How does Mendeley manage journal articles and books?

Mendeley operates as a reference management software designed to organize and manage collections of academic literature, including journal articles and books. It facilitates digital organization and allows users to create a centralized library. The core mechanism involves creating a digital library where references and associated full-text PDFs are stored. Mendeley automatically extracts bibliographic metadata (author, title, journal, year, etc.) from imported PDFs or manually entered data, enabling efficient searching and sorting. It employs cloud synchronization to maintain library consistency across user devices. Metadata accuracy is crucial and should be verified after import, as extraction efficacy varies. The platform manages both journal articles and books primarily through this metadata-centric approach. To manage items, users primarily add documents via drag-and-drop, folder watch, or manual entry. Features include PDF annotation, tagging, advanced searching, and organizing references into folders and groups. A key implementation step involves using the Mendeley Citation Plugin in word processors like MS Word to seamlessly insert citations and automatically generate bibliographies in required styles from within the collected library. Collaboration is enabled through private or public Mendeley Groups. This streamlines literature reviews, ensures citation accuracy, and enhances research workflow efficiency.