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RefWorks

How to use RefWorks to organize, store, and share citations and generate bibliographies.

Importing References from Research Databases

Brief Video Tutorial

Uploading One or More Documents from Your Computer

You can add documents from your computer into your RefWorks account. You can use the Upload document drop-down under the Add icon, or drag and drop files.
 
Tip:  If you want to add your documents to a specific collection, make sure you’re viewing the collection first.

Using the Upload document option:
  1. Click the Add   icon, then click the Upload document to browse and search your computer for your file.
  2. RefWorks will begin uploading the file and extracting any meta data in your Recent area.
  3. Once the document has been analyzed and uploaded, you can then select the reference and add or edit the metadata.

Using the drag and drop option:

Tip:  If you want to add your documents to a specific collection, make sure you’re viewing the collection first.

  1.  If you’re dragging multiple files, RefWorks will create a separate reference for each document.  Slightly minimize your RefWorks screen and select the documents you want to bring into RefWorks.  
  2. Drag the documents into the main viewing area. You'll see a circle display for you to drag the documents into.
  3. Your documents will be analyzed and uploaded and, once complete, you can then add or edit metadata for these new references.

Adding References Manually

Click the Add icon  at the top of the page, then click the Create new reference option to manually enter bibliographic data describing your reference. 

You can change the reference type, manually edit the reference fields and additional fields can be added using the Add more fields drop down box at the bottom of the page. 

If you do not have a file to upload, simply populate the blank fields by typing in the necessary information.

Once you have manually added your reference, click Save and your item will be added to your RefWorks library.

Importing from EndNote, Mendeley, or Zotero

To get your existing references into RefWorks, look up your current reference manager below and follow the instructions listed.

EndNote
  1. You can easily import your EndNote into your RefWorks account:In EndNote, go to Edit > Output Styles > Open Style Manager
  2. Check “RefMan (RIS) Export”.
  3. In your EndNote library, select the references you would like to export.
  4. Go to File > Export and save the file, making sure the output styles field is set to “RefMan (RIS) Export”.
  5. In RefWorks, click the Add a reference icon , then select Import References
  6. Drag and drop the saved file into RefWorks into the box, or use the link to “select a file from your computer” and upload it. 
Mendeley
You can import your data from Mendeley into your RefWorks account by clicking on the  icon  when viewing your documents.and selecting Import references and selecting Mendeley:
 
 
You can also manually move your Mendeley database.  Here’s how:
  1. From Mendeley Desktop, select record(s) and right click. Select Export, Research Information Systems (*ris).
  2. A dialog box appears for you to select the location where you want to save the file. Type a file name and select a location to save the file.
  3. In RefWorks, click the Add a reference icon , then select Import References
  4. Drag and drop the saved file into RefWorks into the box, or use the link to “select a file from your computer” and upload it. 
 
Zotero (instructions with screenshots available at this link)
  1. Select references. 
  2. Right-click and choose Export Selected Items. Choose RIS. Save the file.
  3. In RefWorks, click the Add a reference icon , then select Import References
  4. Drag and drop the saved file into RefWorks into the box, or use the link to “select a file from your computer” and upload it.

Importing References from the Web

RefWorks has a Web browser based-tool called the Save to RefWorks button.  The Save to RefWorks button attempts to grab information from any Web page and add it to your RefWorks library. Disclaimer: This feature typically does not produce accurate references. Please make sure to review any references and edit manually to ensure accuracy.
To add the Save to RefWorks button to your browser, click on the More icon  and select Tools.  

Follow the instructions to "install" the Save to RefWorks  button in your browser toolbar. Once you’ve installed it, go to any web page and click the Save to RefWorks button to capture the information.