I ended up going with Papers because it’s simply well designed. Keep in mind, this kind of software will only be useful at the grad level (not worth it for a paper that requires only a few citations unless you just want to learn how to use it).
I used a MBA 11 inch for 4 years (loved it), finally decided to upgrade as it was not performing as well as I would have liked. It was used primarily when traveling, as I had a iMac for home use. I went with the MacBook 12 inch - I liked the form factor and weight for travel. Not real happy with the one USB-C port but I have worked with it so far. My kids and wife all have MBA 13 inch machines and love them. Two kids were recent college students and used the MBA at school with no issues.
This is a highly opinion based question. I would say that the MacBook Air is perfect for your use case. If you have access to an Apple Retail location the best thing to do is to try one, I’d start with your low end, the MacBook Air, and see if that works for you. If not you have 14 days to return it and try the MacBook Pro.
In 2012 I bought an 11" MacBook Air three days before I left for WWDC. On Monday that year they announced a new MacBook Air with twice as much SSD and other minor upgrades. I felt bad about returning it until I realized that Apple got an additional $500 from me. It is still a great machine. I’m sending my son off to college with it in the autumn and it should be good for another 4 years. He’s a Computer Science major, and it’s fine for building the projects he’ll be working on.
I found Zotero highly useful during my undergraduate. Papers on Windows was just too finicky.
1 Like
Potentially silly and too late question, but given what I understand about your needs, wouldn’t an iPad fit the bill? If not, please explain.
And if you’re already using an iPad, what makes you want to go for a MacBook of some sort?
Referencing on iOS is a pain point right now - if you write in LaTeX then you can use BibDesk, but I’ve not found anything else which supports referencing software - and personally I find that software to be a massive timesaver when it comes to creating the bibliography (literally done with a click) so I could see why someone else would prefer a Mac for that 
1 Like
As I work in a university, this is often a question that is asked, and my reply goes like this:
If you can afford the Pro, go for it, the extra hummf is never wasted and as the machine ages you will not regret it. Also, the screen is so much better, whilst that might not make much difference to you (assuming you have good eyesight) but if like me you are a “mature” gent, it is important to have a good quality display.
But whatever you decide, I would always recommend purchasing warranty with either device.
1 Like
In part, as @RosemaryOrchard says, referencing on iOS is not a great task. I’m sure something with splitscreen could be done but while I own an iPad, it is an Air. The iPad is still my preferred place for reading papers but literature searches and essay writing is still a laptop job.
1 Like
Recommend Air instead of Pro. Recommend at least 4 GB RAM. If you’re going to store media (music, videos, images, etc.) get more than 128 GB hard drive.
The Air is lighter than the Pro. You’ll find that helpful as you’re carrying it around. The screen resolution is not as great as the Pro, but based on what you’ll be using it for, I think you’ll be fine.
Also agree about getting it refurbished. Not only to save money, but also because the Air hasn’t had an update.
And definitely get AppleCare+. It now offers coverage for 2 incidents of accidental damage.