Add References from Databases
Most databases offer a way to export references directly into your RefWorks library. See the tabs in this box for some examples.
Please note: EBSCO and ProQuest are platforms on which we have many databases. Some EBSCO databases include APA PsycInfo, CINAHL, ERIC, and SocINDEX. Some ProQuest databases include ABI/Inform, Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts, and ProQuest Historical Newspapers.
To export references from the main search box on the library's web site, tap the pin icon for each citation you wish to export.
Once you've selected all your desired references, tap the pin at the right of the blue navigation bar at the top of the screen.
Select the references you wish to export and tap the three dots icon to the right of My Favorites.
Choose the RefWorks icon.
Select the folder icon for each reference you wish to export.
When you've finished selecting items, choose the folder icon on the top navigation bar.
Select the desired items in your folder and tap the Export button.
In the list of options on the right, Save citations to a file formatted for, make sure Direct Export to RefWorks is selected. Then tap the Save button on the left.
EBSCO allows you to export up to 25,000 results at a time. To export a large set of results, tap the Share menu at the top right above your search results and choose E-mail a link to download exported results. You'll receive an email that links to a zip file. Extract the RIS file from the zip file and import it into your RefWorks library using the instructions in Import RIS Files of References.
To export citations from ProQuest databases, select the box next to each desired citation.
In the Select bar above your citations, on the far right, tap the icon with three dots.
In the All save & export options pop-up window, find CITATION EXPORT, then choose the RefWorks icon.
In the Export/Save pop-up window, tap Continue.
In ProQuest, you can export up to 10,000 references at one time. To export a large set of results, you'll first need to create a ProQuest My Research account. In the upper right on the navigation bar, choose the person icon and follow the prompts to create your free account.
Run your search, then tap on the Export Results link which appears above your search results, at the far left, next to the number of results.
In the Export Results pop-up window, select RIS format from the drop-down, then tap the Accept button at the bottom of the box.
Tap on the person icon to access your My Research account, then choose Saved searches.
When ProQuest finishes processing your results, tap the Export Results link. Then follow the instructions in Import RIS Files of References.
In PubMed, select the references you wish to export and tap the Send to button above your first result.
Choose Citation manager.
Indicate which citations you wish to export. You can choose just your selected citations, all results on the current page, or even all results in your search set, up to 10,000 results at a time.
Tap the Create file button.
Import it into your RefWorks library using the instructions in Import RIS Files of References.
In Scopus, select your desired references and tap Export above the first search result.
In the Export drop-down menu, choose the RIS file type.
Select all the information you wish to include for each reference and tap the Export button in the bottom right-hand corner.
Scopus gives you the option to select and export all items in your results set, up to 20,000 at a time. Once you've downloaded the RIS file, import it into your RefWorks library using the instructions in Import RIS Files of References.
Video Tutorial: Importing References
This video shows the basics of importing references from a library database (using an EBSCO database as an example) and by dragging and dropping PDF files into RefWorks.
Add References by Unique Identifier
If you know the title or DOI of an article, or the ISBN of a book, RefWorks can locate and import the reference for you. Tap the Add button in the navigation bar and choose Create new reference.
Choose the Reference Type, enter the identifying information (in this example, the article title), and tap the lightning bolt. RefWorks will provide a list of potential matching items. If you see the correct reference in the list, tap it to have RefWorks autofill the remainder of the citation. Remember to save the reference using the Save button at the bottom.
Add References from Google Scholar
You can set up Google Scholar to easily export to RefWorks. Click the hamburger (three parallel lines) menu in the upper left corner near the Google Scholar logo. Then choose Settings.
In the Bibliography manager section, choose Show links to import citations into RefWorks. Then click the Save button.
Now you'll see an Import into RefWorks link below each citation. Select it to send a single citation to RefWorks.
If you wish to send export more than one reference at a time, select the desired references by tapping the star icon.
Once all your citations are selected, tap My library in the upper right corner of the screen.
Tap Export all and choose RefMan format.
An RIS file will be saved wherever your browser normally saves downloaded files. Import the references into your RefWorks library using the instructions under Import RIS Files of References.
Import RIS Files of References
Sometimes you'll export an RIS file of references from a database or other source. To import the file, tap the Add button in the navigation bar and choose Import references.
Drag and drop the RIS file or tap Select a file from your computer and choose the file you wish to import.
RefWorks will generally select a format type automatically. RIS is the most common, but RefWorks also supports other formats, such as nbib.
You can choose to import the citations into a particular folder. If you don't have one set up for those references yet, you can create one now. References can also be moved to and from new or existing folders at any time. Tap the Import button to finish importing the citations.
Import PDF Files
To add PDF files, drag and drop them into RefWorks.
If you do not have a reference that matches a PDF file, drag it into the center column and drop it into the blue circle labeled Drop files here. RefWorks will import the file and automatically create a citation for it using the PDF's metadata. If it cannot find enough metadata, you will have to add the reference information yourself.
If you already have the reference in your library, tap on the reference to select it. The right column, with the reference details, will appear. Drag the file over the details pane and drop it into the blue circle.
Add References with the Save to RefWorks button
To import a website to RefWorks without having to create a citation manually, tap the Save to RefWorks button you added to your browser's bookmarks bar.
RefWorks will try to complete some information for you. Modify any fields you desire before saving the reference.
