Biological and Environmental Sciences: Reference Management

Find Biological and Environmental Sciences articles, journals, books, databases and library's services. / Löydä bio- ja ympäristötieteiden artikkelit, lehdet, kirjat, tietokannat ja kirjaston palvelut.

Reference Management Software

Reference managers allow you to collect, save and manage the references you find in databases, websites, or other sources in one place. Most reference management programs include a downloadable desktop version, browser version and perhaps also a mobile app. Also add-ons for word processors are available so that you can create citations and bibliographies, for example, with MS Word.

Please see also the Reference management software at University of Helsinki guide: links to instructions and download sites, self-study materials, guides and videos.

Instructions on installing Zotero, EndNote 21, Mendeley or other applications on a university computer are on the Software Center help page.

Zotero

Zotero is a free of charge program that anyone can download on their computer. Zotero Connector is a browser extension allowing you to quickly save content to Zotero.

Zotero website 
Zotero Quick Start Guide

Using Zotero

EndNote

EndNote 21 has been purchased for the use of staff and students on the university's computers (instructions on Software Center help page). Both staff and students may also use EndNote 21 on their computers at home. The installation media for your home computer can be found in the Download Center.

EndNote Basic is a freely available online reference manager, only registration is required.

EndNote Training & Support (Clarivate)
EndNote Feature Comparison Chart

How to Use EndNote 21 in 7 Minutes: Windows

How to Use EndNote 21 in 7 Minutes: macOS

Mendeley

Mendeley Reference Manager is a free of charge program that anyone can download on their computer. Just create a free account.

Mendeley website
Mendeley Help Guides (Elsevier)

The New Mendeley Reference Manager

LaTeX

Much more than just a system for managing references, LaTeX is a powerful document preparation system that is commonly used in scientific publishing, especially in computer science, mathematics and physics.

Its philosophy emphasizes users to focus on the content and let the system take care of the appearance of the document. LaTeX produces professional grade typography.

  • Documents are written in plain text files using a specific markup language and then compiled into the actual printable documents (usually DVI or PDF)
  • LaTeX uses Donald Knuth's TeX typesetting system and is generally distributed as part of a full TeX distribution
  • The easiest way to get started with LaTeX is to install one of the suggested distributions
  • There are also web application based LaTeX editors you can use without having to install anything: see for example Overleaf

Here are some common reasons to learn LaTeX:

  • Many journals require you to submit your article in LaTeX form (as do book publishers)
  • Superb support for advanced mathematics
  • Produces professional grade typography in documents
  • Focus on content instead of form
  • Almost endlessly customizable and expandable via additional plugins
  • Automates citations and bibliographies
  • It´s free software and in line with general UNIX philosophy

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