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When choosing a citation manager for a systematic review, in addition to factors like cost, format, and storage capacity, you will also need to consider how it will perform on systematic review tasks.

For example:

• Sciwheel is user-friendly, but it automatically removes duplicate articles when you import, which can sometimes make it difficult to keep track of numbers for your PRISMA flow diagram. Sciwheel cannot perform bulk uploads of PDFs to Covidence for full text screening and it is web-based, so you need an internet connection in order to use it.
• EndNote Desktop is robust and allows you to customize deduplication and display settings, can automatically download some PDFs, and allows bulk uploads of PDFs to Covidence for full text screening. EndNote is our only citation manager that you must purchase, but it is available at a discount through the Student Acquisition Ordering Portal if you are a student or through the BuyCarolina Marketplace in ConnectCarolina if you are faculty or staff.
• Zotero merges duplicates throughout the library, which can sometimes make it difficult to keep track of numbers for your PRISMA flow diagram. The free version also limits you to a certain amount of storage, which may not be enough if you are conducting a large review or multiple reviews. Zotero can automatically download some PDFs and supports bulk uploads to Covidence for full text screening.
• Mendeley can be used for systematic reviews, but HSL staff do not provide training or support for it. Mendeley does support bulk PDF uploads to Covidence for full text screening.
• Free tools such as Sciwheel, Zotero, or Mendeley may be a better option than a cost tool like EndNote if multiple members of your team need to access the library.

It is important to note that all these citation managers are compatible with Covidence for screening. You can export a file of citations from any of these tools and import it into another tool if your review team members prefer different citation managers. Your team can also choose not to use a citation manager at all, though citation managers can help make the review process easier.

Check out our guide Comparing Citation Managers which compares the features of EndNote, Zotero, and Sciwheel, or just Ask Us!