Citation Management with RefWorks

Accurate citations depend upon accurate data. RefWorks, like any other citation manager, will produce citations based on the data it has. If there are errors or omissions in that data, the citations will be incomplete or inaccurate. Any time you see a mistake in a reference when importing or while writing, be sure to fix the original reference in RefWorks to ensure it will be correct next time you use it.

This video shows the basics of citing in Microsoft Word using RefWorks Citation Manager.

Install RefWorks Citation Manager (RCM)

To use RefWorks in Microsoft Word, go to the Home tab in the ribbon and select Add-ins at the far right.

Search for RCM and tap the Add button to add RefWorks Citation Manager to the ribbon.

Open RCM and login to your account

Choose the RCM tab in the ribbon and tap the RefWorks Citation Manager button to open the RCM sidebar.

Login with your NetID (or your RefWorks alternate password, if you created one; either works).

Choose a project or folder and a citation style

Once you're logged in, you'll see your current citation style at the top and a list of references below it. If you want to see references in a particular folder, or change the project you're viewing, tap All References. You can only cite from one project per Word document.

Use the hamburger (three parallel lines) menu to access a number of other options.

For example, you can choose Citation style to convert your document to a different style.

Search for the desired style and click on it, then tap the Update button to modify the document. You can only use one citation style at a time, but you can use this option to convert the document from one style to another whenever you wish.

Cite while writing in Word

To cite sources in your document, put your cursor where you wish to do so. To insert a single reference, mouse over it and choose Cite This.

To cite more than one reference at a time, select the check boxes next to each one, then tap Insert Citation.

If you need to modify a citation, tap it and use the Edit Citation options. Do not manually edit the citation in the text of your document. In the Edit Citation options, you can add pages numbers, suppress authors or dates, or delete references.

Add a bibliography

Under the hamburger menu, set Bibliography to On to have RefWorks compile a bibliography based on the references currently in your document. The bibliography will continue to update automatically as you insert, edit, or delete references.

Manually refresh your document

If you notice any issues with citations (errors, missing information, etc.), go to your RefWorks library on the RefWorks web site and modify the original reference there. Then, under the hamburger in RCM, refresh your document. You can also simply wait for the document to auto-refresh.

Install the ProQuest RefWorks Add-on

In a Google document, tap the Extensions menu and select Get add-ons.

Search for RefWorks and choose ProQuest RefWorks.

Install the ProQuest RefWorks add-on.

Cite in Google Docs

In the Extensions menu, choose ProQuest RefWorks and then Manage citations to open the RefWorks pane.

Login with your RefWorks alternate password.

Instead of the hamburger (Microsoft Word), use the gear icon to choose your preferred citation style or update (refresh) your document.

By default, the ProQuest RefWorks add-on in Google Docs displays all references in the project currently selected in your RefWorks account. You can tap All references and select a different folder in that project if you wish. To change the project, go to RefWorks in another tab or window, choose a different project, then return and refresh the Google doc page. You can only cite from one project per document.

Mouse over a reference and use the Cite this or Edit and Cite buttons to insert and modify citations in your document.

To create a bibliography in RefWorks, select the desired citations and tap the Create Bibliography button on the toolbar. Choose Create bibliography from the menu.

Search for and select a citation style. The bibliography will automatically populate in the box below. Copy and paste it wherever you wish.