RefWorks
RefWorks
Overview
What is RefWorks?
RefWorks is a reference management software designed to collect, store, share, manage and cite sources. RefWorks helps organise and keep track of research and in the preparation of your work.
Why use RefWorks?
- RefWorks is web-based, can be used across multiple computers and after you have left the university.
- Very easy to use.
- Save to RefWorks bookmark tool scrapes websites to create records. It also allows for sharing of references between accounts.
- Supports around 6300 citation styles.
- The Save to RefWorks bookmark tool allows saving to the RefWorks in a single click.
Which reference manager is right for you?
If you're not sure which reference management software is best for your needs, check our Options for managing references Guide and the Using reference management software page.
Getting started
Create an account
When creating an account use your UniMelb email address, so that your account is associated with the University of Melbourne.
- Use this direct link to access RefWorks or go via the Library website.
- Click the Create Account button.
- You will receive a confirmation email: make sure you note your login name and password
- You can create multiple accounts: for individual use and for group work. See the instructions for creating an account for a group project.
Migrate existing library into New RefWorks
To get your existing references into the New RefWorks, look up your current reference manager below and follow the steps described.
Legacy RefWorks
Legacy RefWorks users have two option for moving existing references into the New RefWorks.
If you have an institutional RefWorks account, you may see an option within your RefWorks account to “Move to the newest version of RefWorks”. Read more here.
Or you can bring your Legacy RefWorks data into the New RefWorks from within your New RefWorks account via Import references. Read more here.
EndNote
- You can easily import your EndNote into your RefWorks account: In EndNote, go to Edit > Output Styles > Open Style Manager
- Check “RefMan (RIS) Export”.
- In your EndNote library, select the references you would like to export.
- Go to File > Export and save the file, making sure the output styles field is set to “RefMan (RIS) Export”.
- In RefWorks, click the Add a reference icon , then select Import References
- 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 automatically import your Mendeley database in just a few clicks from within your RefWorks account.
You can also manually move your Mendeley database. Here’s how:
- From Mendeley Desktop, select record(s) and right-click. Select Export, Research Information Systems (*ris).
- 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.
- In RefWorks, click the Add a reference icon , then select Import References
- 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
- Select references.
- Right-click and choose Export Selected Items. Choose RIS. Save the file.
- In RefWorks, click the Add a reference icon , then select Import References
- 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.
Papers
- In your Papers library, highlight the references you want to export.
- Under the File menu, choose 'Export...' and choose the Refman RIS option. Save the file.
- In RefWorks, click the Add a reference icon , then select Import References
- 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.
ReadCube
- From the library, view select the article or articles and right-click to bring up Export Options.
- Select Export to RefMan (RIS) file and save the file.
- In RefWorks, click the Add a reference icon , then select Import References
- 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.
Adding references
Use Save to RefWorks tool
RefWorks has an easy-to-use tool that installs in any web browser called the Save to RefWorks button. The Save to RefWorks button grabs information from any web page – in some cases a complete article – and adds it to your RefWorks library.
To add the Save to RefWorks button to your browser, click on the More icon
and select Tools. Simply drag the Save to RefWorks button to your browser. Once you’ve installed it, go to any web page and click the Save to RefWorks button to capture the information.
You can save a set of search results or an individual article. You can easily edit metadata prior to importing into RefWorks.
Add references manually
To add an item to RefWorks, click the Add a reference icon at the top of the page. If you plan on adding the item to an existing collection, click on the collection first, then click the Add a reference icon
You'll have three options:
- Upload document
- Import references
- Create new reference
You can drag and drop a document (.pdf, .doc, etc.) directly into the Upload document box to upload an existing MS Office, Open Office or .pdf file from your computer. Only 1 document per item allowed.
From the second option, you can also import a set of references from a text file in the formats offered. On the resulting page, you will able to click and drag the file onto the page to begin importing.
Using Create new reference you can manually enter your bibliographic data or click and drag a file to be imported as well.
Tip: If you have multiple documents to add to RefWorks, you can select and drag them all at once. RefWorks will create separate items for each.
