Mendeley is a reference management tool that helps you collect, organize, cite, and share your research sources. Whether you're writing a paper, thesis, or simply organizing your academic reading, Mendeley streamlines your workflow and boosts your productivity.
 

• You can add references manually or drag and drop PDF files into the application.
• You can organize your references into folders and add tags to find them easily later.
• You may also install the Mendeley Cite plugin for Microsoft Word, which allows you to insert citations and create bibliographies automatically.

The Mendeley Reference Manager app is available for the Windows, Mac, & Linux operating systems.
Download the app here:

• Windows 
• Mac 
• Linux 

1. Click on “Mendeley (Reference Management Software)” on the library’s “Research and Learning Tools” page.





2. Click the Download button.




3. Select the option suitable for your operating system and click the Download button.



4. Run the downloaded .exe file.






5.  Click the Install button.



6.  Click the Finish button.

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1. After launching the Mendeley Reference Manager for Desktop application, click the “Sign in via your organization” button. Type "Bilkent University" into the search bar and select it.

      


3. Use your Bilkent ID number as your username and STARS/BAIS password as your password.


4. Click the "Yes, continue" button.



5. You can start using Mendeley.



 

Once you’ve installed Mendeley and signed in, you can start managing your references efficiently. 

Navigating the Mendeley Library Panel

• All References: View your entire Mendeley library. All references, regardless of their organization, appear here.
• Recently Added: Shows the most recently added references—helpful for quickly finding new items.
• Recently Read: Displays references you have opened or read recently within Mendeley.
• Favorites: You can “star” your most important references to mark them as favorites for easy access.
• My Publications: A space for adding your own published works. This section is useful for building your researcher profile.
• Unsorted: References that haven’t yet been assigned to a collection appear here.
• Duplicates: Automatically detects references with similar metadata so you can review and merge them if needed.
• Trash: Contains references you’ve deleted. You can restore or permanently remove them from this section.
   

Collections: 

• Create collection: Collections allow you to organize references by topic, project, or course. Click "Create Collection" to create custom folders. You can drag and drop references into collections and create sub-collections. A reference can be added to multiple collections without being duplicated.

Groups: 

• Create group: Create or join a group to share references and collaborate with colleagues. Great for research teams or class projects.

 

You can add references to your Mendeley library in several ways:

• Drag and Drop: Drag PDF files into the Mendeley desktop app.

Click on "Add references" > “Add reference manually" to input details yourself. 
 

Use an Identifier (Optional):  At the top of the form, you can paste an identifier such as: DOI (Digital Object Identifier), PMID (PubMed ID), ArXiv ID. 



Click the search icon to automatically fetch and fill in the reference metadata. 

If no identifier is available, you can proceed by manually entering the details below. Once all information is entered, click the “Add entry” button at the bottom.

On the upper left-hand corner of the application, click on the "Add references" > "Import File(s)" button and then add files from the computer.



Select the file you want to import, and click "Open".

Many academic databases (like Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed) allow you to export citations in RIS or BibTeX format, which you can import into Mendeley.



In the window, locate and select your .ris, .bib, or .xml file.

Mendeley Web Importer is a browser extension that allows you to save references, PDFs, and metadata directly from academic websites and databases, without leaving your browser. It’s a convenient way to collect sources while doing online research.

 

Go to the official installation page and click the Get Web Importer for Chrome button.



Click the Add to Chrome button. 


Click the "Add extension" button. 



When the extension is installed, it will appear as shown below.



Launch Mendeley Web Importer: Click on the Web Importer icon in your browser toolbar to launch the Mendeley Web Importer window.


 

You can use the Web Importer on platforms like:

• ScienceDirect
• JSTOR
• PubMed
• Taylor & Francis
• Google Scholar
• Publisher websites and library databases

To import references:

1. Open a webpage with one or more academic articles, e-books, etc.
2. Click the Mendeley Web Importer icon in your browser.



3. A sidebar will appear showing detected sources on the page.




4. Check the box next to the items you want to save.  Click “Add to Mendeley” to send the selected references (and available PDFs) to your Mendeley library.








 

Once you’ve selected a reference in your Mendeley library, you can use the "Copy As" button in the bottom menu to copy the citation. A menu will appear with the following options:

• Formatted Citation – Copies the citation in your currently selected citation style (e.g., APA, MLA).
• LaTeX Citation – Generates a citation key for LaTeX users.
• BibTeX Entry – Exports the full BibTeX record. 

You can also click "Change Citation Style" to select a different style, such as Chicago, IEEE, or Harvard.

Mendeley Reference Manager offers flexible options to export your references in different formats and citation styles. You can use these tools to insert formatted citations into your documents or to transfer references to other software (e.g., EndNote, Zotero, LaTeX editors). 

After selecting your reference(s), click the "Export" button.

Choose one of the following export formats:

• BibTeX (.bib) – For LaTeX editors (e.g., Overleaf).

• EndNote XML (.xml) – For EndNote v8 and later.

• Microsoft Word XML (.xml) – For Word citation tools.

• RIS (.ris) – A widely supported format for importing to Zotero, EndNote, and other tools.

The file will be downloaded to your computer. You can then import it into the relevant application.​

Mendeley Cite is a Microsoft Word add-in that allows you to insert citations and generate bibliographies directly from your Mendeley library, without ever leaving your document.

You can install Mendeley Cite directly from within Microsoft Word. 

1. Open Microsoft Word on your computer. Go to the Insert tab in the top menu. Click on Get Add-ins.



2. In the search bar, type Mendeley Cite. Click the "Add" button next to Mendeley Cite to install the add-in.



3. Click the "Continue" button.



4. Once added, the Mendeley Cite icon will appear in the References tab.



5. Click the "Get started" button.



6. Click the “Sign in via your organization” button.



7. Type "Bilkent University" into the search bar and select it.



8. After signing in, the references from your Mendeley Library will appear in the Mendeley Cite panel within Microsoft Word.

1. Place your cursor where you want the citation to appear in the document. In the search bar at the top of the Mendeley Cite sidebar, type keywords, an author name, or a title. Select the reference(s) from the list of results. Click Insert Citation. You can insert multiple references in one in-text citation if needed.






2. Scroll to the place in your document where you want to add your bibliography (typically at the end). In the Mendeley Cite sidebar, click on the “More” (three dots) menu. "Insert Bibliography" will automatically compile a full list of the references you've cited in the document, formatted in the selected style.