Citation is stating where you got your information.

The reasons you cite:

• To give credit where credit is due – to avoid plagiarizing
• To give information about a source so people (i.e. your instructor) can find it

You need to cite:

• In the paper (in-text citations)
• At the end (reference list)

• Cite Sources: Learn the correct way to cite sources by using these guides, tutorials, and videos.
• Referencing Webinars: APA & MLA. Referencing Webinars are 75 minutes long.  Registration is required.
• Online Appointments: Personalized online 30-minute appointments with a Learning Strategist.

Citation management software

Citation management software allows you to save and organize items found via searching the library's databases. It also can be used to create reference lists and citations for papers. There are a number of software systems available. 

Two of the most popular free software management systems are Mendeley and Zotero. Below are some features that may help you decide between the two:

Reasons to choose Mendeley

• Your research consists mainly of pdfs. Often this is the choice for researchers in the Sciences
• Mendeley works well with Chrome and Safari and has a desktop version
• 2 GB cloud storage
• Mendeley has very well developed social collaboration tools. For example, you can find citations from similar users and search within its crowd-sourced research database
• Desktop version is installed on all publicly accessible computers at MRU

Reasons to choose Zotero

• Zotero works better if your research is both html and pdf. Often this is the choice for researchers in the Humanities and Social Sciences
• Zotero works well with Firefox. It also has a standalone desktop application
• 300 MB cloud storage
• Allows easy citation additions from websites like Amazon and Flickr
• Well liked interface for tagging and writing notes to accompany citations

Assistance with Citation Management Software

If you have any difficulties installing the software contact ITS at helpdesk@mtroyal.ca or 403.440.6000

Further questions about citation management software? Contact your subject librarian.