Reference management software

Reference Management software is an effective tool for working with large numbers of references. Being able to use software to create bibliographies and insert in-text citations when writing the literature review section of your thesis or manuscript will massively simplify the process, and free up time for you to spend on other aspects of the research process.

When working with possibly many hundreds of references, it is essential that you store them in one place and organise them efficiently. In reference management software you can also keep the full text with the reference, by attaching files. You can also annotate full text files by adding notes, highlighting text and using other editing tools.  

If you are writing for publication, publishers usually require you to use their nominated referencing style. In the case of journals, this is usually the journal’s own style. Reference management software encompasses many thousands of referencing styles and so it is likely that packages will contain the style you are required to use, as well as the more well-known styles such as APA, Chicago, Harvard and Vancouver. It is also easy to import a style into a package if it is not available, for example, the OSCOLA footnotes style which law students and legal researchers use. Alternatively, you may be able to create a new style by editing an existing one, and saving it separately. 

Some packages are academic social networks as well as being reference managers. This is useful for researchers because it helps you to discover new research and potential collaborators. You can join public groups in Zotero to find scholars working on similar research topics or keep abreast of the latest research going on in your area of interest. If you are working on a joint project, you can create a shared library of references with your co-researchers. Using these features also helps you to establish and build up an online presence and promote your research.