Converting references from a text document to RefWorks using text2bib
Created By: Adam Edwards
Created on: 5/21/2020
Edited By: Renukumar
Edited on: 4/4/2024
This is a method for converting existing reference lists into RefWorks and other reference management systems. Please note you will have to do quite a bit of work. If you only have a few references to convert it may be easier to search for them on your Library System (Library Search aka Primo at Middlesex University) or Google Scholar and import into RefWorks directly.
- Copy the reference list in to Word.
- Save your reference list as a .txt document (plain text).
- Register with text2bib (https://text2bib.org/)
- Login to text2bib
- Browse for your .txt file and click Convert to BibTex.
- This launches the text2bib programme. It looks at each reference in your list and places all the elements (author, title, journal title, etc) into fields in a table. You will have to manually edit as text2bib will not get all of this right.
- When you have edited as much as you can, save each record.
- At the end of all the conversions, save the BibTex file.
- Open RefWorks (https://refworks.proquest.com/)
- Click + Add.
- Choose Import References
- Select your BibTex file.
- RefWorks will ask What is the format of this file? Type in BibTex and choose the file from the list which appears.
- Click Import.
- RefWorks will then import the references.
- Once you have the references imported, open each one and choose edit (pen symbol)
- Use the (lightning bolt) by the title to check the reference and add more detail.
- Save the updated reference and move on to the next.
- You can then use all the normal RefWorks features to put the references into folders and cite as you write.