How to Use Mendeley for Citation and Bibliography Generation

By SN Sharma

Step-by-step guide on how to use Mendeley for citation and bibliography generation — from setting it up to seamlessly inserting references into your work.

1. Install and Set Up Mendeley

  • Download: Go to https://www.mendeley.com and download Mendeley Reference Manager.
  • Create an Account: Sign up (or log in) with your email.
  • Install Citation Plugin:
    • For Microsoft Word: In Mendeley Reference Manager, go to Tools → Install Mendeley Cite for Microsoft Word.
    • Alternatively, install Mendeley Cite as an add-in from Microsoft Office Add-ins store.

2. Add References to Your Library

You can add references in multiple ways:

  • Manual Entry: Click Add New → Add Entry Manually, then fill in details like Author, Title, Year, Publisher, DOI, etc.
  • Import PDF: Drag and drop a PDF; Mendeley will extract metadata.
  • Import from Databases:
    • Use Mendeley Web Importer (a browser extension) to capture references from Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, etc.
  • Import RIS/BibTeX files: If you have downloaded citations in RIS or BibTeX format, go to File → Import.

3. Organize Your References

  • Folders/Collections: Group references by topic, project, or paper.
  • Tags: Add keywords for easy searching.
  • Annotations: Open PDFs inside Mendeley to highlight text and add notes.

4. Insert Citations in Word or Google Docs

  • In Word (Mendeley Cite):
    1. Open your document.
    2. Go to the References tab → click Mendeley Cite (or open it from the Add-ins menu).
    3. Search for the reference you want → click Insert Citation.
    4. Mendeley will insert the citation in your chosen style.
  • In Google Docs: Mendeley doesn’t directly integrate, but you can:
    1. Use Mendeley Cite in Word and then paste into Google Docs, OR
    2. Export citations as plain text from Mendeley and paste.

5. Generate a Bibliography

  • In Word with Mendeley Cite:
    1. Place the cursor where you want the bibliography.
    2. Click Insert Bibliography in Mendeley Cite.
    3. It will auto-generate based on all citations in the document.
  • Bibliography will update automatically when you add or remove citations.

6. Choose and Change Citation Styles

  • In Mendeley Cite, click Citation Style to select from formats like:
    • APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, IEEE, etc.
  • If you can’t find your required style:

7. Export References

If you need to share or move your references:

  • File → Export → choose RIS, BibTeX, or EndNote XML format.

8. Tips for Smooth Use

  • Keep your library synced to the cloud so you can access it on multiple devices.
  • Double-check imported data for accuracy — automated extraction sometimes misreads author names or titles.
  • Backup your library (File → Export Library) regularly.

✅ Summary:
Mendeley acts as both a reference manager and citation generator. You simply add your references to the library, insert them into your writing via Mendeley Cite, and let it auto-generate and format citations and bibliographies in your chosen style — saving you hours of manual formatting.

References

Dehalwar, K., & Sharma, S. N. (2023). Fundamentals of research writing and uses of research methodologies. Edupedia Publications Pvt Ltd.

Dehalwar, K. S. S. N., & Sharma, S. N. (2024). Exploring the distinctions between quantitative and qualitative research methods. Think India Journal, 27(1), 7-15.

Elston, D. M. (2019). Mendeley. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 81(5), 1071.

Holt Zaugg, Richard E. West, Isaku Tateishi, Daniel L. Randall. (2011). Mendeley: Creating communities of scholarly inquiry through research collaboration.

Jain, S., Dehalwar, K., & Sharma, S. N. (2024). Explanation of Delphi research method and expert opinion surveys. Think India, 27(4), 37-48.

Kratochvíl, J. (2017). Comparison of the accuracy of bibliographical references generated for medical citation styles by EndNote, Mendeley, RefWorks and Zotero. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 43(1), 57-66.

MacMillan, D. (2012). Mendeley: teaching scholarly communication and collaboration through social networking. Library Management, 33(8/9), 561-569.

Reiswig, J. (2010). Mendeley. Journal of the Medical Library Association: JMLA, 98(2), 193.

Sharma, S. N., & Dehalwar, K. (2025). A Systematic Literature Review of Transit-Oriented Development to Assess Its Role in Economic Development of City. Transportation in Developing Economies, 11(2), 23.