Setting up Mendeley
There are four components of Mendeley:
- Mendeley web account - Your Mendeley web account and the Mendeley software sync with one another, which enables you to gather and access your citations from anywhere, anytime.
- Mendeley desktop software - Lives on your desktop and syncs with your online account
- Mendeley web importer - Connects web content to your online account and is simply one way of getting citations into your Mendeley web account.
- Mendeley Word plugin - Operates from the Mendeley software on your desktop. This component links Mendeley with the document you currently have open in Word and enables you to insert citations and automatically generate a bibliography.
Adding Sources to Mendeley
There are several ways to add sources to Mendeley.
- Manually upload or drag-and-drop a file
- Use the "Add" button in the header bar.
- Drag and drop PDF files from your device into Mendeley Desktop.
- Set up a watch folder
- Mendeley Desktop will "sweep" the contents of a designated folder on your device, uploading files into your resource list and filling in whatever citation data it finds in the process.
- Go to "File" > "Watch Folder" to select folder(s) for Mendeley to watch.
- Use the Web Importer
- Install the Mendeley Web Importer browser extension and use it to add references directly from the web.
Always double check that the citation information Mendeley imports is correct.
Mendeley will allow you to sync your library across your desktop, web, and mobile accounts so that you can save and access your references from any computer or device. Syncing must be done manually in the desktop app.
Insert Citations with Citation Plugin
Mendeley Citation Plugin is compatible with MS Word and LibreOffice on both PC and Mac.
On PC:
- In-text citations: Open Mendeley Desktop and your Word document. In Word, place the cursor where you want the citation and go to "Reference" > "Insert Citation"
- References page: After inserting all your in-text citations, go to "References" > "Insert Bibliography".
On Mac:
- In-text citations: Open your Word document and select the small scroll icon in the taskbar, this will open a Mendeley toolbar. Select "Insert or Edit Citation".
- Reference list: After inserting all your in-text citations, select "Insert Bibliography".
Always double check that the citation information Mendeley imports is correct.