A reference management tool may be a good support for writing scientific texts. You can:
> collect and save references,
> organize your literature sources and keep track,
> select the appropriate citation style from a wide range of options,
> insert citations correctly into your text and
> automatically create and update your bibliography.
Which tool is the right one for me?
An overview of all current licensable and free programs can be found in the software comparison "Reference Management Software Comparison" by the University Library of the TU Munich.
Reference management at HCU
Please note: HCU’s Citavi campus license expires on 12/31/2026. As an alternative, we recommend the reference management software Zotero. Citavi users will find additional information and support below.
HCU provides campus licenses for the reference management programs Endnote and Citavi. The open-source software Zotero can be installed free of charge; at HCU, unlimited storage is available for synchronizing data with the Zotero web account.
The library offers workshops and individual consultations on using Zotero.
End of the Citavi campus license
HCU’s Citavi campus license ends on 12/31/2026. As an alternative, we recommend the reference management software Zotero.
Feel free to use our step-by-step guide for migrating from Citavi to Zotero.
Information sessions
To provide support, the library will soon be offering a weekly office hour at the service desk where you can get information about Zotero as a reference management software and about switching from Citavi to Zotero. The office hour will take place from 06/09/2026 to 07/07/2026, every Tuesday from 12:00–1:00 p.m.
In addition, we offer various sessions introducing Zotero and covering the transition from Citavi to Zotero. You can find the specific topics and dates under Current events.
Further information
The following websites provide additional information and support for the migration process:
Information page from SUB Göttingen (guides and FAQ)
Step-by-Step-Guide by UB Greifswald
Video tutorial by UB Bamberg
Instructions for exporting from Citavi Web (TU Berlin)
HCU’s Citavi campus license expires on 12/31/2026.
Citavi offers various options for organizing and editing literature sources.
| Operating system | Windows |
| Word processing | Word, BibTeX-Export |
| Download | First download the Citavi free version and install it on your computer. To install the free version on an HCU computer, please use AppsAnywhere. |
| Campus license | Create a Citavi account with your HCU e-mail address. Open Citavi and click on the login icon in the start window. Enter your access data for the Citavi account. The license data will be recognized automatically. |
| License terms | License Agreement |
| Number of citation styles | more than 11.000 |
| Features | > Local projects or cloud projects > Possibility to work in a team > Capture quotes, thoughts and comments > Edit PDF files > Create the outline > Task planning |
| Browser Add-On | Citavi-Picker |
| Tutorial | Organizing knowledge with Citavi |
| Handbook | Citavi Manual |
| Knowledge base | Citavi Knowledge |
Endote is exclusively in English.
| Operating system | Windows, Mac |
| Word processing | Word, Open Office, Google Docs |
| Download | Appsanywhere |
| Campus license | Will be automatically activated while installing from Appsanywhere. |
| License terms | End user License Agreement |
| number of citation styles | more than 7.000 |
| Features | > Possibilty to work in a team > Tags for organization > PDF viewer with annotation options |
| Browser Add-On | Endnote Click |
| Tutorial | How to manage your references and PDFs |
| Knowledge base | Alfasoft Support & Knowledge Base |
Zotero is an open source program and can be used free of charge.
| Operating System | Windows, Linux, Mac |
| Word processing | Word, Libre Office, Google Docs |
| Download | Zotero can be downloaded free of charge. To install Zotero on an HCU computer, please use AppsAnywhere. At HCU, unlimited Zotero storage is available. |
| License terms | Terms of Service |
| number of citation styles | more than 10.000 |
| Features | > Possibilty to work in a team > Tags for organization > PDF viewer with annotation options |
| Browser Add-On | Zotero Connector |
| Tutorial | Zotero Self-Study Course by TU Berlin |
| Dokumentation | Zotero documentation |
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