Reference management software
Keep track of the information sources you use, and reference consistently in your writing.
Go to: What is reference management software? | EndNote | Alternative and open-source packages
What is reference management software (RMS)?
Reference Management Software is one way of keeping track of your references. These systems are designed to help you store and organise the references you find through your literature searches.
They will also allow you to automatically generate in-text citations and reference lists. These still need to be proofread and aligned with your schools referencing style, for more information visit How to reference.
As a student at the University of Nottingham, you can access the full subscription version of EndNote Desktop and EndNote Online for free, but open-source packages are also available online.
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EndNote
EndNote will allow you to:
- Keep track of your reading by storing all your references in one place
- Import references directly from a wide range of bibliographic databases as you search (or add references manually)
- Create accurate and consistent citations and bibliographies in Microsoft Word, using specific referencing styles.
There are two ways to use EndNote Desktop:
- Access EndNote Desktop on any University of Nottingham PC and create your own personal library.
- Download the EndNote Desktop software to your own device from the University’s Software Library for use both on and off campus.
We recommend you register for an EndNote Online account at the same time to ensure your EndNote Desktop library is backed up.
How to use EndNote Desktop
EndNote Online is a web-based version designed with undergraduate students in mind.
To access the full functionality of EndNote Online, create your account through EndNote Desktop.
You can do this in two ways:
- On campus using any University of Nottingham PC.
- Download the EndNote Desktop software to your own device from the University’s Software Library.
Once you are registered, you can access your EndNote Online account from anywhere.
How to use EndNote Online
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Alternative open source and paid RMS options
After you graduate, if you wish to continue using EndNote, you can access EndNote Basic, a free version of EndNote.
Alternative reference management software is available; however, the University of Nottingham does not pay to subscribe to these.
EndNote Basic is the free version of EndNote.
This allows you to continue using EndNote after you have graduated.
Visiting EndNote Online and selecting ‘create account’ will also create an EndNote Basic Account.
EndNote Basic offers less features with reductions in storage and the number of referencing styles.
Aside from this, EndNote Basic and EndNote Online work identically. If you need support with EndNote Basic, please refer to our EndNote Online guide.
View product comparison chartHow to use EndNote Online
You may want to explore another reference management software package instead. Many of these are available on the web and you can easily set up your own account.
Some packages, such as Mendeley, do charge for additional storage, so while some are free to use, be aware there may be charges for these RMS packages as they are not paid for by the University.
Examples of other referencing software include:
- Mendeley (Free up to 2GB, monthly subscription model for additional storage)
- Zotero (Free up to 300 MB, yearly subscription model for additional storage)
- Paperpile (Specifically developed for Google Docs, monthly subscription charge)
User guides are available on the suppliers’ websites.
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