CBE493L / CBE494L

This information is adapted from the Nature Formatting Guide for Authors. For more information, check that website.

For in-text references:

• In-text references are each numbered, ordered sequentially as they appear in the text, tables, boxes, figure legends, and so on.
• When cited in the text, reference numbers are superscript, not in brackets unless they are likely to be confused with a superscript number.
• All authors should be included in reference lists unless there are more than five, in which case only the first author should be given, followed by "et al."

For references lists:

• Authors should be listed surname first, followed by a comma and initials of given names.
• Titles of all cited articles are required. Titles of articles cited in reference lists should be in upright, not italic text; the first word of the title is capitalized, the title written exactly as it appears in the work cited, ending with a full stop. Book titles are italic with all main words capitalized. Journal titles are italic and abbreviated according to common usage. Volume numbers are bold. The publisher and city of publication are required for books cited. (Refer to published papers in Nature for details.)
• Research datasets may be cited in the reference list if they have been assigned digital object identifiers (DOIs) and include authors, title, publisher (repository name), identifier (DOI expressed as a URL). Example: Hao, Z., AghaKouchak, A., Nakhjiri, N. & Farahmand, A. Global Integrated Drought Monitoring and Prediction System (GIDMaPS) data sets. figshare http://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.853801 (2014).
• Recognized preprints may be cited in the reference list. Example: Babichev, S. A., Ries, J. & Lvovsky, A. I. Quantum scissors: teleportation of single-mode optical states by means of a nonlocal single photon. Preprint at http://arXiv.org/quant-ph/0208066 (2002).
• References to web-only journals should give authors, article title and journal name as above, followed by URL in full - or DOI if known - and the year of publication in parentheses.
• References to websites should give authors if known, title of cited page, URL in full, and year of posting in parentheses.

Citation managers (also known as reference managers or bibliographic managers) are tools designed to make your life as a researcher easier.

Tools like Zotero, EndNote, and Mendeley can help you: 

• Save citations of the articles you find in databases, search engines, and other sources as you search
• Keep your citations organized in a way that makes sense to you
• Save PDFs of articles and other resources with your citations
• Quickly generate references lists
• Efficiently switch to a different citation style with just a few clicks
• Share articles and resources with colleagues
• Create in-text citations
• ...and much more!

Citation managers generally have more sophisticated features that distinguish them from simpler citation generators (e.g., EasyBib, NoodleTools). Citation generators are fine for developing a quick, one-off citation when needed, but citation managers provide holistic support for your entire research process.

Most robust citation managers will have a lot of the same functionalities. Much of the decision will depend on your personal preferences. You can use a comparison chart to differentiate. Other questions to consider include:

• Do I work primarily on the same computer all the time? Or will I benefit from syncing across multiple work stations and/or types of devices?
• How often do I collaborate with others?
• Which citation manager is most used in my research discipline?
• Which citation manager is preferred by my advisor, among my colleagues, or within my department? 

If you'd like additional help making a decision, reach out to a librarian. A librarian can also help you transition from one citation manager to another if you change your mind later. 

The most important thing is to choose one and then use it consistently. 

UNM Libraries primarily provides consultation support for Zotero. You can schedule a Zotero consultation appointment online. However, other popular citation management tools used on campus include Mendeley and EndNote. See below for help pages on using these tools