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Reference management is the act of keeping track of the sources of information you have used or want to use for your work.
Doing this systematically in an organised way will help you make the most of your time, making it easier to get to your sources and to create your references and bibliographies more effectively and efficiently.
There are many online tools available to help with managing your references. These are especially useful for longer pieces of work (e.g. your dissertation) where you may want to use a larger number of references.
Keep a note of the sources you use as you use them.
Look at the reference management tools Teesside University supports and which reference style you should use.
Learn how to reference correctly so you can check the references are correct.
Organise your references into folders in a manner that suits you - consider by keywords, themes etc.
Be careful using other referencing tools eg Word as these do not match Teesside University referencing styles.
Referencing management tools can help you:
Collect your references from different databases and websites and store them in one place.
Organise your references into different folders.
Add notes and save or link to the full-text of documents.
Identify and remove duplicate references - especially useful in large scale research such as systematic reviews.
Easily create reference lists / bibliographies and citations in the correct format.
Share your references with others..
However:
You still need to have learnt why referencing is necessary and how to reference in the required style for your School.
There are many different tools available, so how do you know which one is the best for you?
Each tool has their own features, strengths and weaknesses.
It may be helpful to consider the following:
Check the comparison table (next tab) for further information.
If you would like to discuss the options available please email libraryhelp@tees.ac.uk who will put you in contact with an appropriate person to advise you.
Below is a comparison table of 4 of the most popular products
| Issue / Question | RefWorks (Legacy) | EndNote | Mendeley | Zotero |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How much does it cost? | Free to Teesside University members through a subscription purchased by Student and Library Services |
Free basic online version available via the subscription to the database Web of Science. Desktop version - available for users who have a dedicated pc, otherwise would have to purchase individually |
Free for standard product Can pay for upgraded individual subscription |
Free for standard product Can pay for upgraded individual subscription |
|
Where can I use it? Is there an online / mobile / desktop version? |
Can access full functionality online on any mobile device or PC |
Online version and iPad app available Desktop version needed for full functionality |
App and online version available - limited functionality Desktop version needed for full functionality |
App and online version available - limited functionality Desktop version needed for full functionality |
| Can I send references directly from online databases? |
Yes Most have a direct export function |
Yes from many databases (Desktop version) EndNote online allows direct export from EBSCO databases and Web of Science. 'Capture reference' bookmarklet tool allows some export but often this is incomplete. You can save references as a file to import into EndNote |
No Check for more info |
Yes from some. Some require import of a file |
| Does it offer my School citation style e.g. Harvard style as outlined in Cite them Right? | Yes - Teesside University (Harvard Style) and other School referencing styles are available | Yes (possibly not current version of Cite them Right available) |
Yes but cannot guarantee accuracy (cannot amend the referencing style if inaccurate Need to check if it offers CTR |
Yes (cannot amend the referencing style if inaccurate) Check if offers CTR |
| Is support / help available? |
Student and Library Services offers training and support.
Good external support |
Student and Library Services offers training and support for EndNote Desktop. Good external support and documentation and webinars |
External online help. Documentation and tutorials (limited for free version) | Online documentation and help (can be quite technical) |
| What are the strengths? |
Stable and reliable Fully supported Most advanced free tool for Teesside University students |
Desktop - one of the most advanced / sophisticated tools available Online version - easy to use |
Good for the social network component. Good at pulling metadata from web resources automatically e.g. for pdfs |
Good advanced free tool Good at pulling metadata from web resources automatically e.g. for pdfs |
| What are the weaknesses? | Importing directly from the web |
Two interfaces (web and desktop) are very different Can be complicated to learn Desktop - restricted to 3 devices Have to pay for regular upgrades |
Two interfaces (web and desktop / standalone) are very different App has very limited functionality |
Two interfaces (web and desktop / standalone) are very different. Online documentation can be complicated to understand |
| Good choice if you: |
Want support to get started Need to work on different pcs / devices |
Manage a large number of references (Desktop version) Working on a systematic review (Desktop version) |
Want to work collaboratively and link into a research community |
Happy to work autonomously Would prefer not to use RefWorks |