ones (ACS is not supported).

Pros and Cons of using EndNoteWeb

Pros

  • All your citations are kept online and backed up.
  • Can edit your citations online.
  • It has a very easy-to-use extension package for Microsoft Word.
  • It supports many more citation styles than Zotero, including ACS and ASME.
  • Unlike Zotero, works with Internet Expolorer.

 

 

Cons

  • The interface is not as user-friendly as Zotero
  • There can be some lag time when adding citations as it has to upload them to the server.
  • May require additional steps to add citations (such as export/import).
  • Requires local admin rights on your computer to install the Microsoft Word extension, so you will not be able to install it on lab or library computers.
  • Does not have an extension into OpenOffice.