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The University of Iowa Libraries

RefWorks

July 2011: New version of RefWorks for fall semester

All accounts through UI Libraries will be converted to version 2.0 on August 15, 2011. Beginning on August 1, you will have the option of viewing your account in either the old version or version 2.0, but beginning August 15, only version 2.0 will be available.

It is important to note that this conversion has no effect on the work you have saved in RefWorks. All of your accounts, saved references and any custom output styles you have created will still be present and usable in version 2.0.

At this point there has been no change to the Write-N-Cite plugin used to insert citations into MS Word documents, so it is not necessary to reinstall the plugin. RefWorks Support tells us to expect an updated plugin later this year.

RefWorks 2.0 looks quite a bit different from the old version. We will be updating these web pages to reflect these changes, but the resources below will be your best guides to finding your way around RefWorks 2.0.


What is RefWorks?
RefWorks is a web-based citation management and bibliography tool. It can help you to efficiently store, organize, and share citations and easily format them for papers and bibliographies.

EndNote Users
Click here for instructions on importing your EndNote database files directly into RefWorks.

Database-Specific Instructions
Instructions for exporting citations from library databases and importing them into RefWorks are available from the RefWorks page, Exporting from a Data Service.
Local instructions: InfoHawk Catalog

RefWorks Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is RefWorks?
2. How do I access RefWorks from off-campus? How do I use Write-N-Cite from off-campus?
3. How do I backup my citations?
4. Is RefWorks always accurate and correct?
5. How can I share my RefWorks database?
6. Can I create more than one RefWorks account?
7. Do I need to install software to use RefWorks?
8. Sometimes when I try to directly export citations, my computer wants to open them up with EndNote.  How can I fix this?
9. Can I attach a PDF copy of the article to the citation in RefWorks?
10. Is Write-N-Cite compatible with Office 2007, 2010 and Windows Vista and Windows 7?
11. How do I change an in-text citation to include pages numbers or remove authors?
12. How can I create an annotated bibliography?
13. Can I use RefWorks and Write-N-Cite with the UI Graduate College's thesis template?
14. Why am I getting a "security certificate" warning?

1. What is RefWorks?

RefWorks is a web-based citation management and bibliography tool.  It helps you store, organize, and share citations and then easily format them for papers and bibliographies.

2. How do I access RefWorks from off campus? How do I use Write-N-Cite from off campus?

To access RefWorks from off campus, click the “Connect to RefWorks” button. You will be prompted for your HawkID.

To use Write-N-Cite through the proxy server (HawkID) you must load the WNC Proxy Configuration Utility. You will be asked to enter the Proxy Server URL, which is: http://proxy.lib.uiowa.edu/login?url=https://www.refworks.com/Refworks/?WNC=true. After running the utility, when you launch Write-N-Cite you will be prompted to enter your HawkID and then will be asked to log into your RefWorks account. If you have upgraded Write-N-Cite to Write-N-Cite III, you will need to run the utility again.

If you choose not to run the WNC Proxy Configuration Utility for access to Write-N-Cite from off campus you will be prompted to enter the Group Code. This code periodically changes and must be re-entered each time. For this reason, we recommend using the Proxy Configuration Utility, which only needs to be set up once.

Note for Mac users: If you are unable use the WNC Proxy Configuration Utility (you are receiving a certificate warning error that you are unable to bypass) please use the Group Code.

Visit Using Write-N-Cite for more information on using and configuring Write-N-Cite.

3. How do I backup my citations?

Your citations are stored on the RefWorks server.  If you wish to back up your database, you may download a copy of your database to your personal computer.  This backup can be used to recreate your database of citations if your online citations are lost for any reason.

4. Is RefWorks always accurate and correct?

RefWorks cannot verify that your data is accurate or correctly formatted.   

Some styles may have nuances which RefWorks cannot resolve without human intervention.  For instance in the American Psychological Association style, the issue number should not be included for journals that have continuous pagination.  You must eliminate the issue number from the citation that RefWorks provides in the bibliography. 

The Libraries recommends that you use a style manual with RefWorks.  Do not assume that RefWorks will always be completely accurate.

5. How can I share my RefWorks database?

RefShare is a tool that will let you share your citations with colleagues on campus or around the world even if they do not have a RefWorks account.  Your colleagues can view your citations and create bibliographies but cannot edit or add new citations.

6. Can I create more than one RefWorks account?

Yes, you may create more than one account.  This might be used, for example, to share an account with a research group while keeping a private account for your own use.

7. Do I need to install software to use RefWorks?

RefWorks is web based and no software is required.  You may access RefWorks from any computer that has Internet access.  However, you may choose to install Write-N-Cite to make it easier to use RefWorks in coordination with Microsoft Word.

8. Sometimes when I try to directly export citations, my computer wants to open them up with EndNote.  How can I fix this?

This happens with some databases when you have both RefWorks and EndNote installed on your computer.  The problem databases include ISI Web of Science and IEEE Explore.  Follow the RefWorks importing instructions for these databases to fix the problem.

9. Can I attach a PDF copy of the article to the citation in RefWorks?

Yes. In the Edit view of a citation there is a Browse button for locating a PDF on your hard drive and uploading it as an attachment to the RefWorks server. Each RefWorks account can have up to 100MB in attached files. Additional storage may be available by request.

Another option is to use the links field to store any related URL that would be used in your bibliography to link back to the article or information you are citing.

If you would like to store your articles/files remotely, the Libraries recommend using Xythos (https://xythos.uiowa.edu/), a web-based file storage system available to UI faculty, staff and students.

Instructions:

Log in to Xythos using your HawkID/password.
Click the Upload icon.
Click the Browse button to browse to your PDF file.
Click OK.

The URL for this file will be in this format:
https://xythos.uiowa.edu/<your hawkid>/<filename>
For example: https://xythos.uiowa.edu/hherky/article1.pdf

Place this URL in the Links field in your RefWorks record.

10. Is Write-N-Cite compatible with Office 2007, 2010 and Windows Vista and Windows 7?

Yes. Write-N-Cite III, available from the download page, is specifically for Office 2007 and Windows Vista. Our librarians have used it with Office 2010 and Windows 7, as well. It is labeled as beta software, but has proved to be stable. It is also compatible with Windows XP and Office 2003. Note: documents that have been formatted with the earlier plug-in must be converted to Write-N-Cite III format if you wish to format them with the new plug-in. Directions for doing this, and additional information about Write-N-Cite III, including using it offline (not connected to the Internet) are available here. PDF File

11. How do I change an in-text citation to include pages numbers or remove authors?

You easily can change what information is displayed in your in-text citations according to the needs of your bibliographic style.  The process is slightly different for Windows and Mac users.  Please follow the below links for instructions from RefWorks.

Windows Users
Macintosh Users

12. How can I create an annotated bibliography?

Place the text for the annotation in the User 1 field when you are in the Edit Reference function of RefWorks. Then follow these instructions from Stanford UniversityPDF File .

13. Can I use RefWorks and Write-N-Cite with the UI Graduate College's thesis template?

Yes. We recommend applying the template to your thesis before inserting citations with Write-N-Cite. Check here for more details about the thesis template.

14. Why am I getting a "security certificate" warning?

When logging in from off-campus via the proxy server, you will receive a security certificate error. This is because the security certificate is being read as www.refworks.com.proxy.lib.uiowa.edu/... when you log in through the proxy server. Accept the exception/click OK (depending on your web browser) to continue to RefWorks.