Mendeley for Windows

Free reference tool for academics

Mendeley is a reference-management and academic collaboration program designed for students, researchers, and educators. Created by Mendeley Ltd., it helps you collect, organize, read and share research papers, and it integrates with common writing tools to insert citations and bibliographies as you write.

Main features and storage

• 2 GB of complimentary cloud storage with optional paid upgrades (for example, a 5 GB plan or larger/unlimited tiers).
• Built-in PDF handling: import documents, organize collections, and add notes or highlights directly on files.
• Automatic metadata extraction that captures authors, titles, publication details, and creates citation entries.
• Support for many citation formats and the ability to add or customize styles to match journal requirements.
• A browser/web importer that grabs article details and PDFs from publisher sites and databases.

Supported writing tools and citation integration

Mendeley offers plugins and connectors for common writing environments, including:

• BibTeX-compatible workflows
• LibreOffice integration
• Microsoft Word add-ins and the Mendeley Cite tool

These integrations let you insert in-text citations and generate a bibliography automatically while you type.

Adding citations in Microsoft Word

1. Install the Mendeley Cite add-in from the Microsoft Store or use the older desktop plugin if preferred.
2. Open Word and find the Mendeley panel (usually under the References tab).
3. Sign in to your Mendeley account when prompted to access your library.
4. Search or browse your references in the side panel, tick the item(s) you want, and click Insert to place the citation.
5. To add a full bibliography, position the cursor where you want it, open the Mendeley panel’s menu, and choose the option to insert a bibliography.

Collaboration, discovery and academic networking

Mendeley supports both private libraries and shared group spaces, making it useful for individual research and team projects. Key collaboration and discovery capabilities include:

• Alerts for new publications and the ability to follow relevant topics or authors.
• Group folders for distributing reading lists or shared collections to teammates or students.
• A researcher network where you can view profiles, find potential collaborators, and see job postings or funding opportunities.

Alternatives worth considering

If you want to explore other tools, try these (in no particular order):

• Zotero — open-source reference manager with strong web capture features.
• Publish or Perish — a free tool for citation analysis and metrics.
• ReadCube Papers — a commercial option focused on discovery and PDF reading.
• EndNote — a long-established, feature-rich reference-management package.

Each option has different strengths (e.g., cost, collaboration features, citation-style support), so choose based on your workflow and platform needs.