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Research Guides

Citation Management Software: Adding New References

A guide to the commonly used citation - or reference - management software available to the U-Idaho community.

Adding New References

Install Mendeley Web Importer

This browser extension allows you to capture online references and save them directly to your Mendeley library.

  • Open Mendeley Reference Manager
  • Click Tools and Install Mendeley Web Importer
  • Follow on-screen instructions and add to Chrome or Firefox

Pin the Mendeley Web Importer

  • Chrome
    • Click the Extension icon
    • Click the Pin icon
  • Firefox
    • Right click the Toolbar
    • Click Customize
    • Drag and drop the extension back to the toolbar

Add References using the Mendeley Web Importer

  • Navigate to an article, webpage, etc. you'd like to save
  • Click the Mendeley Web Importer button
    • Log-in to your Mendeley account, if prompted
  • Check the box for the references you would like to import
  • Click Add to Mendeley Library
  • The Mendeley Web Importer will automatically add the reference(s) to your Mendeley library

Add References from an Existing Reference Manager

  • Export references as BibTex, EndNote XML, or RIS file format from existing reference manager 
  • Open Mendeley Reference Manager
  • Click Add new and Import Manually
  • Select the file format and the correct file
Mendeley Add Library

 

Import PDFs and Extract Reference Metadata

After opening Mendeley Reference Manager, there are two ways to import PDFs.

  • Option 1:
    • Click Add new and File(s) from computer
    • Select the files from your computer
  • Option 2:
    • Drag and drop PDF files directly into the Mendeley Reference Manager window
Import PDFs

 

Add References Manually

  • Open Mendeley Reference Manager
  • Click Add new and Add Manual Entry
  • In the Reference Type drop-down box, select the type of references, such as a book, journal article, website, etc.
  • Fill in the appropriate bibliographic fields and click Add entry
Add Reference Manually

Search Mendeley's Web Catalog

When searching the Mendeley Web Catalog, you can see the references other Mendeley users have added to their own personal libraries.

**Note: A search within Mendeley Web Catalog will not show you all references that are related to your topic and available via the U of I Library; you will only see references if others have saved them.**

  • Click Tools and Search for articles online
  • Type your keywords into the box and click Search
  • View a list of references that other Mendeley users have added to their own libraries
  • Click Add to Library to add the reference to your own Mendeley Library
  • Visit the U of I Library's website to see if the full-text is available
Search Mendeley's Web Catalog