CSCI 668: Reliability

Writing

• First time writing a major research paper for the sciences? Or do you just want a refresher? Check out our Science Writing Research Guide to get all the information you need! 

Citing

• You can use any citation style but make sure to use it consistently! Purdue's Online Wirting Lab (OWL) has great citation guides.
• Double check any citations that are automatically made for you! They often have small mistakes.

Citation Managers

Creating and managing citations can be a hassle, but you can use a citation manager to make things easier. A citation manager is a software that will automatically format citations for you, allowing you to easily create a bibliography when you're done writing. However, it's very important to always double-check your citations for accuracy. 

How do I download it?	Click here	Click here to download desktop application and browser connector. In a hurry? Try ZoteroBib for quick citing	No desktop application -- access it online here.
How much does it cost?	It's free! (with costs for upgraded storage)	It's free! (& the library has a subscription for unlimited data storage)	The library pays for a subscription so that it's free to every W&M student/faculty.
How much storage does it offer?	2 GB cloud storage	300 MB cloud storage (but unlimited on desktop application)	Unlimited
Can it store articles (PDFs)?	Yes -- you can "drag and drop" and organize your PDFs into folders. PDFs are fully keyword searchable.	Yes -- you can "drag and drop" and organize your PDFs into folders. PDFs are fully keyword searchable.	No
Can I use it to collaborate on a group project?	Yes -- you can create groups that then share documents and citations.	Yes -- you can create groups that then share documents and citations.	Kind of -- you can create a shared folder that other people can view, but not contribute to.
Can I use it across different devices?	Yes -- it has a web platform as well as a desktop application, and they sync.	Yes -- it has a web platform as well as a desktop application, and they sync.	Yes -- it is entirely web-based.
Can I use it to make citations & bibliographies as I write?	Yes -- you can download a plugin for Word or LibreOffice that will let you cite as you go.	Yes -- there is a Word and LibreOffice plugin that downloads standard with the desktop Zotero application.	Yes -- you can download the Refworks Citation Manager for Word or the RCM for Google Docs that lets you cite as you go.
Does it let me annotate (write & highlight) articles that I have stored?	Yes	Yes	No -- does not store PDF's.