Introducing the Updated RefWorks Citation Manager (RCM)
- Product: New RefWorks, RefWorks Citation Manager
My RCM Updated! What do I do now?
If RefWorks Citation Manager (RCM) has updated in MS Word, you may need to take extra steps to make sure it works smoothly.
If you have previously installed RCM, when you open it, you will have an Update now link; when pressing it RCM will upgrade automatically. If that does not happen, please remove the add-in and then re-add it from the Microsoft Add-ins store following the steps described in the RefWorks Knowledge Center.
This version will create a tab in MS Word from which RCM is opened; pressing the tab will open a button called RefWorks Citation Manager from which you can open the RCM pane.
Please note that due to a Microsoft limitation, when using a desktop version of Word (not Word Online), the tab appears only when using Word version 16.0.6769.0000 or later. If the tab does not appear, RCM can still be accessed from the Add-ins menu.
The updated version has many new features. Please review the updated documentation in the RefWorks Knowledge Center.
Additional points:
- RCM is now compatible with MS Word 2019 and Word Online, for both Windows and Mac
- Documents created using the last version of RCM will update automatically
- Documents created in legacy RefWorks accounts cannot be opened with a (new) RefWorks account; this will be supported in coming months
Users who experience certain issues may find solutions below, or, they can submit a case to RefWorks Support.
What if I am unable to login successfully?
First, make sure any updates to the operating system or MS Office have been installed. This may also involve restarting the computer.
If this does not resolve the issue, it will be necessary to clear files from the internet browser used to deliver RCM.
- Close MS Word
- Next, open MS Internet Explorer and clear the browser cache of cookies and temporary internet files (CTL+SHIFT+DELETE) that may be preventing login
What do I do if RCM is not loading?
First, make sure any updates to the operating system or MS Office have been installed. This may also involve restarting the computer.
If RCM does not completely update or load in the sidebar, there may be settings in Internet Explorer that need changing.
- Open Internet Explorer and access the Tools menu and select Compatibility View settings
- Remove any checkmarks found in the boxes and select Close
- Close Internet Explorer and reopen MS Word
- Select the RCM tab and select the RCM button to load the sidebar
If there continue to be issues, or you are not using a Windows computer, please submit a case to RefWorks Support.
How do I edit citations?
Editing the citation text
It is recommended to edit and delete citations using the Edit Citation pane, which opens when clicking on a citation.
Users may choose to omit an author or the year of publication if mentioned in the text. Citation styles that require pages in in-text citations will use Replace pages to overwrite what is place by default. Additional text or optional page numbers for citation styles that do not require page number in all citations can be entered using Add prefix/suffix.
When creating a citation with multiple references within it, select the checkbox next to the references to be included in the citation.
However edits which cannot be made through this pane can be made directly in the citation content controller. These edits will not be synced with RCM and therefore will be overridden when the document is updated (for example when a new citation is added, or when the RCM Refresh button is used). Therefore it is recommended to make manual edits when document writing has been completed. We will be working on a solution that will prevent overriding of the manual edits in coming months.
Editing the citation font
The citations and bibliography font is based on the document font (seen in the Word ribbon), and will update whenever the document font is changed. If you are using more than one font in your document, the following is recommended:
- When document writing has been completed, apply the desired fonts to all text sections
- Place the cursor in text that has the font you want to use for the citations and bibliography
- Update the document via RCM by pressing the Refresh button
To change your documents' default font, please see these instructions - https://support.office.com/en-us/article/change-the-default-font-in-word-2f50603b-9886-47e4-a483-48ac5ab80163
- Article last edited: 19-Dec-2020