Purpose
Citavi is a comprehensive reference management and knowledge
organisation software designed to assist researchers, students, and
academic professionals in managing bibliographic data, organising
research content, and streamlining the academic writing process. It
facilitates the collection, structuring, annotation, and citation of
scholarly sources, enabling users to efficiently craft bibliographies,
manage quotes and notes, and plan tasks related to research projects.
Citavi uniquely integrates referencing with knowledge management and
project organisation, catering to the multifaceted demands of academic
research.
Release Date
Citavi was first developed in the late 1990s and released as a
Windows-based software. It has continually evolved with significant
updates enhancing user experience, functionality, and multi-user
support. The software is published by Swiss Academic Software in
Wädenswil, Switzerland, and remains widely used, particularly in
German-speaking academic communities. Recent versions have integrated
cloud functionality and collaboration features, aligning with modern
research needs and digital workflows through 2025.
Features
Citavi encompasses a rich set of features designed to support the entire research lifecycle:
- Importing references directly from library catalogues, databases such as PubMed
and Web of Science, and web sources using the Citavi Picker browser
extensions.
- Managing diverse reference types including books, articles, theses, legal
documents, and multimedia, with fields tailored to source specificity.
- Annotating imported PDFs with highlights, comments, and linked quotation management within the software.
- Organising knowledge by categorising quotations, thoughts, and ideas in
user-defined structures reflecting paper chapters or themes.
- Seamless integration with Microsoft Word to insert citations and build formatted bibliographies automatically in over 11,000 citation styles, with
customisation options for additional styles.
- Task planning and project management tools helping users to schedule
deadlines, assign tasks, and monitor progress within research teams.
- Support for local storage, Citavi Cloud, and institutional servers, allowing flexible data management and access control.
- Collaborative teamwork features enabling multiple users to work on shared projects
with role-based permissions and simultaneous editing.
- Cross-platform accessibility via Citavi Web offering Mac and Linux users access beyond the native Windows platform.
- Knowledge organisation modules that simplify the transition from information gathering to writing and revision.