Mendeley is a programme from Elsevier that can be used free of charge, but also has a paid Premium version (not in use at Utrecht University).
Mendeley helps you with collecting, organising, citing and sharing references to (often also full text) sources (articles, books, data etc.).
There is a desktop version and an (outdated) web version which can be synchronised.
Since 2020 the Mendeley Reference Manager has been in use (mainly online).
Both the web version and the desktop version require registration, the same goes for the new Mendeley Reference Manager. The latter two also require downloading software. An Elsevier account includes all Elsevier products, such as Mendeley, Scopus and ScienceDirect.
Mendeley is available for Windows 7 or higher, Mac OS X 10-10 or higher, Linux and Ubuntu/Debian.
Please note: the new Mendeley Reference Manager is not compatible with macOS 10.15.
Source: https://youtu.be/5Mz02_xmLRs
Mendeley Support:
General
https://elsevier.libguides.com/Mendeley
https://www.mendeley.com/guides
https://www.mendeley.com/guides/citation-guides
https://service.elsevier.com/app/home/supporthub/mendeley/
https://blog.mendeley.com/
Mendeley Desktop
https://www.mendeley.com/guides/desktop
https://www.mendeley.com/guides/desktop/01-desktop-interface
Mendeley Reference Manager https://www.mendeley.com/guides/mendeley-reference-manager https://www.mendeley.com/guides/mendeley-reference-manager/01.-your-mendeley-library |
Mendeley Desktop
Mendeley Web does not need installing. Go to www.mendeley.com and log in at Mendeley by clicking on the 'Sign in' button in the top right hand corner
Create one or more folders in Mendeley Desktop. Under 'My Library' select 'Create Folder'.
Useful start page for Desktop: https://www.mendeley.com/guides/desktop/01-desktop-interface
For further information, see:
https://www.mendeley.com/download-desktop-new/
https://www.mendeley.com/guides/web
https://www.mendeley.com/guides/download-mendeley-desktop/windows/instructions
https://www.mendeley.com/guides/download-mendeley-desktop/mac/instructions
https://www.mendeley.com/guides/download-mendeley-desktop/linux/instructions
https://www.mendeley.com/guides/download-mendeley-desktop/ubuntu/instructions
Mendeley Reference Manager
|
|
Get going: |
For further information, see: https://www.mendeley.com/download-reference-manager/windows https://www.mendeley.com/download-reference-manager/macOS https://www.mendeley.com/download-reference-manager/linux |
Tips & tricks
Mendeley offers a number of options to collect references.
Mendeley Desktop
You can add documents to your Mendeley library by dragging and dropping a PDF into the Mendeley Desktop window.
You can also use the File menu to Add files or manually create an entry.
https://www.mendeley.com/guides/desktop/02-adding-documents
Extra option: the Mendeley Web Importer
Save references from the web directly to your Mendeley library with the Mendeley Web Importer. This browser extension scans your current browser window for references to articles and retrieves metadata and full-text PDFs where possible to add to your library.
https://www.mendeley.com/guides/web-importer
Elsevier option: from a search system with Direct Export
From other Elsevier products, such as Scopus and ScienceDirect, you can import references in Mendeley via the Direct Export option
NB. Mendeley will not always find and add all data correctly, so always check your references. Improve and supplement them with more data where necessary.
Mendeley Reference Manager |
Tips & tricks
In Mendeley, you can organise your sources in several ways and add information to them. For instance, you can give your references a star so they are added to your 'Favorites' folder or mark them as (un)read. Or create folders yourself.
When you add a reference to a newly created folder/collection, you do not move it, but you give the reference a label. All your references are kept in the folder 'All References'. If you delete a folder/collection, the reference will remain available in 'All References'.
