Library DIY (beta)

Using citation management systems

Save and Organize your Sources

For your research project, set up a simple  system for keeping track of your resources and any other research information:

  • Sign in to the PSU Library catalog and use the pin icon pin icon from psu library catalog to save your library resources in My Favorites;
  • Create a folder in your pdx.edu email to save articles, citations, and drafts of your assignment;
  • Save all of your sources to the same placesuch as your PSU H: drive;
  • Create a Google Doc with your notes and citation information.

If you need assistance with citations, PSU Library's Cite Your Sources guide offers more instruction on citation, plagiarism, and citation generators.

Use Citation Management Systems

With a Citation management system, you can download and store citations from various websites and databases in a specific citation style (MLA, APA, Chicago). In addition, you can insert citations and a bibliography into your paper. If you work collaboratively on projects, you can also use citation managers to share your citations. Most importantly, citation management systems are best for managing a large number of citations.

There are several citation management tools available as well as tutorials on how to use them. PSU provides support for:

Zotero and Mendeley are the most popular and free on the web. For more information about citation management tools, visit the Library's Manage Citations with Zotero, Mendeley, and EndNote.

Learn more about how these free citation managers, Zotero and Mendeley, can help you organize your citations and research articles. Watch this video, What are Citation Managers: