Mendeley Desktop

Web-based reference management software means researchers can easily share libraries for a joint project. This is usually achieved by setting up a group within the program and then inviting colleagues to join.

Mendeley used to allow reference sharing in 'open groups', but these have been discontinued and you can now only create private groups:

• Private groups allow you to share full text PDFs and notes, with up to 25 collaborators. There is no limit to the number of private groups any Mendeley user may join. Private groups will not be visible on the Mendeley website.

To create a group in Mendeley Desktop:

• Under Groups in the left pane, click on Create Group.
• Give your group a name, and click on Create Group.
• Invite people to your group using their email addresses (skip if you don't want to share).

Note that references in Groups are not automatically added to your Library. 

Be aware, that by sharing a Mendeley group with full text attachments, you may be in breach of copyright or licensing restrictions. For further information, please see UCL Copyright Advice.

Mendeley Desktop continues to be available for existing users but is no longer available to download and is no longer under development. For guidance on using the new Mendeley Reference Manager, Mendeley Cite and Mendeley Web, see our Mendeley guide.