RefWorks FAQ
RefWorks is a web-based bibliography manager. Use Refworks to maintain a personal database of references to articles for your own use and share some or all of these references with members of the University or external colleagues.
- Basics
- New Records
- Bibliographies
- Afficher! Get it!
- Off-campus group code
- Importing
- Write-N-Cite
- RefShare
- Custom Outputs
- Exporting
- Backup/Restore
Basics
New Records
- Various record types (book, article, website)
- Required fields for preferred output styles
- Global edit of standard and custom fields
- Refworks - Online help
Bibliographies
- Create bibliographies in over 200 output styles including major styles (MLA, APA, Turabian, Chicago, etc.) in seconds
- Export bibliographies in several document types (Word, Rtf, html, etc.)
- Always proof-read system generated bibliographies to eliminate occasional errors and stay true to the required 'style'
- Refer to style guides such as this list at Concordia University
- Refworks - Creating a reference list
Afficher! Get it!
- Linking icon appears on all records
- Links to full text if available via UO license
- FAQ for Afficher! Get it!
Off-campus access
- If you are off-campus, you may be prompted to enter a group code.
- Use this group code (once or twice) to then see the prompt for your University of Ottawa RefWorks account.
- FAQ for off-campus access to electronic resources
Importing (saving records from databases)
- Check instructions provided by database
- Refer to Library Export/Import instructions for common databases
- Refer to RefWorks online help
- Ensure import transferred your references accurately! (correct, as needed)
- Refworks - Import file requirements
Write-N-Cite
- Download Write-N-Cite and use within MS Word
- Write paper and click Cite beside a reference in Write-N-Cite
- Save Word document then click Bibliography in Write-N-Cite
- Select your output style and create bibliography
- Refworks - Using Write-N-Cite
RefShare
- Share references with students, colleagues or external researchers
- No passwords required
- Create url to show all or parts of your database
- Email invitation to share or post url to website/WebCT
- Refworks - RefShare overview
Customizing Output formats
- Locate closest existing style eg. APA
- Read relevant parts of style manual or instructions for Authors
- Copy existing format from Bibliographies screen
- Create at least a "generic" record type (more as needed) Hint: use record type "book" for humanities, "journal" for sciences
- Customize settings as desired eg. line spacing, headings, sort order
- Customize format as desired eg. fields to display, order of fields, punctuation, spacing, text attributes
- Refworks - Using the output style editor
Exporting
- Create export file(s) of selected records to share with anyone or use when you leave the University
- Export files for EndNote, ProCite, Reference Manager, BibTeX, etc.
- Refworks - Exporting a database
Backup/Restore
- Backup your entire database and/or custom outputs, if needed
- Restore your entire database to RefWorks (with folder structure)
- Refworks - Backing up and restoring a database