How To Use Mendeley Reference Manager (Complete Beginner's Guide)

Summary

This tutorial offers a comprehensive guide to the Mendeley Reference Manager, a free software for organizing research references across multiple platforms. It covers downloading, setting up, and using the software, including creating an Elsevier account, installing browser plugins, and adding references manually or via identifiers. The video also explains how to manage and organize references, use the notebook feature for annotations, and integrate citations and bibliographies in Microsoft Word using the Mendeley Cite add-on. Finally, it highlights accessing the Mendeley library online for convenience.

Takeaways

• 🔍 The Mendeley Reference Manager is a free software created by Elsevier for managing references, available for Mac, Windows, and Linux.
• 🆓 Mendeley Desktop is still available but no longer supported, with Mendeley Reference Manager taking its place.
• 💻 To download Mendeley Reference Manager, visit their website, select your operating system, and follow the setup instructions.
• 📧 You need a free Elsevier account to use Mendeley, which can be created easily on their website.
• 🌐 Installing the Mendeley Web Importer plugin for browsers like Firefox, Chrome, and Safari makes it easy to save online references directly to your Mendeley library.
• 📂 Inside Mendeley, you can add references manually, use identifiers, import via the Web Importer, or upload PDFs with metadata.
• 📑 Mendeley features a notebook for adding comments and annotations, and allows tagging for better organization of references.
• 🔄 You can filter references by tags and authors, and organize them into collections and sub-collections.
• 👥 Private groups in Mendeley let you share references and PDFs with up to 25 other users, useful for collaborative work.
• 📝 Mendeley Cite add-on for Microsoft Word helps in inserting citations and bibliographies, with various citation styles available.

Q & A

What is Mendeley Reference Manager and who created it?

Mendeley Reference Manager is a reference management software created by the publisher Elsevier, available for Mac, Windows, and Linux machines.

Is Mendeley Reference Manager free to use?

Yes, Mendeley Reference Manager is completely free to use.

What is the difference between Mendeley Reference Manager and Mendeley Desktop?

Mendeley Desktop is an older software that is no longer supported with updates, whereas Mendeley Reference Manager is the current and supported version.

How can I download Mendeley Reference Manager?

You can download Mendeley Reference Manager by visiting their website and selecting the download button, then choosing the correct option for your operating system.

Do I need an account to use Mendeley Reference Manager?

Yes, to use Mendeley Reference Manager, you will need an Elsevier account, which is free to create.

What is the Mendeley Web Importer and why is it useful?

The Mendeley Web Importer is a free plugin for internet browsers that simplifies the process of saving references found online directly to your Mendeley library.

How can I add references to my Mendeley library?

You can add references to your Mendeley library by manually entering the information, using an identifier to look up metadata, using the Mendeley Web Importer, or uploading a PDF with metadata.

What is the purpose of the 'Collections' feature in Mendeley Reference Manager?

Collections are like folders in Mendeley Reference Manager, allowing you to manually organize and categorize your references.

How does the 'Private Groups' feature work in Mendeley Reference Manager?

Private Groups in Mendeley Reference Manager allow you to share references and full-text documents with other members in a shared library environment, such as for a journal club.

What is the Notebook feature in Mendeley Reference Manager and how can it be used?

The Notebook feature in Mendeley Reference Manager allows you to add your own comments in the form of pages and view embedded comments within PDFs, which can be helpful for note-taking and annotations.

How can Mendeley Reference Manager be integrated with Microsoft Word for creating citations and bibliographies?

You can integrate Mendeley Reference Manager with Microsoft Word by downloading the Mendeley Cite for Microsoft Word add-on, which allows you to insert citations and bibliographies directly into your Word document.

How can I access my Mendeley library online?

You can access your Mendeley library online by signing in to the Mendeley website using your account details and selecting the library button.

What is the storage limit for the free Mendeley Reference Manager plan?

The free Mendeley Reference Manager plan offers two gigabytes of storage, with additional storage available for paid subscriptions.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Introduction to Mendeley Reference Manager

This paragraph introduces the Mendeley Reference Manager, a free reference management software created by Elsevier for Mac, Windows, and Linux. It mentions the discontinuation of Mendeley Desktop in favor of the new Reference Manager. The video guide explains how to download and install the software, create an Elsevier account, and install the Mendeley Web Importer plugin for browsers. The initial interface of the software is described, including the sidebar for adding new references, organizing the library, and accessing collections and private groups.

