Citavi is licensed to the TU, only until 2026-09-30. It also maintains Zotero, which is free, and a limited version of EndNote, which is subject to fees.

ULB offers learning formats for Citavi and Zotero.

What does a reference management program do?

• Creates and manages individual or shared literature databases (collects, organises, searches, comments on references)
• Searches and imports data from library catalogues and specialist databases (interface to online databases)
• Outputs and formats reference lists (for theses, research articles, applications, documentation)
• Collaborates with text processing (inserts and links references directly so that e.g. a reference management update is instantly updated on the relevant working papers)
• Manages electronic documents (PDFs, images, e-books, websites)

Which software is suitable for me?

• Most programs allow you to import and export collected reference data in standardised formats, so you can switch between various programs while still accessing the same data collection
• When making your choice, you could also consider what is used around you in your working environment to help provide mutual support and for the easiest cooperation.
• The following sites will help with choosing the suitable software:
  • Comparison of reference management software (German, English & French) / Technical University of Munich (various years of publication)
  • Manual for CoScience / reference management programs / TIB Hanover, 2015