Handling a large number of references has also been a tedious task and with the rise in the number of publications and increased referencing requirements, software-based reference management tools has grown to be a boon for researchers.

A reference management tool is a software program or online application that is used to manage and organize the references that are found in research papers. In some ways, it functions like a library catalog and can be used to search for specific pieces of information. It can also help keep track of the dates when the references were created and updated, as well as where they were located on the Internet. Because reference management tools are designed to help researchers find the most relevant information, they are often vital for not only keeping track of sources but also ensuring that those sources remain accurately cited in future papers. They can also be useful for monitoring plagiarism, which can sometimes be a problem in academic research circles.

Many reference management tools also include features that allow them to be used as citation review tools. This means that they can be used to assess how well a paper is citing its sources and whether they are using correct formatting and conventions when doing so.

Why should you consider it as a researcher?

Reference management tool is a free service that assists researchers to write, organize and manage their research references. It is important for researchers to keep track of their research citations because it allows them to ensure that their work has been properly cited. As more information becomes available you can easily add on to the extended database within the reference management tool with ease as it is important for researchers to make sure that they are up to date on the latest research. Reference management tool can help researchers by pulling all of their research citations into one easy-to-use resource, making it easy for them to find and share the information they need with others. In addition, it can help researchers avoid duplicate citations and errors in their work. By using a reference management tool, researchers can increase the quality of their work and ensure that it is accurate and useful to readers.

Choosing a reference manager for your research

There are many different types of reference management tools available, each with its own unique features. Some will have more functionality than others while others may be easier to use. Before choosing a tool, it’s important to understand what you want from it and how you plan to use it. If you are on the lookout for the best reference manager, you should first ask two essential questions:

• What are the features in a free version?
• Does my work necessitate a paid subscription?

Luckily for you, we analyzed the best picks of researchers and academicians and you can get pretty much every applicability with a free version such as Zotero and Mendeley and it solely depends on your research requirement and domain. When it comes to choosing between any of the tools available, all the criteria’s you actually need to assess are:

• Hassle-free import of bibliographic data
• The identifier capabilities like DOI
• The type of data formats like BibTeX and RIS you require
• The citation style that is required by university or college

Limitations when using a reference manager

They are indeed of great help to your research but you cannot expect them to be infallible, or at least not yet.

When using the style guides of the reference manager, research still has to be cautious because of two reasons – there are possibilities of errors in sticking to a citation style and not all citation styles are accessible. So, you would still have to cross-check with your institution provided manual or style guide of the selected citation and bibliography before adding it to your research.

When importing from databases, there is always a possibility of errors or inaccurate additions to different fields and other spelling or punctuation errors.

The other drawback is that not all reference managers have the capability to avail referencing for multiple source types

However, they have been vastly used in research, including anthropology, biology, computer science, chemistry, economics, environmental science, geography and library science. The main reason for using these tools is to organize references so that they can be easily searched and located when needed. This helps researchers save time and makes it easier to understand a topic or find related research.