The Changing Landscape of Citation Management Tools: York University Faculty & Students Survey Results

Do our Health Science faculty & graduate students use citation management tools? Which one(s) do they use? What features do they use most often? A survey was sent out to York University faculty and graduate students soliciting feedback on their use of these tools. This study was important since our university was ending its subscription to the default citation management program. The academic community was provided with options for free citation management tools including librarian support during and after the migration process. The survey results helped librarians promote the important features in freely available citation management tools. It was also an exercise in relation building since the vendor initiated prizes for our graduate students included an increased storage capacity in the free version of the program. The results demonstrate that libraries can harness challenging situations and in the process create partnerships with the academic community and vendors.