Mendeley

In summer of 2022, Mendeley Desktop software users saw a message upon login. "Mendeley Desktop will no longer be available for download from 1st September 2022.  As you have Mendeley Desktop installed you will still be able to sign in and use it as normal after this date.  For more information see https://blog.mendeley.com"  

Great news, you can choose to use both.  Your Mendeley library content is stored primarily online, "in the cloud."  You can choose to use either the new Reference Manager and Cite tools, or the legacy Desktop and Cite-O-Matic tools, and you are even able to install them all on one computer if you would like.  Reasons to choose one over the other follow.

Choose Reference Manager and Cite if

• You are a new Mendeley user, or
• You use Microsoft Word 365.

Choose Desktop and Cite-O-Matic if

• You are already using it and like it, or
• You do not want to migrate an existing Word document with citations to the new citation plugin/tool.

Check the Mendeley blog for the latest updates!

You may view and work with your Mendeley library in either the Desktop software, or the Mendeley Reference Manager software.  This page describes the features of the Desktop software. 

(Content in this box supplements slides 2-5 in the Mendeley 101 Citation Management with legacy Mendeley Desktop software slide deck)

Mendeley Desktop is a reference manager that allows you manage, read, share, annotate and cite your research papers. 

You can download Mendeley Desktop here.

You can also manage your references in the Mendeley Web Library, which allows you to access the items in your Mendeley library from any web browser. You can achieve many of the core Mendeley features (such as uploading new references, reading papers, highlighting and annotating) from any device with internet access, without the need to install any software.

(Content in this box supplements slides 6-7 in the Mendeley 101 Citation Management with legacy Mendeley Desktop software slide deck)

Install the Mendeley Web Importer -- Install the Web Importer into your favorite web browser to import references and documents academic databases.

Save articles to your Mendeley Library as you browse.

(Content in this box supplements slides 8-9 in the Mendeley 101 Citation Management with legacy Mendeley Desktop software slide deck)

When updating or adding documents in Mendeley Web, make changes to your Library of materials  by clicking on the "Library" tab.

Note: Remember to sync in Mendeley Desktop to make sure your changes are active everywhere you access Mendeley.

(Content in this box supplements slides 11-12 in the Mendeley 101 Citation Management with legacy Mendeley Desktop software slide deck)

ou can add files to Mendeley by:

• Dragging and dropping a pdf into Mendeley
  
• You can also add files by selecting file and then clicking add files or folder. 
• Another way to add files is by selecting file and then clicking "watch folder" to choose a folder to put on watch. Mendeley Desktop will now automatically add files that are added to that folder.
   

Export references directly from other Elsevier products such as Science Direct or Scopus to Mendeley by:

• When reading an article click the export button then choose "Save to Mendeley"

                                 ​ 

(Content in this box supplements slide 11 in the Mendeley 101 Citation Management with legacy Mendeley Desktop software slide deck)

Import your Endnote, Refworks or Zotero library to Mendeley

(Content in this box is referred to in speaker notes for slide 20 in the Mendeley 101 Citation Management with legacy Mendeley Desktop software slide deck)

Mendeley will send emails with suggestions of papers based on items you have added to your library.  

(Content in this box supplements slides 22-25 in the Mendeley 101 Citation Management with legacy Mendeley Desktop software slide deck)

You can edit PDFs that have been added to your Mendeley Library. You can do this by double clicking to open the file in a seperate tab within Mendeley Desktop. You now have the option to:

• Highlight text in multiple colors
• Add sticky notes to specific locations
• Make document-widevnotes
• Search within Text

If you export a pdf file from your Mendeley Library in the web Mendeley, it will save a pdf copy without your annotations and highlights.  However, in Mendeley Desktop, the default setting is to export with your annotations and highlights.  If you, like me, occasionally add annotations while reading a paper that you would not want to share, please remember these settings!