Regardless of which option you choose, RefWorks uses its document recognition feature to attempt to auto-complete the reference fields on the page.
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 item using one of these options, click Save and your item will be added to your RefWorks library.
Reference suggestions & Full Text from Summon
When entering a reference manually, you will see the option to Find and complete a reference using the title. The suggestions RefWorks recommends are based on whatever text you have already entered (part of a title, an author name, etc.). If one of the suggestions matches what you are looking for, you can simply click on it and the full reference information will be populated. And, if you’re an institutional RefWorks and Summon user, we may be able to import the full-text document for you!
Here’s how you can find and add suggested reference data:
- Click on the Add a reference icon
- and select Create new reference
- Begin typing the title or an author-name
- Look for the Find and complete icon to turn blue or click on it to have RefWorks look for suggestions
- Scroll to the bottom of the reference to see the suggestions and click on the title of the reference you wish to add
- Once the fields populate, you may save what you have imported and then you may look to see if the item is available in full-text using the link resolver your institution may have provided
Note: Full-text is not available for every reference suggestion or from all institutions.
Upload from your computer
RefWorks makes it really easy to get documents into your computer – just drag and drop one or more files and RefWorks will do the rest!
If you want to add your documents to a specific collection, make sure you’re viewing the collection first, then drag and drop the file(s). If you’re dragging multiple files, RefWorks will create a separate item for each document. Otherwise, drag and drop documents in the All Documents view and you can file them in collections once they are uploaded.
If you’re not sure where the file is on your computer, you can also click the Add a reference icon , then click the Import reference option and then use the box for drag and drop, or, to browse and search your computer.
Note: This option allows you to upload only one document at a time.
Regardless of how you add your documents, RefWorks will try to recognize and populate the reference information and will present you with possible matches which you can select to populate the reference fields. If no reference information is provided, you can manually enter the information. Make sure to click the Save button to save the reference information.
Read and annotate documents
Read documents
RefWorks has a built-in reader – no need for a .pdf reader or special app to read your documents. You can read and access supported documents anywhere, with just a web browser.
Simply select the reference with the document and click the "Read" button in the viewing pane. The full document or article will open for you to read and annotate. If the item does not contain a document, the reference metadata will display.
You have several options, all of which can be found on the toolbar on the top of the page:
- Return to your collection
- Zoom in or zoom out on the document for enhanced viewing
- Print a copy of the document
- Download a PDF version of the document to your computer
- Highlight certain portions of the text
- Comment on the selected text
- Add notes to the document that you are viewing
- Edit the document reference data
Annotate documents in RefWorks
You can annotate any of your own documents saved in RefWorks. You may be able to annotate documents shared with you if you have been given permission to annotate and/or modify the document.
To annotate a document, select the reference with the document and click the "Read" button in the viewing pane. The document will display to the reader. Click the Document Notes icon
from the reader menu and enter your notes.
If you wish to make highlight areas of text, select the text area you wish to make a note for using the Highlight Selected Text icon and select words of text by clicking and dragging through the lines of text.
To remove highlighting, click the highlighted area until the delete option displays. Click "Delete Conversation".
You may also click and drag using the Comment icon to highlight the text and associate a comment with it.
You can change the colour of your note and the associated highlighted text, edit your note or you can delete your note completely by clicking on the three dots at the far right in the note.
A note indicator will also appear to the far right of the selected area and you may access the note in the manner as well.
Once you type a note, it is automatically saved.
Access documents offline
RefWorks allows you to view and read your documents without being connected to the internet using a service called Dropbox. You’ll need to download the Dropbox installer and create a Dropbox account which you will link to your RefWorks account.
To link RefWorks to Dropbox:
1. Log into RefWorks.
2. Click your name, then select “Tools”
3. In the "General" area, scroll down the page until you see a section of the page called “Dropbox”. Click the “Connect” button.
4. If you have a Dropbox account, enter your login credentials and click “Sign in”. If you are new to Dropbox, click the “create an account” link on the Dropbox site and download and install Dropbox on your computer.
