Answered By: Dan Reboussin
Last Updated: Oct 29, 2014     Views: 539

No single solution works for every user. The RefWorks/Citation Resources LibGuide provides a number of useful related links on using various scholarly citation styles.

The easiest answer is the Libraries make RefWorks citation management software available to all UF users at no cost to them (we subscribe to this service on your behalf). A general "what is RefWorks?" page is available for UF users. As a web-based program, it's independent of your local computer and accessible from any internet connection. You can take the license with you after you leave UF, too. Online tutorials are available from the RefWorks site. The Libraries offer regular workshops each semester in using RefWorks. These are targeted to a variety of different users and disciplines at several of the branch libraries, so check the Smathers Libraries' website for details (workshop schedules are posted to the Libraries' News, Events, & Updates blog).

Other citation managers are available for Mac users (Bookends is one; they provide online tutorials), but these vary in quality, price, and (probably especially for graduate students) suitability for your needs. You may consider multiplatform applications such as EndNote, which is affiliated with Thomson Reuters. EndNote works best with databases such as ISI Web of Knowledge including the Social Science Citation Index. RefWorks is associated with ProQuest and users often find it works best with the Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA Illumina) databases they publish. It's worth noting that there are free, open source alternatives such as Zotero available though you should evaluate it's ability to manage all of your citation needs at the graduate level. Librarians can't train you to use software that we don't provide, so I can't offer specific help for Bookends or the other applications mentioned here. Search online for tutorials, which are available for many software packages and computer related problems.

There's no perfect solution or one best bibliographic citation manager. As with many things, it depends on your needs, preferences, resources, work habits and academic discipline (including which databases you use the most). Some users of citation managers find they spend too much time managing the software, rather than on their work (that was my experience years ago, though many people swear they couldn't work without the software). My best advice is to evaluate or try out a variety of software packages before you buy or commit to any of them.

Registering for RefWorks

1. You must create your own RefWorks account. To register, you must be on campus or log on remotely.

2. Once connected to UF, go to Refworks and click on Sign Up for an Individual Account.

3. Enter your Gatorlink information and create a username.

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