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Mendeley

This guide provides on overview of how to use Mendeley to create a personal database of references that can be inserted into documents created with Word.

Mendeley Institutional Edition Available for MSU Faculty, Staff, and Students

Mendeley is a reference manager that allows you to create a personal database of references related to your research, and it allows you to insert citations into Word using any one of hundreds of citation styles. If you are collaborating with other researchers, Mendeley allows you to share references.

There is a free version of Mendeley that anyone can sign up for. However, MSU faculty, staff, and students have access to Mendeley Institutional Edition, which provides more storage space for PDFs and more functionality.

For Mendeley accessibility information, please visit https://www.mendeley.com/accessibility. 

 

Mendeley Logo

How to Get Started with Mendeley

Register for an Account and Access the Web Version 
Be sure to keep in mind the following when registering:

  • To access the Institutional Edition of Mendeley, you do not need to use your MSU email address, and some people have had some issues using their MSU email address. Importantly, you should not use your MSU Net Password.
  • You should NOT use the "sign in via your organization" option. Unfortunately, that option does not work correctly. Once you access Mendeley on the MSU campus network or using the MSU VPN (Virtual Private Network), you should get access to the Institutional Edition.
  • If you already have a Mendeley account and need to change the email address, you can do so in your account settings.
Install the Mendeley Web Importer
  • Adding the Web Importer to your favorite web browser makes it easy to import references and documents from academic databases.

Install the Mendeley Web Importer

  • Adding the Web Importer to your favorite web browser makes it easy to import references and documents from academic databases.

Install Mendeley Cite

  • The plugin allows you to insert citations and bibliographies into your Microsoft Word, LibreOffice, or BibTeX document. Look for the Install link in the Tools menu of Mendeley Desktop.

Download Mendeley Reference Manager for Desktop (optional)
Use Mendeley Reference Manager for Desktop to build and organize your collection of references and documents, which you can sync with the web version. Drag & drop PDF files into the Desktop to instantly create references. Annotate PDFs with highlights and sticky notes as you read them.

  • Note that the downloadable version of Mendeley Reference Manager is sometimes unstable. For best results, use the web version, which has most functions found in the downloadable version.

Recorded Mendeley Workshop

This video was recorded in September 2024. Please note that the downloadable version of Mendeley Reference Manager is sometimes unstable. For best results, use the web version, which has most functions found in the downloadable version.

Subjects: Research Skills