Create an Account
You will need an account to use Mendeley. You can use any email address to register.
The free account gives you 2GB of space and 100MB of private group storage. You can create 1 private group with a maximum of 3 users per group.
Download Mendeley Desktop
Use the Mendeley Desktop to build and organize your collection of references and documents, which you can sync with the web and mobile versions. Drag & drop PDF files into the Desktop to instantly create references. Annotate PDFs with highlights and sticky notes as you read them.
Install the Mendeley Web Importer
Adding the Web Importer to your favorite web browser makes it easy to import references and documents from academic databases. (Note: Chrome users can install the bookmarklet, not the browser extension, for greater functionality)
Install the Citation Plugin
The plugin allows you to insert citations and bibliographies into Microsoft Word, Word for Mac, or LibreOffice. Mendeley supports BibTeX export for use with LaTeX. Look for the Install link in the Tools menu of Mendeley Desktop.
Update your Account Profile
Once you have set up your account you can add details about yourself to your profile to help you connect with colleagues through Mendeley. You can also mark publications you have written and Mendeley will track the page view and download statistics on those articles for you.