Bibliography and Citations in LaTeX
Citations and bibliographies are essential for academic and research writing. LaTeX provides multiple ways to manage references: manually, with BibTeX, or with BibLaTeX+Biber. Reference managers like Zotero or Mendeley can make the process even easier.
Manual Bibliography (thebibliography)
The simplest way to add references is with the thebibliography environment. Each reference is defined manually with a citation key. This approach is fine for short documents but not recommended for large projects.
BibTeX Basics
BibTeX is the classic way to manage references in LaTeX. References are stored in a separate .bib file, and LaTeX automatically formats them according to the chosen bibliography style.
Citation Styles
BibTeX supports different bibliography styles for formatting references. Some common ones include:
Using Citations with BibTeX
In your document, use \cite{key} to reference an entry from your .bib file. The style is controlled by \bibliographystyle, and the bibliography list is generated by \bibliography.
BibLaTeX + Biber (Modern Approach)
BibLaTeX is a modern alternative to BibTeX, offering more flexibility and advanced citation styles. It works with the Biber backend and is now preferred for most academic work.
Managing References with Zotero/Mendeley
Reference managers like Zotero and Mendeley help collect, organize, and export bibliographic data. You can export your library as a .bib file and use it directly in LaTeX, making reference management seamless.