RefWorks Tutorial: Getting started

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Getting started

What is RefWorks?

RefWorks is a web-based bibliography manager, currently available at http://www.refworks.com. The purpose of RefWorks is to simplify the process of documenting sources in a research paper, dissertation, or other project requiring references. Users can create and manage collections of references using a web browser, import references from a number of online databases, and create bibliographies that can be inserted into word processing documents. RefWorks is similar to EndNote, but uses a web browser rather than a standalone software package.

What does it look like? (sample screenshots)

• Login page
• Account creation page
• Sample reference list
• Reference detail
• Import references dialog
• Create bibliography dialog

What can it do?

Using RefWorks, you can:

• Import data directly from the Northwestern library catalog (NUcat) or other online databases (MEDLINE, PsychINFO, ERIC, etc.)
• Organize references by category or project
• Share reference collections with others via the web
• Create correctly-formatted bibliographies in all major styles (MLA, APA, etc.)
• Save bibliographies in different document formats (Word, RTF, HTML, etc.)
• Cite references inside Word documents and generate a correctly formatted bibliography as you write
• Export collections of references that can be read and processed by other bibliographic software (such as EndNote)

More dramatically, RefWorks lets you turn this (sample information about a book from Northwestern's library catalog)...

Author, etc.: Finkelman, Paul, 1949-
Title: Slavery and the founders : race and liberty in the age of Jefferson / Paul Finkelman.
Edition: 2nd ed.
Publisher: Armonk, N.Y. : M.E. Sharpe,
Date: c2001.
Type of material: Book
Description: xii, 296 p. ; 24 cm.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 253-265) and index.
Contents: 1. Making a Covenant with Death: Slavery and the Constitutional Convention -- 2. Slavery and the Northwest Ordinance, 1787: A Study in Ambiguity -- 3. Evading of Ordinance: The Persistence of Bondage in Indiana and Illinois -- 4. Implementing the Proslavery Constitution: The Adoption of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1793 -- 5. The Problem of Slavery in the Age of Federalism -- 6. "Treason Against the Hopes of the World": Thomas Jefferson and Slavery -- 7. Thomas Jefferson, Sally Hemings, and Antislavery: Historians and Myths. Library of Congress subject headings: Slavery--Law and legislation--United States--History.
Slavery--United States--History.
ISBN: 0765604388 (alk. paper)
0765604396 (pbk. : alk. paper)

...into this (sample entry from a list of references. APA style) with a minimum of fuss while still preserving all of the detailed information about a source for future use:

Finkelman, P. (2001). Slavery and the founders: race and liberty in the age of Jefferson (2nd ed.). Armonk, N.Y.: M.E. Sharpe.

Where can I get access to it?

RefWorks is currently available through the company's website at http://www.refworks.com. Northwestern plans to host its own RefWorks server in the near future.

You must be connected to the Northwestern network (either directly, via a dialup connection to NU's modem pool, or using a Virtual Private Network session) to access your Northwestern RefWorks account. Or, you can use group code RWNorthwesternU

How do I set up a RefWorks account?

1. Go to the RefWorks website: http://www.refworks.com
• Northwestern users will see an NU-specific login screen
2. Click the "new account" link
3. Enter the required information (see an example)
   • Use your NU netid for your Login Name (see below)
   • Do NOT use your NU netid password as your RefWorks password! Pick a different password.
   • Enter your email address so that RefWorks can re-send your password to you if you misplace it.
   • Pick whatever options you with for User Type and Focus Area

What is my Login Name?

RECOMMENDED: use your NU netid for your Login Name. Using netids will make it easier to manage user accounts when NU introduces its own local RefWorks server.

WARNING: DO NOT use your netid password (security risk!). In the future, NU plans to integrate RefWorks with other netid-accessible web services such as BlackBoard. However, this will not be implemented for some time.

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