Citation managers are tools that help you keep track of your research sources. Many have related features like tagging, notes, and citation and bibliography creation. You might have to try different citation managers to see which one works best for you. 

This guide gives a brief introduction to Zotero, Mendeley, and Endnote, as well as provides resources to find more information. These citation managers consist of a desktop library, an online library (which maintains information on a cloud until syncing to your desktop), and a browser plug-in that can detect sources and compile citation information. 

Although these citation managers all have small difference between them, some of the core differences are outlines below.

EndNote

• Unlimited storage online and on desktop
• Free with campus subscription, but otherwise expensive (when you leave Loyola, you no longer have access to the free subscription)
• Generally, more sophisticated to use and more complicated to learn

Zotero

• Always free and open source
• 300MB free online or unlimited storage on desktop
• Generally, easier to learn but with occasional quirks (since it is open source, it has user-maintained forums, not customer service)

Mendeley

• Free; owned and maintained by the company Elsevier
• 2GB free online or unlimited storage on desktop
• Less popular and robust than other options, but with a dedicated customer service