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Citation Management Software

This page provides links to guides on citation management software that is supported by the MSU Libraries.

Import from EndNote to Mendeley

To import records from your selected references or the entire EndNote library, follow these steps. Exporting the EndNote library as an XML file is the best way to ensure that PDFs are also imported into Mendeley.

  1. Open EndNote, click File, then Export (Choose "Export Selected References" to export selected items).

  2. Set the output file as "XML" (from the drop-dwon list next to "Save as type".)

  3. Save the export file to your computer.

  4. Open Mendeley Desktop.

  5. Click File, then choose Add Files. Or, click Import, then choose EndNote XML.
     
  6. Select the EndNote file you have saved earlier, then click Open to import your EndNote references or the whole library to Mendeley.
     
  7. Press Sync in Mendeley Desktop to save the changes in the cloud.

You can also export your EndNote library into Mendeley using RIS or BibTeX format. The steps are as follows:

  1. Open EndNote, click File, then select Export.

  2. Choose Select Another Style from the drop-down list next to Output Style.

  3. Select RefMan (RIS) Export, then click Choose.

  4. Name the file you are going to save, and add a .ris after the filename.

  5. Tick Text File (.txt) next to the Save as Type. Then click Save.
     
  6. Open Mendeley Desktop.
     
  7. Click File, select Import, then choose RIS-Research Information Systems (*.ris).

To import BibTeX to Mendeley, see the above steps.

Import from Zotero to Mendeley

To import records from your Zotero library, try these steps:

  1. Open Mendely Desktop.

  2. Click Tools, then Options (For Mac users, select Preferences).

  3. Click the Zotero tab in the dialogue box.

  4. Check the box before Zotero integration.

  5. Browse to select a particular Zotero database or the entire library (this is the default selection).

  6. Click Apply, then OK to finish the integration.

  7. Press Sync to save your changes in the cloud.

You can also click File, then Import, and select Zotero Library (zotero.sqlite) to import your references from Zotero.

[ If you have some issue exporting records from your Zotero library, you may want to try the following steps first:

  1. Open the standalone Zotero version.

  2. Select Export Library from the drop-down list next to the gear icon .

  3. Choose RIS format from the drop-down list next to Format. (This format is the most compatible with other citation tools).

  4. Click OK and save the file on your computer.

  5. Follow the seven steps listed above at the top of this section to export your Zotero library to Mendeley. ]

Import from Papers to Mendeley

To import records from selected papers or collection or your entire Papers library, follow these steps:

  1. Open Papers, click this icon, then select Export Refman RIS File.

  2. Choose how you are going to export your records from the What drop-down list: selected papers, collection, or the whole library.

  3. Specify the folder where you want to save your Papers file.

  4. Click Export.

  5. Open Mendeley Desktop.

  6. Click File, select Add Files; or, select Import, then choose RIS-Research Information Systems (*ris), to add/import the file you have exported from Papers earlier.

  7. Click Open to begin the migration.

  8. Press Sync in Mendeley Desktop to save your changes in the cloud.