5. You’ll be asked to give RefWorks permission to create a folder in your Dropbox called “ProQuest RefWorks” in your Apps folder. This is where RefWorks will place a copy of your articles.
You can only store your own articles in Dropbox – articles in shared collections are not included. All of your articles (regardless of what Collection they are filed in) are saved to your ProQuest RefWorks folder in your Apps folder.
After you first set up your connection from RefWorks to Dropbox, newly uploaded documents you save to RefWorks are automatically saved in Dropbox as well. When you remove a document from your RefWorks library, we’ll also remove it from Dropbox as well.
To disconnect your RefWorks account from Dropbox:
1. Log in to RefWorks.
2. Click your name, then select “Tools”
3. In the "General" area, scroll down and click the “Unlink” button in the Dropbox area of the page.
RefWorks will no longer sync your files with Dropbox. Articles currently in your ProQuest RefWorks folder in Dropbox will remain.
If you need to change your Dropbox account associated with RefWorks, see these directions on how to do so.
Citations and bibliographies
Write-N-Cite
Write-N-Cite is a utility that allows users to run an abbreviated version of RefWorks in Microsoft Word. You can access your references by folder (or sub-folder), by quick search or by all references with the ability to sort by author, title or year.
With Write-N-Cite, you can cite references in a manuscript with just a click and watch your paper format instantly including in-text citations, footnotes and your bibliography. The utility installs a RefWorks tab in the MS Word ribbon or you can access it from the References tab in Microsoft Word.
You can work both online or offline and you can share documents between the Windows and Mac versions of Write-N-Cite seamlessly.
Instructions for Installing Write-N-Cite:
- Windows Version
- Mac Version (forthcoming)
Working with Write-N-Cite
Step 1. Launch Write-N-Cite
Note: The first time you launch Write-N-Cite, you must be connected to the internet in order to log in to your RefWorks library and sync it with Write-N-Cite.
Tip: In most cases, there is no need to log out of Write-N-Cite when you are not using it. If you are using Write-N-Cite on a public computer without a personal login, you should log out of Write-N-Cite when you complete your work. If someone does gain access to a system with your RefWorks library logged in to Write-N-Cite, they will not be able to change anything in your account since Write-N-Cite doesn’t have any features to edit your items.
Logging In To Write-N-Cite:
1. Click RefWorks from the Microsoft Word ribbon.
2. Click Log In.
3. Click "Flow" and then enter your email address and Flow password and click "Login".
The first time you log in to Write-N-Cite, it will automatically “sync” with your RefWorks library. This may take a few seconds. It is downloading your references and collections. Any time you make changes to your RefWorks items you can click Sync my Database your new and edited items will be added to Write-N-Cite.
During this period, you can still access all of Word’s functionality, but the Write-N-Cite functions will not become active until syncing has finished.
Step 2. Selecting Your Output Style
The first thing you will want to do is select an output style for your document. Any in-text citations or footnotes and your bibliography will be displayed in your document while you write your paper – in the output style you have selected. You can always change the style later if you need to.
1. Click the Style dropdown. You will see a list of RefWorks' recent styles.
2. Click on the style name.
3. You can change your output style and the formatting of your paper at any time by clicking on another Style in the list and selecting a new output style. Access to other Styles can be gained by using Select Other Style at the bottom of the list.
Step 3. Write Your Paper and Inserting Citations or Footnotes and Your Bibliography
Note: You may want to sync your RefWorks library with Write-N-Cite if you have recently added items you want to use in your paper. Click the Sync my database icon to download new or updated items.
When you are ready to insert an in-text citation or footnote into your paper:
1. Click the Insert Citation and Insert New option to launch the insert/edit citation box. If you have previously used Write-N-Cite, you may see some recently selected citations listed above the Insert New option. You can select citations displayed from this list or access all your references from the Insert New option.
2. Once the Insert/Edit Citation box displays, you can access your items by Collection or by searching. The Search box will search every field.
Tip: Use the horizontal scroll bar to see the full title. Right-click on the item and select Show Full Reference Detail to display all fields of information (file attachments are not displayed).
Full Reference View:
3. Click on the item you wish to insert into your paper. You will see a preview of the formatted citation in your current Output Style.