05:01

📚 Adding References to Mendeley Library

The second paragraph covers various methods for adding references to the Mendeley library, such as manually entering details, using identifiers to fetch metadata, importing via the Mendeley Web Importer plugin, and uploading PDFs with metadata. It explains the process for each method, including using a PubMed identifier to automatically populate reference details and the convenience of the Web Importer for direct library additions from web pages. The paragraph also discusses managing the library, including marking references as read, adding tags for organization, and using filters to sort references by tags and authors.

10:02

📁 Organizing References with Collections and Private Groups

This section delves into organizing references using collections, which function as folders to categorize references manually. It explains creating sub-collections for more granular organization. Additionally, private groups are introduced as shared libraries for collaboration, allowing users to share references and PDFs with group members. The process of creating a private group, adding references, and inviting members is outlined. The paragraph also touches on the notebook feature, which allows users to add pages for general comments and attach specific notes to references.

15:03

🖊️ Creating Citations and Bibliographies in Microsoft Word

The final paragraph demonstrates how to integrate Mendeley with Microsoft Word for creating citations and bibliographies. It instructs viewers to download the Mendeley Cite add-on for Word and describes the process of adding citations and bibliographies within a Word document using the Mendeley library. The guide also covers changing citation styles and accessing the Mendeley library online through the Mendeley website, which syncs with the user's Elsevier account. The video concludes with a summary of the Mendeley Reference Manager's capabilities and an invitation for feedback and subscription to the channel for more tutorials.

Keywords

💡Mendeley Reference Manager

Mendeley Reference Manager is a software application used for managing and organizing research papers, articles, and other documents. It is central to the video's theme as it is the main subject being discussed. The script describes it as a free tool created by Elsevier, available for multiple operating systems, and essential for researchers and students to manage their bibliographic references efficiently.

💡Elsevier

Elsevier is a publisher that created Mendeley Reference Manager. In the context of the video, Elsevier is mentioned as the entity responsible for the development of the software, emphasizing the credibility and origin of the tool that the video is focused on teaching.

💡Reference Manager

A reference manager is a type of software that helps users organize, store, and retrieve bibliographic references. In the video, the term is used to describe the function of Mendeley Reference Manager, highlighting its role in academic research and writing.

💡Mendeley Desktop

Mendeley Desktop is another software by the same creators of Mendeley Reference Manager, as mentioned in the script. However, it is noted that it is no longer supported, indicating that the focus of the video is on the newer and supported version of the software.

💡Web Importer

The Mendeley Web Importer is a browser plugin that facilitates the saving of online references directly to the Mendeley library. It is a key feature discussed in the video, demonstrating how it simplifies the process of adding references from the internet to one's Mendeley library.

💡Collections

In the context of Mendeley Reference Manager, collections are used as folders to organize references. The video script explains how to create and manage collections, emphasizing their importance in keeping a well-organized library.

💡Private Groups

Private groups in Mendeley Reference Manager allow users to share references and full-text documents with other group members. The video script discusses this feature as a way to collaborate and share resources within a team or among colleagues.

💡Notebook

The Notebook feature in Mendeley Reference Manager is used for adding personal comments and annotations. The video script describes how it can be used to jot down comments and attach notes to specific references, enhancing the research and review process.

💡PDF Annotations

PDF annotations refer to the ability to mark up and comment on PDF documents within Mendeley Reference Manager. The script illustrates how users can highlight text and add sticky notes to PDFs in their library, a feature that aids in detailed review and analysis of documents.

💡Citations

Citations are references to the sources used in a research paper or article. The video script explains how to create citations using the Mendeley plugin for Microsoft Word, showing the integration of Mendeley Reference Manager with word processing software for academic writing.

💡Bibliography

A bibliography is a list of works cited in a text. The video script provides a guide on how to generate a bibliography using the Mendeley plugin in Microsoft Word, which is essential for academic writing and formatting.

💡Citation Style

Citation styles dictate the format in which references and citations are presented in academic work. The video script discusses how to change the citation style in Mendeley for Microsoft Word, allowing users to adhere to specific journal or academic standards.

