Reference Management Program
Please note: Switch from Citavi to Zotero
The campus license agreement for the reference management software "Citavi Team - Literature Management and Knowledge Organization" expires on 31.12.2024. This includes both the Windows version and the Citavi Web extension with 5 GB of personal cloud storage. The license version will not be extended for various reasons. Instead, the University Library will offer advice on literature management with Zotero in the future.
Table of contents
What is a reference management program
A reference management program is used to keep track of the literature collected for your own scientific project and thus helps with the creation of a scientific publication. Depending on the program, citations and references can be managed and output in a suitable citation style.
Switch from Citavi to Zotero
If you have been using Citavi because knowledge organization is important to you, we recommend switching to Zotero and have compiled information on installing Zotero for you.
Depending on your previous working methods and the status of your projects, we suggest the following procedure:
My writing project will be finished before 31.12.2024.
The Citavi university license is available until 31.12.2024. If you have completed your writing project by then, there is no need to take any action. Continue working with Citavi as usual. For new writing projects, we recommend using Zotero.
My writing project will be finished after 31.12.2024.
Transfer your writing project to Zotero. The web version provides you with 300 MB of storage space. If you need more storage space, you can synchronize file attachments in Zotero with the HTW cloud (or comparable cloud storage services) via WebDAV. You can find instructions here.
Please note:
Unfortunately, the references in your text that you have created with Citavi cannot currently be automatically linked to Zotero.
What happens after the licence ended?
You can also import locally saved projects to Zotero without a Citavi account. You can find the backup copies in your Citavi backup folder (file extension .ctv6bak). You can unzip the file as described here (instructions from Zotero, English) or here (pdf, instructions from HTW Berlin, German) and then import it into Zotero.
Cloud projects in Citavi Desktop are not automatically saved locally on your computer. After the license expires, you will no longer have access to them with other reference management programs. Make sure you back up your project as a local project in good time. You can import local projects to Zotero even after your license expires.
Private license
If you are considering purchasing your own license, check the current conditions with the provider.
What data is transferred when a Citavi project is imported into Zotero?
Transferred data will be:
- Literature sources with all bibliographic data
- Quotations and comments as notes
- Assignments (but without reference to the title or project)
- PDF documents including the markings
What data is NOT transferred when a Citavi project is imported into Zotero?
Not transferred data will be:
- Categories or keywords that you have added to knowledge items (e.g. quotations or comments) in Citavi.
- Assignments to a source in knowledge items (e.g. in citations or comments)
- Images
- References to other sources created with Citavi
Switching is out of the question for me - I want to continue using Citavi permanently.
If changing the reference management program is not an option for you because you may be working on extensive texts with many references, you can purchase a single license after the campus license expires.
Zotero is not the right program for me. Are there any alternatives?
A detailed overview of the advantages, disadvantages and functions of various reference management programs has been compiled by the colleagues of the library of the Technical University of Munich and the SLUB Dresden:
- „Literaturverwaltungsprogramme im Vergleich“ Technische Universität München, Universitätsbibliothek (Hrsg.) 2022: Literaturverwaltungsprogramme im Vergleich - 9. Aktualisierung, Stand: Juli 2022, mediatum.ub.tum.de/1316333
- „Literaturverwaltungsprogramme im Überblick“ Adam, Michaele, Arndt, Anna, Faber, Christine et al. (2021): Literaturverwaltungsprogramme im Überblick. 6. Auflage, Stand: Oktober 2021. Dresden: SLUB Dresden, nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:bsz:14-qucosa2-762961
Online trainings
We offer a comprehensive range of training courses for the changeover:
Date | Time | Name | Information |
---|---|---|---|
Mon, 15th July 2024 | 3-5 pm | Migrating from Citavi to Zotero (link to the online room) | There will be a 30-minute explanation of the changeover at 3 pm and 4 pm. Questions can be asked during the remaining time. Depending on the number of participants, the explanation may also be given in English. |
Thu, 18th July 2024 | 5 pm | Zotero training | Get to know Zotero and make the switch |
Thu, 25th July 2024 | 5 pm | Zotero training English | Get to know Zotero and make the switch |
Fri, 26th Jully 2024 | 1-3 pm | Migrating from Citavi to Zotero (link to the online room) | There will be a 30-minute explanation of the changeover at 1 pm and 2 pm. Questions can be asked during the remaining time. Depending on the number of participants, the explanation may also be given in English. |
Tue, 30th July 2024 | 5 pm | Citavi training | For projects that will be processed with Citavi this summer |