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Getting started with Mendeley Reference Manager and Mendeley Cite

Import references, verify metadata, organize a library and insert Word citations with Mendeley.

Books and resourcesPrepared by Lê Minh5 min
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Manage references from metadata to manuscript

  1. Library

    Import and organise references

  2. Metadata

    Verify authors, year and DOI

  3. Citations

    Insert citations with the writing tool

  4. Cross-check

    Check the list and reference style

Conceptual diagram. A reference manager does not verify that a source supports a claim.

Source: Lê Minh · Conceptual illustration, not software output.

Mendeley helps organize references and create citations, but a reliable bibliography still depends on checking the underlying records. A library containing hundreds of PDFs is not automatically correct about authors, dates or DOIs.

Distinguish the tools

Mendeley Reference Manager manages your library. Mendeley Cite is the Word add-in for inserting citations, building a bibliography and changing styles. Elsevier explains that Cite uses the synchronized cloud library. Instructions for Mendeley Desktop and its older citation plugin may use different menus.

Reference Manager in the official guide: the library in the center, collections on the left and metadata on the right. Layouts may differ by version.
Official guide screenshot 1. Reference Manager in the official guide: the library in the center, collections on the left and metadata on the right. Layouts may differ by version. Source: Mendeley / Elsevier · View full size

Import references

The official import guide describes dragging in PDFs, importing citation files such as RIS or BibTeX, and creating entries manually. Choose a method appropriate to the source. Database citation exports preserve structured fields; PDF extraction needs careful verification.

After importing, compare authors, year, title, journal, volume, issue, pages and DOI against the publisher record. Check edition and publisher for books. A PDF filename is not an authoritative title. Correct a DOI that resolves to a different work before citing it.

The Import library menu in the Mendeley guide, showing BibTeX, EndNote XML and RIS. Imported metadata still needs checking against the original work.
Official guide screenshot 2. The Import library menu in the Mendeley guide, showing BibTeX, EndNote XML and RIS. Imported metadata still needs checking against the original work. Source: Mendeley / Elsevier · View full size
The Add entry manually dialog and DOI field in the Mendeley guide. Field names and button positions may change; check bibliographic details after DOI lookup.
Official guide screenshot 3. The Add entry manually dialog and DOI field in the Mendeley guide. Field names and button positions may change; check bibliographic details after DOI lookup. Source: Mendeley / Elsevier · View full size

A small Word workflow

  1. Add one legitimate reference to Reference Manager and check its main fields.
  2. Synchronize, open Mendeley Cite in Word and sign in to the correct account.
  3. Place the cursor at the statement requiring support, select the reference and insert it with Cite. Add a page locator for direct quotations as required by the citation style.
  4. Select the required style and use Insert Bibliography to generate the reference list. Elsevier’s instructions describe this action.
  5. Test a record correction, update the document and inspect both the citation and reference entry. Save a backup before making bulk changes.
Select references and use Insert citation in the Mendeley Cite pane in Word. This is a vendor-published example, distinct from the Reference Manager library.
Official guide screenshot 4. Select references and use Insert citation in the Mendeley Cite pane in Word. This is a vendor-published example, distinct from the Reference Manager library. Source: Mendeley / Elsevier · View full size
Citation styles and the Update citation style button in the Mendeley Cite guide. APA 7 appears in the example; the final choice should follow the journal requirements.
Official guide screenshot 5. Citation styles and the Update citation style button in the Mendeley Cite guide. APA 7 appears in the example; the final choice should follow the journal requirements. Source: Mendeley / Elsevier · View full size
Insert Bibliography in the More menu of Mendeley Cite. The list is generated from inserted citations; author, year and title errors still require review.
Official guide screenshot 6. Insert Bibliography in the More menu of Mendeley Cite. The list is generated from inserted citations; author, year and title errors still require review. Source: Mendeley / Elsevier · View full size

Organize for verification

Group readings by project, record what has been read and note pages containing important arguments. These are suggested working practices, not promises that every version performs them automatically. Labels should help you retrieve evidence, such as an original measurement scale or sampling design.

Before submission, check both directions: every citation must have a reference entry and every entry must be used appropriately. Selecting APA does not correct mistyped names, wrong capitalization or unread sources. Consult the Mendeley guides for current account, storage and sharing conditions before adopting the workflow for a team.