Highlights

Mendeley Reference Manager is a free reference management software created by Elsevier.

Available for Mac, Windows, and Linux, Mendeley is a versatile tool for researchers.

Mendeley Desktop is no longer supported; Mendeley Reference Manager has taken its place.

To use Mendeley, an Elsevier account is required, which is also free to create.

Mendeley Web Importer is a browser plugin that simplifies saving online references.

The software features a sidebar for easy navigation and library management.

Users can create collections for organizing references and even sub-collections for added structure.

Private groups in Mendeley allow sharing of references and documents with group members.

The notebook feature enables users to add comments and annotations to references.

PDF annotations can be color-coded and managed through the Mendeley interface.

Mendeley integrates with Microsoft Word for easy citation and bibliography creation.

Citations and bibliographies can be styled according to various academic formats.

Mendeley's online platform provides access to the library across different devices.

The free plan offers 2GB of storage, with options for additional storage on paid plans.

Mendeley supports various methods for adding references, including manual entry and PDF uploads.

References can be marked as read, favorited, and filtered by tags or authors.

The video provides a comprehensive beginner's guide to using Mendeley Reference Manager.

Transcripts

in this video i'm going to show you

everything that you need to know about

using the mendeley reference manager so

let's get straight into it so what is

this software the mendeley reference

manager as the name suggests is a

reference manager software created by

the publisher elsevier that's available

for mac windows and linux machines and

the great thing about it is that it is

completely free

it's also worth noting that mendeley

have another software known as mendeley

desktop which is still available to

download

but this is no longer being supported

with updates since the mendeley

reference manager is taking its number

one spot to download the mendeley

reference manager software you need to

head on over to their website and i'll

leave a link in the description below in

the top right corner of the page you

should see a download button when you

select this you then have to select the

correct option for your chosen operating

system i'm using a windows machine for

this tutorial so i'll choose to download

this version once downloaded it's then a

case of following the setup wizard to

install the software

to use mendeley you will need an

elsevier account but don't worry this

process is also free and it's easy to do

to create an account go back to the

mendeley website and select the create

account option in the top navigation bar

enter your email address and click

continue then fill in the rest of your

information including your name and a

desired password

then click the register button

you should now have an elsevier account

which can be used to log in to the

mendeley reference manager software

another thing i suggest that you do at

this point is to install the mendeley

web importer

which is a free plugin for your internet

browser that makes it really easy to

save references you find online straight

to your mendeley library the web

importer is available for all major

internet browsers including firefox

chrome and safari and i'll leave links

in the description for each one so you

can download it yourself i'm using

firefox for this demonstration so i'll

install this so now we have everything

that we need let's now open the software

and take a look around when you first

open the program you will probably be

asked to log in so go ahead and enter

your newly created elsevier account

details inside of the mendeley reference

manager you should see a sidebar to the

left

at the top there's an add new button

where you can create a new reference

entry

add files from your computer or import a

full reference library from elsewhere

such as endnote under the add new button

you should then see different sections

of the library obviously this library is

empty at the moment but it is here that

you can toggle the view between all

references

those that are recently added are read

references that you mark as a favorite

or those that you have published

yourself and at the bottom there is a

trash area which will contain all the

files that you delete from your library

in the section below this there is

collections

you can think of collections as folders

where you can manually drag and drop

references into these are perfect for

keeping your library organized and i'll

explore collections in a bit more detail

later on in this guide under collections

you will also notice a private group

section

private groups are a bit like a shared

library where you can share references

and full-text documents to other members

in your group and i'll also go into a

bit more detail on this later within the

main panel of the mendeley reference

manager you will see all of the

references and files in your library

don't worry we will add some of your own

very shortly to the top right you will

find a search bar so you can quickly

find a reference in your library as well

as a filters option which can be used to

filter references by authors and tags

the last thing you should be aware of is

the notebook in the notebook you can add

your own comments in the form of pages

as well as view comments that are

embedded within multiple pdfs there's

more on notebooks later alright so

that's a brief overview of the program

itself let me now show you how you can

add references to the mendeley reference

manager like most reference managers

there are various ways that you can add

references to your library

with the mendeley reference manager

these are

manually add the listing yourself

use an identifier to look up the

metadata

use the mendeley web importer to import

references straight from your internet

browser

and upload a pdf which contains metadata

