Citavi has long been the standard for many people when it comes to organizing literature and references. However, the program is still not available for the Mac. But that's not a big problem, because there are a variety of powerful and sometimes even free Mac alternatives. We present four of them to you in this tip.
Zotero
The free Zotero is especially interesting for those who are just getting started in the world of reference management programs. In essence, it offers the same functions as Citavi: from a simply designed user interface with a powerful search function, to a tool that takes information on sources directly from the browser , to synchronization via the cloud. Also an integration in Microsoft Word and the possibility to work in a team to work on a literature database are available. Particularly practical for the latter: the program is available for Windows, Mac and Linux, as an iOS app and as a web version, so that different operating systems can be used in a team. The PDF files are also synchronized in a database.
However, a database search is not possible. The cloud storage is also limited to 300 MB ; an annual fee has to be paid for more storage space.
Zotero is free to download from the developer's website at zotero.org ..
Reference management in the free Zotero program. Mendeley
Also Mendeley is available in a free version. The program includes a clear literature collection into which you can insert new elements directly using drag-and-drop. You can also search for literature directly via the app . The Mendeley Community will also help you with reference management : Millions of articles have already been entered into a database by other users, which makes citation easier. Mendeley can get more information about the literature from Google Scholar . Once you have added a PDF to your literature collection, you can edit it directly with Mendeley and add comments, for example. With the Integration in Microsoft Word , you can then insert your citations directly into a document.
However, Mendeley only offers limited cloud storage in the free version . In a premium version you can save more documents online and work with other people on a database. The user interface is also only available in English.
Mendeley is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, as a mobile app, and as a web version, and you can download it from the developer's website at mendeley.com .
This is what the reference management in Mendeley looks like. EndNote
EndNote is the Citavi alternative for literature processing professionals. It takes some training time, but offers a number of functions that cannot be found in any other program. Literature can be downloaded not only manually, but also directly from library and specialist literature databases . Once downloaded, the literature can be structured and searched in detail. Your own literature collection can be shared with others in order to collaborate in a team . However, it is not the documents themselves that are shared, only the citations of the literature. Using a Microsoft Word integration , EndNote can then create a bibliography with one of Create over 7000 citation styles . There are also a number of other useful functions.
However, EndNote is only available in English. In addition, the program costs just under 275 € one-time and is therefore quite expensive. For students, the price is around € 130. If you want to try EndNote, you can do so with a 30-day trial version.
EndNote is available for Windows and macOS, as an iOS app and as a web version. You can download the trial version or purchase EndNote from the developer's website at endnote.com ..
A trial version of EndNote can be downloaded or purchased from the developer's website. JabRef
The open source program JabRef is free. The Citavi alternative is particularly interesting for those who use BibTex or LaTeX for reference management. With JabRef you can also collect and manage literature clearly and quickly in one place. For this you can adjust the user interface quite freely according to your wishes. You can enter information manually or add it automatically with the browser extension . You can then insert the citations directly into Microsoft Word or Libre Office via an integration . Thanks to the program's open source background, JabRef is available in many languages , including German.
However, JabRef does not offer synchronization via the cloud and therefore does not allow collaboration with others.
JabRef is available for Windows, macOS and Linux. A download link to JabRef can be found at jabref.org on the developer's website.
With JabRef, literature can be sorted quickly and easily - especially if you are familiar with BibText or LaTeX.