GEOL 321: Rock Forming Minerals

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

• Find out more about the GSA Bulletin format below.
  • Double check any citations that are automatically made for you! They often have small mistakes. 
• Citation managers are programs that lets you manage your PDFs and generate bibliographies automatically. We'll be covering Mendeley in class but see other options below.

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.