Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

The most commonly used citation styles include MLA, APA, Chicago or Turabian. Use these links to understand the differences between the styles and how to properly use them:

Want to save time organizing and writing out your citations? 

Use Endnote.  All computers in the library have the Endnote software installed.

For help setting up and using Endnote, go to https://libguides.colostate.edu/endnote​.

There are a few websites that will write your bibliography for you. These can be very helpful, but you should still be familiar with the citation style you are using so you can double check the results. Don't just automatically trust what these resources give you - make sure it makes sense! Here are a couple examples:

SOME databases will give you the bibliography part of your citation. Look for a "cite" link, select the style you want, then copy and paste into your bibliography. Be carful with these and remember three important facts:

1. These are not 100%! You need to double check them.
2. These will only give you the bibliography part of your citation. You still need to write the in-text part of the citation.
3. They are only available in a few selected styles. If your citation style is not available, you can't use them.

Citation Management programs are designed to collect and organize your citations, and often the actual documents you are interested in. The benefits of using these programs include:

• Gather and store references while you research.
• Create a personal research library of references, images, and PDFs.
• Most programs will "talk" with Word and write your in-text citations and bibliography for you.
• You can organize your citations in different folders and groups.
• Allows you to return later to see what you have worked on over the years.
• You can place everything you are interested in reading in one place and refer to it as you need.
• Share your references with colleagues/collaborators/anyone.

Some examples of these programs include:

• EndNote.
  • Available on the library computers for free but has a fee to put on your personal computer.
  • Has a free online basic version that can be used independently or to complement the desktop version. 
  • To learn more about EndNote, see this guide: https://libguides.colostate.edu/endnote.
• Mendeley
  • Free online program.
  • Has a desktop version.
• Zotero
  • Free online program.
  • Has a desktop version.
  • To learn more about Zotero, use this guide: https://libguides.colostate.edu/zotero.
• RefWorks
  • Fee based online program.

Use this comparison chart from The University of Wisconsin-Madison to compare EndNote, Mendeley, and Zotero.

There are many other options. Wikipedia has a Comparison of reference management software page.