Refworks is an online application that makes it easy to organize information about articles, books,
websites, and other research documents. It also simplifies the process of creating a bibliography (or references cited list), and when paired with Write-n-Cite, also simplifies the process of creating in-text citations. All Kansas State University faculty, staff, and students can use RefWorks. Students who create a RefWorks account while enrolled at K-State can retain access to their account even after they graduate. K-State Libraries often provides free classes about RefWorks.
Getting Started in RefWorks
Always access RefWorks through K-State Libraries’ home page: www.lib.k-state.edu
If you are off campus and access RefWorks through K-State Libraries’ home page, you will be asked for your K-State eID and password
If you are off-campus and access RefWorks by going to: www.refworks.com, you will be asked for your Group Code
Create an account
RefWorks will email you the user name/password/Group Code
If you forget any of the above, click on "Forgot Your Login Information?" link below the login boxes. RefWorks will immediately email you your login information
Create multiple accounts--this is particularly useful if you are working with colleagues at K-State, everyone can share an account if they all have the user name and password
Get Help
Once you sign into RefWorks, tutorials and other help screens are available under the Help tab
"Contact Us"--RefWorks is very responsive; if you have difficulties with your account, you can send them an email using the Contact Us link or emailing: support@refworks-cos.com. They typically reply within a few hours during the business week
Add References--from within RefWorks
New Reference--lets you manually add a reference by typing or copying and pasting information
It is important to enter the information correctly. RefWorks does not have automatic correction features.
Be sure to tell RefWorks what kind of citation you are adding (default is journal article)
References/Import--lets you import citations from other databases as text files
References--exporting references to your account from a database
Process will vary slightly depending upon the database you are using. See: Instructions for exporting citations out of databases and importing into RefWorks at the Help Center
Generically, when you are searching in a database
Mark the records you plan to export
Look for a "View Marked Records" or “View Folder” (or similar language) link
Look for a link to Save or Export records
Save will let you save the citations as text file that you will then have to import into RefWorks
Export will usually let you send citations directly to RefWorks by clicking on an "Export to RefWorks" link
Search
Use the Search feature to locate citations within your RefWorks account
Use Advanced Search to search specific fields or folders
Can search K-State Libraries' catalog or PubMed from within RefWorks by selecting Online Catalog or Database under the Search link. However, we do not recommend this as this search is more primitive than the searches you can do directly from K-State Libraries' catalog or PubMed
Folders--create folders to organize references
A citation can be associated with multiple folders
A citation can be removed from a folder without the citation being deleted from your RefWorks account
A folder can be renamed or deleted without deleting the citations associated with it from your RefWorks account
Bibliography
Formats your citations (all of them, or a folder of citations) in a style of your choosing
About 80% correct, always double check against style guide
Pages and proper nouns are the biggest problems
Write-N-Cite
Under Tools, downloads to your computer and adds icon to Word
Must be connected to Internet to use Write-n-Cite
Use when writing, will insert "placeholders" in paper for citations
When finished writing, run bibliography feature to format paper/citations in a style of your choosing
If using Write-N-Cite for Macs
Produces a "Final" version of your paper
Always, always, always keep draft/placeholder version of paper. Write-n-Cite cannot format a paper with citations already formatted
Intermediate
GetIt
The GetIt link appears for every citation in RefWorks
Clicking GetIt will open a new window and automatically start a search for the citation in K-State Libraries' databases and catalog. If not found, you can request item throughILL
Attachments
Attach a file to a citation
Find your citation, click on Edit
Go to attachment, browse (find the file on your computer) and attach
There is 5GB of attachment space per account; there is a 20MB limit per attachment
Great way to keep track of items received throughILL
RefShare
Share your reference (all or specific folders) with students, professors and colleagues
Tools/Share References
Select the folder you want to share
Select your desired settings
Email URL or embed it in page (such as K-State Online)
Category:
Research