Taking control of your digital library: How modern citation managers do more than just referencing

Abstract

Physicians are constantly navigating the overwhelming body of medical literature available on the Internet. Although early citation managers were capable of limited searching of index databases and tedious bibliography production, modern versions of citation managers such as EndNote, Zotero, and Mendeley are powerful web-based tools for searching, organizing, and sharing medical literature. Effortless point-and-click functions provide physicians with the ability to develop robust digital libraries filled with literature relevant to their fields of interest. In addition to easily creating manuscript bibliographies, various citation managers allow physicians to readily access medical literature, share references for teaching purposes, collaborate with colleagues, and even participate in social networking. If physicians are willing to invest the time to familiarize themselves with modern citation managers, they will reap great benefits in the future. © 2013 American College of Chest Physicians.