RefWorks Overview
RefWorks is a comprehensive reference management service designed to streamline the process of research, collaboration, data organization, and writing for students, faculty, and librarians.
What RefWorks Does
RefWorks enables users to collect, organize, and manage references and research materials efficiently. It provides a centralized workspace where users can store and access their references, citations, and full-text documents from various sources. This tool is particularly useful for producing accurate and well-formatted research papers, theses, and other academic works.
Key Features and Functionality
Collect and Import
- RefWorks allows users to find, access, and capture research materials from virtually any source and in any format. It features auto-completion of reference data and retrieval of full text, which saves time and ensures accurate citations.
Manage Research
- Users can unify their materials in one central workspace, facilitating storage and reuse. Powerful tools such as tags, folders, full-text searching, and deduplication help in organizing and accessing references easily.
Share and Collaborate
- RefWorks supports collaboration by allowing users to organize, read, annotate, and highlight full-text documents individually or share them privately with other members of their institution or any RefWorks user. This collaborative environment enhances teamwork and research coordination.
Citation and Bibliography Management
- The service offers multiple citation styles, including CSL styles, and a comprehensive citation style editor to create new styles. Users can add references directly from websites using direct export or the Save to RefWorks bookmarklet. It also includes tools to edit references in bulk and identify missing fields required for bibliographic formats.
Integration with Other Tools
- RefWorks integrates with Microsoft Word through the RefWorks Citation Manager (RCM), which replaces the outdated Write-n-Cite tool. RCM enables users to insert in-text citations and bibliographies into their documents seamlessly. Additionally, RefWorks can be synchronized with Dropbox to automatically copy uploaded citations.
Institutional Support
- Library administrators can define institutional reference list styles, analyze usage across the institution, and manage copyright compliance. This feature enhances the library’s contribution to research and student success.
Accessibility and Support
- RefWorks is a cloud-based service, allowing access from various devices with a network connection. It provides round-the-clock support, extensive user guides, customizable posters, release notes, and video tutorials to help users get started and stay informed.
In summary, RefWorks is an indispensable tool for researchers, offering a streamlined interface for collecting, organizing, and managing references, as well as robust features for collaboration, citation management, and integration with other tools, making the research and writing process more efficient and accurate.