Mendeley Desktop
(use of filters, creating folders and subfolders, searching and adding tags)
https://www.mendeley.com/guides/desktop/03-organizing-documents
(the PDF reader including the options: adding notes, highlighting texts, zooming in, synchronising)
https://www.mendeley.com/guides/desktop/04-read-highlight-annotate
Mendeley Reference Manager Please note: If you want to modify the data of the reference, click on the title in question and next on the field to be modified under 'Info'. |
In the PDF reader you can read documents (PDFs) and add notes to them:
Tips & tricks
Mendeley Desktop
Please note: Mendeley can automatically deduplicate titles when importing them without your knowing. You cannot switch off this function. This means you might lose references without you wanting to. That is why Mendeley is not suitable for creating systematic reviews.
For more information on deduplicating in Desktop see:
https://blog.mendeley.com/tag/deduplication/
or watch these videos:
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzREf4RJ25w
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-p2XHRm-UE
Mendeley Reference Manager In Mendeley Reference Manager there is no separate option for deduplicating. |
For Mendeley Desktop: the Mendeley Citation Plugin
(see also Mendeley Cite below)
You can install it from your Mendeley library:
NB. At Libre Office of Microsoft Word for Mac it looks slightly different.
For more information about the Mendeley Citation Plugin see the help guide, for instance about:
For Mendeley Reference Manager: Mendeley Cite Install Mendeley Cite for Word (and Libre Office).
NB. You can also use Mendeley Cite with Mendeley Desktop as long as you use a supported version of Microsoft Word and your Mendeley library is synchronised in the cloud. |
Sharing documents and collaborating with others can be done in 'private groups'. There is no limit to the number of private group members, but as a free user you may only create a maximum of five groups with a maximum of 25 participants.
You can add the full text of your PDF to the group so that everybody works in the same document. Everyone can highlight the text or add notes.
Private groups for Desktop
https://www.mendeley.com/guides/private-groups/mendeley-desktop/01-adding-documents-private-group
Private groups for Mendeley Reference Manager https://www.mendeley.com/guides/private-groups/mendeley-reference-manager/01-adding-documents-private-group |
N.B.: Some manuals still give information about Public Groups and invite-only groups. However, they have been cancelled as of April 2020.
Mendeley Desktop
If you work online Mendeley Desktop is fully synchronised with Mendeley Web. Your refererences are saved in the cloud. You can also synchronise manually by clicking on the Sync icon in Mendeley Desktop. Notes and annotations made in a group will then be available for other participants as well.
Please note! Your locally saved data may be of a larger size than your free storage options in the cloud!
See also: https://www.mendeley.com/guides/desktop/07-how-sync-works
If you also regularly work off line or if you want to make sure that your library is safe in the case of an unexpected event, we recommend you to make regular backups of your Mendeley library. Also if you change accounts you must first make a backup. Go to the Help menu and click on Create Backup. Now you make a .zip file which you can save in a safe place on your computer.
To restore your backup, select Restore backup in the Help menu and next Other. Browse to your (most recent) saved zip file.
See also: https://service.elsevier.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/18153/p/16075/supporthub/mendeley/related/1/
NB: You can use Mendeley Desktop at the same time with Mendeley Reference Manager. If you synchronise manually in Mendeley Desktop, all changes you have made will be automatically updated in Mendeley Reference Manager. And vice versa: all changes you have made in Mendeley Reference Manager will be automatically synchronised in the cloud and will show in Mendeley Desktop after you have carried out a manual synchronisation there.
Exporting
You can also export your references to a file. This file can be imported later (or in another programme).
Go to: Mendeley Desktop of: Mendeley Reference manager for instructions.
Mendeley Reference Manager Mendeley Reference Manager saves all your references in the cloud (so not locally on your computer). If you are online, synchronisation is automatic and all modifications you made are saved. Hover with your mouse cursor over the sync icon to see when the most recent synchronisation took place and click on the icon to synchronise manually. See also: https://www.mendeley.com/guides/mendeley-reference-manager/07.-syncing Please note! It is possible to add references manually off line in MRM. But make sure you regularly work online to synchronise with the cloud. The offline use of Mendeley Reference Manager has some well-known problems. If you have problems, have a look here: https://service.elsevier.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/29758/supporthub/mendeley/p/16075/ |