to add a reference manually simply

select the add new button and choose add

entry manually in the new sidebar ignore

the identifiers box at the top and

simply fill in the rest of the boxes for

this example let's say i want to add

this journal article i found online i

can just take the information on this

web page and manually enter it into the

mendeley reference manager i'll speed

this process up for you

once added you will then see the

reference in the main window

and if you'd like to see more

information about the reference you

simply select it and then go to the info

tab in the new sidebar to the right so

that's how you can add references

manually what about adding references

via an identifier the mendeley reference

manager can read different types of

identifiers and extract relevant

information attached to it by looking

online going back to my example of the

review article i can see that this is a

pubmed identifier code here so if i copy

this i can then open the mendeley

reference manager and select the add new

button again

then i will select the add entry

manually

but this time i will paste the

identifier i just copied into this top

box and then press the search button

if successful the boxes underneath

should be automatically populated with

the relevant information you can then

confirm these to add the reference to

the library

moving on let's take a look at importing

references via the mendeley web importer

with the web importer installed you

should see the add-on button somewhere

on your internet browser

as mentioned i'm using firefox and you

can see the mendeley web importer add-on

here to use the web importer go to the

page that contains the reference

that you want to download to your

library then simply select the web

importer button when doing this for the

first time you will be asked to log in

using your elsevier account that you

created earlier once logged in you

should then see all the available

references that you can download to your

library from this page and if that

reference has the full text pdf

available the web importer will notify

you it's then a case of selecting the

appropriate reference and clicking the

add to mendeley button

once imported the web importer will

notify you that the reference has been

imported and if you switch to the

mendeley reference manager software you

will see the reference in your library

as well as the associated pdf which can

be downloaded and opened directly within

the software the last main method of

importing references into your mendeley

library is to upload a pdf of that

reference

for example let's say i have the full

text of a journal article on my computer

most often these pdfs have metadata

associated with them which can be used

to populate the entry mentally simply

select the add new button and then click

the files from your computer option

find the desired pdf and upload it using

the attached metadata mendeley should

then populate that entry for you the pdf

will also be attached to the entry so

that's how you can add references to

your mendeley library

let me now show you a few things about

managing your library as you add entries

to your library they will often have

these green circles placed next to them

this just indicates that these

references are unread

if you open the pdf attached to the

reference this green circle will be

removed and the entry will be marked as

red you can also use the stars next to

each entry to mark them as a favorite

all favorite references can then be

found in the favorites tab

the recently added tab shows all

references added to your library within

the past 30 days and the recently read

tab shows all references that you have

opened the pdf for in the past 30 days

another thing that you can do mentally

is to add tags to your references tags

are another way of organizing your

references

to view the tags on a reference simply

select it to open the sidebar to the

right and then click the info tab if you

scroll down you will see a section

called tags at the moment this reference

doesn't contain any tags so let's add

some to add a tag click the plus button

then just type in and hit enter to add

your own and this brings me nicely onto

the filters function in mendeley

what you can do is filter your reference

library by tags and author names

to do this select the filter button and

then to filter by a tag select the tags

tab

and choose a desired tag

doing so will then show only those

references that have that specific tag

you can also do a similar thing with

author names let's now move on to

removing a reference from your library

deleting references is really easy

simply choose the reference and then

select the delete option in the bottom

panel all deleted references can then be

found when you click on the trash tab

you can then select them and then choose

the restore option to move them back

into your library or you can select the

delete permanently option to remove them

from the trash area let me now go into a

bit more detail on organizing your

references into collections to create a

new collection or folder simply select

the new collection option then give your

collection a name

let's say i'm writing a phd thesis so i

may want an introduction collection that

contains all the references i want to

use in my introduction section when you

select your newly created collection you

will see that it is currently empty to

add references to your collection simply

view all references in the library then

either click and drag the desired

references into the collection

or select multiple entries and then

choose the organize button and then

select the add to collection option then

simply check the collection you want to

add the references to and press the add

button another thing that you can do

with collections is create sub

collections to do this simply right

click on a collection and select new

collection you will then see a sub

collection has been created which can

further help organize your references

moving on to private groups private

