Poster Board Number: 32
Title: Comparison of Selected Reference Management Tools
Objective: There are several different kinds of reference management tools that help users in their research. In order for users to decide which tool is best for their needs, it is important to know each tool’s strengths and weaknesses. This poster will compare four reference management tools, one of which is licensed by the library and three are freely available.
Methods: Because of the availability of a number of reference management tools for users, an effort was made to identify a few most popular and useful tools to compare. Based on the discussion on library email discussion lists, related articles, Internet resources, and users’ recommendations, four tools were chosen for comparison considering their functionality, ease of use, availability to library users, and popularity. These four tools are: EndNote/EndNote Web, Zotero, Connotea, and Mendeley.
Results: A comparison table of the four reference management tools was prepared and has been displayed on the library website. The next step is to develop some user guides and interactive tutorials for each of the tools so that our users can take full advantage of these available tools to meet their research needs.
Conclusions: Although there are various types of reference management tools, each one has its own strengths and weakness. Making the best use of each tool’s strengths will maximize the benefits to researchers.
Authors: Yingting Zhang, AHIP, Information and Education Librarian; Kerry O'Rourke, AHIP, Campus Library Director; Robert Wood Johnson Library of the Health Sciences; University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ
