How To: Use RefWorks

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What is RefWorks?

Why use RefWorks?

1. Add sources to RefWorks as you find them, storing everything in one place.
2. Organize your sources into folders by class or topic, add descriptors to make them searchable.
3. Access your list of sources from any computer.
4. Upload the full text into your account, and read it from any computer.
5. Preview your list of references in APA, MLA, or any other citation format.
6. Generate bibliographies and in-text citations.
7. Share your list of sources with classmates or teachers.
8. Build a database of useful publications related to your field.
9. Subscribe to a search alert or RSS feed, and automatically receive new article references as they become available.
10. Take your RefWorks database with you when you graduate.

More FAQs

• Who can use RefWorks?
• What is the Group Code?
• How do I create a RefWorks account?
• When should I use RefWorks?
• When shouldn't I use RefWorks?
• Can I create more than one RefWorks account?
• How do I get citations into my RefWorks account?
• Do I still have to worry about accuracy?
• What is Write-N-Cite III and how do I download it?
• What is RefGrab-It and how do I install it?
• What alternatives are there to RefWorks?

Who can use RefWorks?

RefWorks is licensed for use by all CSE students, faculty and staff.

What is the Group Code?

The CSE Group Code is used to authenticate you as an affiliated student, faculty or staff member. It is not to be shared with anyone not affiliated with CSE. The Group Code has been distributed via email to the campus community. If you did not get the CSE Group Code, send an email request to mahoneyonline@cse.edu

How do I create a RefWorks account?

In order to create a user account, you must enter CSE's 'Group Code'. Click the link to 'Sign up for an individual account'. You create your own username and password, enter your email address and fill out the remaining fields.

When should I use RefWorks?

Use RefWorks as you go about your research. When you find a useful article in a database (e.g. ProQuest), export that article to your RefWorks account. This way you keep track of all the sources that you use. You will be able to easily generate a bibliography or works cited list.
RefWorks is a great tool if you need to compile a lot of sources, e.g. a comprehensive literature review, annotated bibliography, a major paper, thesis or dissertation.
Use RefWorks anytime you are doing research in your Major.

When shouldn't I use RefWorks?

You may not want to use RefWorks if you have already done all your research and you just need to create a bibliography - you still can, but it may be just as quick to format the citations yourself as it would be to import all of your research sources into RefWorks after the fact.
You may not want to use RefWorks if you have a small number of references, e.g. you are only using 3 sources to complete your paper. In such cases, it may be faster to format the citations yourself, unless you are familiar with using RefWorks already.

Can I create more than one RefWorks account?

You may create multiple accounts, if you wish. Students may wish to create a separate, shared login account when working on group projects. Likewise, faculty may wish to create citation lists for each course that they teach.

How do I get citations into my RefWorks account?

There are 6 ways to get source citation data into RefWorks. See tutorials or help pages for further instructions.

• Direct export from a library database
• Get website data with RefGrab-It bookmark (see FAQ below)
• Save data as text file and upload to RefWorks
• Add RSS feeds to RefWorks and save articles as desired
• Manually enter in bibliographic data for a source
• Search library catalog in RefWorks and save desired items

Do I still have to worry about accuracy?

Yes, most certainly! RefWorks is not 100% accurate, and neither are any other automatic citation formatting tools. It is still your responsibility to make sure that the work that you turn in to your professors is accurate. Refer to a style guide book or an online style guide to help you identify any errors in your citations.

What is Write-N-Cite III and how do I download it?

Write-N-Cite is the software program that connects your web-based RefWorks database to Microsoft Word (or other word processing software) to generate bibliographies. Write-N-Cite III is the latest version and should be the version of choice for all but those with MacIntosh computers or with older PCs (pre-XP, pre-Word 2003, etc.) Write-N-Cite III is compatible with Vista and XP operating systems and with MS Word 2007 and MS Word 2003. If you have a Vista OS, you must use version III. Download Write-N-Cite at http://www.refworks.com/refworks/WNCDownload.asp.

What is RefGrab-It and how do I install it?

RefGrab-It is a bookmark tool that enables you to capture bibliographic data from websites and import it to RefWorks. To add it to your bookmarks or favorites, go to http://www.refworks.com/Refworks/BookMarklet.asp and follow the directions for your browser.

What alternatives are there to RefWorks?

• Format the citations yourself, using the appropriate style guide
• Use the References tab in Microsoft Word 2007 to format citations in APA, MLA, or Chicago/Turabian
• Use the citation formatting features that are available in several of the library's databases. Citation styles available vary from database to database.
• Use a free formatting tool, e.g. Bibme, NoodleBib Express, KnightCite, etc.
• Use a free research management tool that offers as much functionality as RefWorks, e.g. Zotero