Tip: Add more references to the citation using the plus icon, remove them by using the minus icon, or reorder the references with the up and down arrows in the Compose Citation area.
4. Click OK to insert your formatted citation into your paper.
5. To insert a footnote instead of an in-text citation, click the Make Footnote checkbox in the Edit References area. Once you make a footnote and finish editing the citation, you will not be able to undo this action. However, you can always add a new in-text citation.
6. You can insert your bibliography anywhere in your paper while you are writing. Click Bibliography Options, Insert Bibliography. Note: the bibliography will be inserted wherever the cursor is in your paper.
You can click Remove Bibliography and re-insert if it you need to change the location.
Step 4. Save your formatted paper
Create a Bibliography
You can easily create a bibliography from the All Documents area, any collection or your search results list.
Navigate to the collection you want to use (or All Documents area or run a search and select items) and click the Create bibliography icon . You can choose to create a bibliography for selected references or for all of the reference in the collection (or in All Documents if that's the view you are in).
Next, search for your output style and select it. Your formatted bibliography will be displayed in your browser for you to copy and paste into any word processing software.
To use a custom output style from your RefWorks account, click here.
RefWorks and Google Docs
RefWorks offers two optional tools to help you write your paper Write-n-Cite (which works with Microsoft Word) and the RefWorks Add-on for Google Docs (which is covered in this article). You can also create a simple bibliography from your references right in your RefWorks account.
Any additions, changes or deletions you make in your RefWorks account are automatically synced with the Google Docs Add-on.
Note: Changes are NOT made to any in-text citations or the bibliography in your document.
Installing the Google Docs Add-on for RefWorks
- Open a blank document and select “Add-ons”, “Get Add-ons” and search for “ProQuest RefWorks”. Once you find it, just click on the “free” button to add it.
2. You’ll be asked to “accept” certain conditions of using the add-on:
3. Once you have accepted the conditions, you’re brought into your new document and are ready to start writing your paper.
Working with the ProQuest RefWorks Add-on for Google Docs
- Start writing and when you are ready to insert your first citation, select “Add-ons”, “ProQuest RefWorks”, “Manage Citations”.
- If this is your first time using the RefWorks add-on, you’ll be asked to log in to your RefWorks account. If you do not have a RefWorks account, you can sign up using your UniMelb address and receive access.
- The right-hand pane will change, defaulting to your RefWorks “All references” view.
- If you want to work with a RefWorks collection of references, just click on “All references” to see your list of collections. Choose the collection with the references you need for your paper. You can also use the “search” option to search for specific references.
- You can start writing your paper and when you are ready to cite a reference in RefWorks, click on the citation and click the “cite this” button. The in-text citation will be inserted (using the last output style you used in RefWorks).
- There is also a citation editing option. Click “Edit and Cite” to add page numbers, hide the author name, or hide the publication year in your in-text citation (dependent upon the output style you are using). You will also see a preview of the in-text citation and your bibliography entry.
Continue to add citations and watch your bibliography update right in front of you.
You can also add footnotes (make sure your output style supports them!) by using Google Docs footnote option (Insert, Footnote):
Changing your output style
There are two ways you can change your output style for your paper:
- In the RefWorks pane in your document, click on the “options” icon and select “Change citation style”
- Or you can select any reference from the list and click the “Cite and Edit” button and change the style:
Note: Custom output styles are currently not accessible.
Deleting or changing citations
- Highlight the citation you wish to delete and use the backspace key or delete key to remove it.
- Insert the new citation (if applicable).
- Click on the “options” icon and select “Update document”. Your document will refresh and the bibliography entry will be removed or updated (if you added a replacement citation).
Any additions, changes or deletions you make in your RefWorks account are automatically synched with the Google Docs Add-on.
Note: changes are NOT made to any in-text citations or the bibliography in your document.
Collaborating with others
Google makes it easy to collaborate with others on your paper. Now you can take that a step further, by collaborating with other RefWorks users!
Share your document with anyone who has a RefWorks account and in addition to adding and editing text to your document, they can also add in-text citations and footnotes from their RefWorks account.