groups enable you to share references

and pdfs with other members for example

let's say we want to share articles with

colleagues for a journal club the

process of creating a new private group

is similar to creating a collection

simply give the new group a name and

press enter again go to your library and

add any references you wish to add to

your new private group by either click

and dragging on them or by using the

actions menu to take advantage of

private groups you obviously need to

invite other users to it

to do this right click on the group and

then select manage group

then select the invite members button

you can then add in email addresses of

each person you would like to add to

this group and know that private groups

can hold 25 users once added users can

each see a shared reference library let

me now move on to the notebook feature

which is a really useful tool inside the

mendeley reference manager to access the

notebook select the notebook button

and this should open the sidebar to the

right with the notebook tab selected you

can add pages to your notebook by

selecting the new page button these are

great when you just want to jot down

some general comments all you have to do

is give the page a title and some

content by switching to the annotations

tab you can also add in notes about

specific references

for example say i want to add a note

about this reference i can just select

it and then add in a note in the general

notes area

this will then be attached to this

specific reference

another cool feature of the mendeley

reference manager is the pdf annotations

tool for those references that you have

a pdf for in your library you can double

click on them to open the pdf when

viewing a pdf you can use the tools in

the top left to add annotations for

example i can choose a desired color

that i want for my annotation then with

the highlight text tool active i can

highlight a piece of text inside the pdf

you can also highlight specific areas of

a document by using the highlight

rectangle tool

to change the color of an annotation

simply click on it and choose a new

color you can also choose to delete an

annotation from this menu too as well as

highlighting a document you can add your

own comments to do this click the sticky

note button

and click on an area inside the pdf you

can then type in your comment a cool

thing about doing this is that if you

open your notebook and then go to the

annotations tab

you can then view all the sticky notes

in this reference

and clicking on them will show that note

inside the pdf

so that's an overview of the mendeley

reference manager and the basics of

using it let me now show you how to

create citations and a bibliography

inside of microsoft word by using the

mendeley reference manager to be able to

do this you will firstly need to

download the mendeley sites for

microsoft word add-on and i'll leave a

link in the description for this i'll be

using microsoft word online for this

demonstration but the steps should be

similar for the standalone version of

word after installing the mendeley site

word add-on you should see a mendeley

cite button either in the references tab

or in a tab called add-ins

if you select the mendeley site button

you should see a sidebar to the right

and when using it for the first time

you'll be asked to log in once logged in

your library should be synchronized so

you can view all of your references

to add a citation by using mendeley site

select on an area in your document where

you want to add the citation then in the

sidebar use the search function and the

drop down menus to find your desired

reference

to add the reference simply select it

and then press the insert citation

button the citation will now appear in

your document

if you want to add further references to

this citation simply select it and then

choose the add reference button in the

sidebar it's then a case of finding the

other reference and adding to it if you

would like to remove a citation then

just select the cross button so that's

how you can add and remove a citation

how about adding a bibliography or

reference list to do this again select

on the document where you want to add

your bibliography then in the mendeley

site sidebar select the more option and

then choose insert bibliography you may

get a message stating that the

bibliography will be inserted at your

cursor location so just click continue

you should then see the bibliography has

been created if you'd like to delete

your bibliography you can simply press

the delete key on your keyboard finally

what about changing the style of your

citation and bibliography to do this

switch to the citation style tab in the

mendeley site sidebar there are a few

pre-downloaded styles that you can

choose from

if you want more styles press the select

another style option at the bottom and

use the search bar to find a desired

style

most journal styles can be found by

simply searching for the journal name

to install and use the style select it

and choose update citation style so

that's how you can use the mendeley site

add-on to add citations and a

bibliography into word

before i finish i just wanted to mention

that your mendeley reference manager

account can be accessed directly through

the mendeley website this is because

your library is synced to your elsevier

account and it's worth noting that you

get two gigabytes of storage on the free

plan

with additional storage available for

those that have a paid subscription to

access your library online simply sign

in to the mendeley website using your

account details and then choose the

library button

you should then see a similar view as

your mendeley reference manager software

this is particularly handy when you want

to access your library on a different

device from where your mendeley

reference manager is installed and with

that that brings me to the end of this

beginner's guide to using the mendeley

reference manager

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