Importing References from Word or PDF Files into RefWorks
Importing References from Word or PDF Files into RefWorks.
In RefWorks, you can upload reference data from a Word or PDF file by using the ‘Add’ option located at the top of the dashboard.
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Log in to your RefWorks account.
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On the main dashboard, click the ‘Add’ button (Located at the top left).
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Select Import references from Word or PDF.
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Choose the Word (.docx) or PDF (.pdf) file from your computer.
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RefWorks will scan the file and attempt to extract reference details automatically.
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Save the references to your desired folder within RefWorks.
This feature lets users upload a Word or PDF file that contains references, and RefWorks will automatically import those references. It uses a special tool to find and extract the reference list from the document. Most PDF files are supported and can be processed successfully.
The engine has certain limitations when identifying and capturing reference lists.
- The PDF is a scanned copy, which means it contains images rather than selectable text. As a result, the system is unable to recognize or extract the reference information.
- The references may be formatted in a way that affects recognition. For instance, if the reference list is displayed in multiple columns and a single reference is split between columns, the system may interpret it as two separate entries instead of one complete reference.
- References embedded within the main body of the text or article will not be detected. The system only processes references from bibliographies located at the end of the document.
- Reference lists that use "_____" to indicate repeated author names will generate a reference entry, but the author names will not be recognized. To correct this, you need to manually complete the author information or use the Find a complete reference feature to fill in the missing details.
- If a Word or PDF document contains only a reference list, the import processor may fail to detect or recognize the references properly. To improve detection, it is recommended to add some additional plain text—such as a few paragraphs—immediately before the “References” section.
- If the reference list appears on the same page as the main content, consider converting the PDF to a Word document, moving the reference list to a separate page in the same document, and then importing the edited file into RefWorks.
If you need any further assistance in regards to this inquiry, please feel free to reach out to RefWorks support. https://support.proquest.com/s/refworks