There are two ways you can share your document with others.
To share your document with someone who does NOT have a RefWorks account
1. Click the share icon
2. Enter the email address of the person you want to share with
3. The person will receive an email with a link to create a RefWorks account and then access your document with the “can edit” permission (you can modify the permission by clicking on the Share button and selecting “can comment” or “can view”)
You can even collaborate using the same set of references by sharing your RefWorks collection with your collaborators. Read more about sharing a collection.
Note: Anyone you share with can also delete the in-text citations you included in your document however, they cannot delete references from your RefWorks account.
To share your document with someone who has a RefWorks account:
- Click the Share button in the upper right-hand corner. The “Share settings” box will open with access to several options:
- Via the Advanced settings you can change the access setting if desired (the default setting is “specific people”).
The Change link will allow you to modify how your document is shared.
- Enter the email addresses of the people you wish to share the document with. If they do not have a RefWorks account, they will be asked to create one.
You can even collaborate using the same set of references by sharing your RefWorks collection with your collaborators.
Note: Anyone you share with can also delete in-text citations you’ve included in your document, however, they cannot delete references from your RefWorks account.
Sharing and collaborating
RefWorks sharing capabilities allow you to share folders and projects with others within or outside your institution. In addition to individual sharing, users can share folders with all users at their institution.
Collaborate in Google Docs
Google makes it easy to collaborate with others on your paper. Now you can take that a step further, by collaborating with other RefWorks users!
Share your Google Doc with anyone who has a RefWorks account and in addition to adding and editing text to your document, they can also add in-text citations and footnotes from their RefWorks account. You can even collaborate using the same set of references by sharing your RefWorks collection with your collaborators. Read more about sharing a collection.
Note: Anyone you share with can also delete in-text citations you’ve included in your document, however, they cannot delete references from your RefWorks account.
Share your Collection
RefWorks allows for sharing outside your institution as well as inside, however, each person you share your collection with will need a RefWorks account in order to view your research. You can share with up to 10 people per collection for free account holders or an unlimited number of RefWorks users using your UniMelb account.
- Click the Share & Export icon or the Sharing menu item to start
- Select the collection to be shared and the groups with whom you will share it.
- Type the email address of the person (add one at a time) and select the level of access for the person you're inviting:
- Read – view items and read documents
- Annotate – view items, read documents, and annotate documents
- Modify – view/read/annotate documents, edit existing annotations, add documents, remove documents, and add a note to an item
- Optionally, add a personal note
- Click Share Collection
The person you've invited will get an email notification, and a notification inside RefWorks, where they can accept (or reject) the invitation. If the person doesn’t have a RefWorks account, they will be asked to create one.
Remember, when you share a collection any sub-collections are also shared.
Viewing a collection's sharing status
To view what collections you have shared, look for the sharing icon next to the collection name.
By selecting Sharing Settings from the menu, you can access the settings for your shared collection to modify them.
In the Sharing Settings you can also:
- change the sharing from "private" to "institution" (which gives everyone in your institution access to your collection)
- change individual access levels at any time after inviting someone
- remove individuals from your collection by clicking the 'x' to the right of each address in the list
FAQs
Note: this guide is no longer being updated. For up to date help with Refworks, please see the Refworks Guide or contact Refworks Support
What is the maximum file storage space available?
The maximum file storage space is 5GB for an individual account.
Is there a maximum number of references that I can have?
There is no maximum number of references.
Can I add/create a new style?
Yes, this video tutorial shows you how, or there is a PDF of step by step instructions.
Journals often require researchers to submit in a style that is a modified version of a standard style. Is it possible to edit styles in RefWorks?
Yes, you can modify styles. (See answer above to access the tutorial and instructions)
Does exporting references from a database add PDF files automatically?
No. You need to first save the PDF to your desktop and then upload and attach it to your reference.
Is RefWorks able to capture a website and create a reasonable record from it? Can it capture a selection of results from Google, Google Scholar, Amazon?
