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Nursing Resources: Managing Your References

Citation Management Software

EndNote
EndNote is a desktop-based citation manager that MSK provides access to through a licensing agreement. There is also a cloud-based component called EndNote Web that can be synced to your desktop program. Contact the Help Desk at 123-3337 or 646-227-3337 to have EndNote installed on your account. For MSK issued laptops you will need to open another request.
Zotero
Zotero is a free browser-based open-source citation management project. However, it requires a monthly fee for upgrades beyond 300MB. The benefit of Zotero is that it automatically senses the content of your web browser and adds it to your personal library with a single click.
Sciwheel
Formally F1000 Workspace, Sciwheel is a cloud-based citation manager with desktop software created by Faculty of 1,000 (F1000) as a space for researchers to collect, write, and discuss scientific literature. It is available for staff of MSK through the library.
Mendeley
Mendeley is a free web-based citation manager with desktop software. There is up to 2GB of free storage with the opportunity to upgrade space for a fee. There are also team accounts for larger collaborations.
PaperPile
PaperPile is web-based citation manager that is integrated into Google Apps. It allows you to collect citations via a Chrome extension and then add PDFs to your Google Drive account, and write your papers in Google Docs. Collaborate with colleagues using Gmail and the Google Apps ecosystem within PaperPile to share content. PaperPile is $2.99/month for their academic/non-profit plan for individual users. Storage space is also limited to the 15GB provided for free through your Google Account in Drive.

Which Citation Manager Should I Choose?

I need to...	Use:	Why:
...work on a mobile device	EndNote SciWheel Papers Zotero PaperPile	EndNote for iOS for both mobile and iPad that allows you to view, edit, and share citations and PDFs by syncing to your EndNote Online account. SciWheel has an iOS and Android app to use on phone or tablet to read, annotate, and save articles to sync with desktop account. Papers has a mobile app for both iOS and Android that seamlessly syncs across all platforms. Zotero for Mobile is available for iOS. There are also unofficial apps available for Android. There is also a web-based library that is mobile optimized. PaperPile allows you to view all the PDFs in your collection through the Google Drive app on any mobile device.
...work without an Internet connection	EndNote Mendeley Papers Zotero	EndNote and Papers are both desktop based products that run from your hard drive so you will have access to your personal library. Online searching will not work without an Internet connection. Mendeley offers an "offline mode" in their desktop version which can be used without an internet connection. Zotero has a desktop component but it must be synced with an Internet connection.
...collaborate with colleagues	EndNote SciWheel Mendeley Zotero PaperPile	EndNote 20 has sharing capabilities that work with EndNote Online where up to 400 people can be added to share your library through your synced EndNote Online account. You must remember to sync your desktop account to EndNote web for this to work. If you have multiple libraries, syncing will merge them. SciWheel has private projects where members can share citations and full-text. You must be at an institution with SciWheel to create a project but can invite anyone from any institution to join a project. Mendeley's institutional subscription allows for unlimited number of private groups (5 in the free version) with up to 100 members per group (25 in the free version) Zotero Groups allows for sharing and collaborating, as well as web-based bibliographies. It also allows for finding other groups and people with similar research interests and the sources they are citing. PaperPile is designed for collaboration, but it must be within the Google (Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs).
...use a non-MSK computer	SciWheel Mendeley Zotero Papers PaperPile	SciWheel is tied to Faculty of 1000 which is a subscription database that MSK has access to. In order to use SciWheel you must create an account while on the MSK network, and after that you can access it from anywhere by logging in. Mendeley and Zotero are both web-based products that can be used on non-MSK computers. Mendeley also has a desktop version available which can be installed on non-MSK computers. Papers can be purchased from MSK IT Procurement at a discounted rate, and installed on all devices. PaperPile can be accessed anywhere you can access your personal Gmail account.
...have assistance with using the product	EndNote SciWheel Mendeley Papers	Contact the Reference Desk at 639-7439 during library hours for assistance with using any citation manager. EndNote has a fantastic technical support team that you can call or message Monday through Friday from 9am to 8pm ET to help you with all technical issues or questions. They also have an extensive video tutorial library and user guides on their website. SciWheel has chat and email technical support. Mendeley has email, chat, and Twitter support through their parent company Elsevier. Papers has an extensive product support and questions can be submitted through a ticketing system.
...be updated on retractions in my library	EndNote Papers Zotero	New in EndNote version 20.3 -- Retraction alerts in Cite While You Write (CWYW) protect you from accidentally citing problematic sources in your manuscripts. Endnote version 20.2.0 provides retraction alerts for publications in your library. Papers has expanded their retraction data, bringing in data from RetractionWatch to provide retraction alerting within libraries and while citing. Zotero has partnered with RetractionWatch and the latest Zotero Beta will automatically check for retracted papers.
...use a cloud-based word processor
Microsoft Word 365 Online	SciWheel Mendeley Papers	SciWheel is compatible with Word Online. Access and cite references from SciWheel and search for new references in PubMed directly from within Word Online using the SciWheel Word add-in. Mendeley is compatible with Word Online using their Mendeley Cite add-in.*** Papers is experiencing issues with its SmartCite Add-in being blocked by Word Online. If you do not have access to desktop Word, contact Papers Support (support@papersapp.com) and they will run the update for you.
Google Docs	SciWheel Zotero PaperPile Papers	SciWheel is compatible with Google Docs. Access and cite references and from SciWheel and search for new references in PubMed directly from within Google Docs using the Google Docs add-on. Zotero is compatible with Google Docs. The Zotero Connector adds the Zotero menu directly into Google Docs and a toolbar button for one-click citing. PaperPile seamlessly integrates into Google Docs using Google Chrome once PaperPile's Chrome extension is installed and logged in. Papers is compatible with Google Docs using their SmartCite Add-In.

Last Updated: Apr 25, 2024 3:52 PM
URL: https://libguides.mskcc.org/nursing_resources
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Subjects: Education & Training, Library Resources, Library Services, MSK Departments, MSK Departments: Nursing