Yes, using Ref-grab-it. Users can also import directly from Google Scholar and create RSS feeds from various web sites. Note: It may not work for all websites so you may need to manually input additional information.
How can users back up their RefWorks library?
It is recommended that you back up and restore regularly (via Tools) and even if you delete a reference accidentally it will remain in the deleted folders for 3 months
How do I import a library from Zotero or EndNote?
See RefWorks instruction page: http://www.refworks.com/refworks2/help/Exporting_from_Bibliographic_Programs_and_Importing_into_RefWorks.htm
Note: It imports references only. Attachments cannot be imported.
Can I add a reference type?
No. Reference types are fixed. You must choose the most relevant type for your reference.
Does RefWorks server ever go down?
There are multiple servers and each server has an automatic failover. Maintenance downtime but is very rare. On the occasions when downtime is required, users are notified of this before and during the downtime.
How does RefWorks recognise author forenames and surnames? Does the user need to enter them in a specific way, such as the last name first? <>
If you hover each field RefWorks provides instructions on how to enter data.
When a user saves PDF’s as an attachment in Refshare (sharing folders), how secure are they, and where are they?
You don’t save the .pdf in the RefShare the attachment is in your account. You are sharing access to that part of your account and you can choose to share attachments or not in the options for the share. As for security, it is as secure from the shared area as it is in your account.
Where can I get RefWorks? Is it free?
RefWorks is a proprietary software application, but it is available free of charge for all staff members and students at the University of Melbourne.
You can access it via the library homepage, via the A-Z Databases link, see the Login page in this guide for more information.
Will I be able to access RefWorks when I leave the University of Melbourne?
Yes, any RefWorks accounts you have created will remain active after you leave the university.
After you have left the university, you will need to access RefWorks via the RefWorks website and enter the group code that you received in your account confirmation email.
You can also export your references from RefWorks.
I'm having trouble using RefWorks, who can I contact for help?
The library does not support RefWorks, however, guides and tutorials are available.
RefWorks runs regular free training webinars. When visiting the training site make sure that the time zone is set for your location (e.g. Sydney suits those based in Melbourne). Course enrolment is limited and registration is required. For full details of all the courses run by RefWorks please go to their training website
You can also email RefWorks for support: refworks.support@proquest.com
RefWorks help
- Online HelpThe Online Help file has a wealth of information that you can search or navigate through from the table of contents.
Send questions or problems to refworks.support@proquest.com
Glossary
Bibliography. An alphabetical list of all the sources that you have consulted and cited in your work. It is sometimes used interchangeably with reference list, however, a reference list usually includes only those sources that you have cited.
Browser plug-in/ bookmarklet. An add-in for your browser that performs a specific function. Reference management plug-ins allow you to add references quickly by extracting information from websites and databases. Also see web scraper.
Cloud. Online file storage and applications, for example services such as OneDrive, GoogleDrive or Dropbox.
Collection. Your collection of references and attachments. This may also be referred to as a Library in some programs.
Footnotes. Some citation styles, such as Chicago A, place citations in footnotes, and include a corresponding bibliography at the end of the document.
In-text citation. Author-date styles contain citations in the body of text, in the form of the author's surname, followed by the date, and page numbers where relevant. The citation appears in brackets. For example, (Smith 2017, 56). Each in-text citation must have a corresponding entry in the reference list.
Library. Your collection of references and attachments. This may also be referred to as a Collection in some programs.
Reference list. An alphabetical list of all of sources cited in your work. It is similar to a bibliography, but a reference list generally only contains the sources you have cited, and does not include those you have consulted but not cited.
Reference manager. A software program that allows you to save and organise references and auto-generate citations and bibliographies/reference lists in given word processors.
Web scraper. A piece of software that can extract information from websites and save this to your reference manager.
Further help
If you are unsure about which referencing style to use, check with your tutor, lecturer or supervisor for the style preferred by your Faculty, School or Department.
Got citing and referencing questions?
Basic reference management software installation inquiries
For general referencing help, chat with a librarian
JAWS users can press Insert + F5 to read back the full chat history. Use arrow keys to skip lines. Use the Plus key on the number pad to exit forms mode.