RefWorks Browser Requirements

• Microsoft Edge
• Latest versions of Firefox (Windows, Mac, and Linux)
• Latest versions of Safari (Mac)
• Latest versions of Google Chrome

Creating a RefWorks Account

1. Using an email and password, either via the RefWorks website or via a unique link from your institution. 
2. Using institutional credentials (Single Sign On).

Creating an Account Using Email and Password

Creating an Account from the RefWorks Website

You can create an account from the RefWorks website using an email and password. To create an account via a unique link from your institution, using email and password, see here.

To create a RefWorks account from the RefWorks website:

1. On the RefWorks website login page, select Create account. The Start Using RefWorks page displays.

Start Using RefWorks

2. Enter your email address and select Check to see if your institution has enabled RefWorks. If it has not enabled RefWorks, contact your librarian or administrator about having RefWorks enabled for your institution.
3. Enter a password and select Sign Up. RefWorks sends you an activation email. Open the URL in the email. The Sign in to use RefWorks page displays.
4. Enter your login credentials and follow the on-screen instructions to complete your registration. You are logged into your new account and can start using RefWorks.

Complete RefWorks Account Creation

Creating an Account from a Unique Link

You can create an account from a unique link provided to you by your institution. You create the account using your email and password. To create an account from the RefWorks website, using email and password, see here.

To create a RefWorks Account from a unique link using an email and password:

1. Click the link that your institution provided by email or on their website. 
2. You will be prompted to enter an access code. Enter the provided code and select Check.
3. Enter your email address and a password. Select Sign Up.

Sign Up 

4. RefWorks sends you an activation email. Open the URL in the email. The Sign in to use RefWorks page displays.
5. Enter your login credentials and follow the on-screen instructions to complete your registration. You are logged into your new account and can start using RefWorks.

Logging in to RefWorks with Email and Password

1. Enter your email address and password and select Sign In.
2. If you forgot your password, select Forgot your password? and follow the on-screen instructions, or contact your administrator for assistance.

Logging in to RefWorks with Institutional Credentials (Single Sign-on)

Select your institution from the Use login from my institution list.

 

• If you are logged into your institution's network, you are automatically logged into RefWorks.
• If you are not logged into your institution's network, you are directed to the institution's login page, and, after logging in to your institution, you are automatically logged into RefWorks.

The RefWorks User Interface

RefWorks user interface contains:

• A: Projects
  Projects enable you to maintain separate reference collections for different research projects.
• B: Utility Toolbar
  Includes institutional information and link, when enabled by Admin, language menu, user menu, and help menus.
• C: Reference and Tools Actions
  Includes the main menu with various features:
  • Add – Opens a menu with the following actions:
    • Upload document – Browse your computer's files for a file to upload to RefWorks as a reference. See Uploading Files as References.
    • Import references – Upload a reference file that you previously exported from another reference management service or authorize a direct import from Mendeley. See Importing References.
    • Create new reference – Manually create a new reference. See Manually Adding References.
  • Assign to Folder – Add or remove the currently selected references to or from folders. This can also be used to add a local copy of a reference in a shared folder to your list of references. A single reference can be in multiple folders. See Organizing References by Folders and Working with Shared Folders of References.
  • Share – Opens a menu with the following actions:
    • Share folder – Share references in a folder with other users. See Sharing Folders of References.
    • Export references – Export references to your computer's file system. See Exporting References to a File.
  • Create Bibliography – Opens a menu with the following actions:
    • Create bibliography – Create a bibliography of your references to add to your document or to a website. See Copying References from RefWorks to Your Document.
    • Quick cite – Create citations in RefWorks to copy and paste. See Copying References from RefWorks to Your Document.
    • Citation style editor – Manage your reference citation styles. See Managing Citation Styles.
  • Delete – Opens a menu with delete options which are enabled or disabled depending on the tab you are currently viewing.
    • Remove from Folder – Available when in Folder; Remove references from the folder but do not move them to Trash.
    • Move Selected to Trash – Available in All References, Last Imported and Folder. Move references to Trash.
    • In Trash Folder:
      • Delete selected (#) – Permanently remove selected references.
      • Delete all (#) – Permanently remove all references in Trash folder.
  • Restore – Available in Trash Folder only – Restore deleted references to previous location and remove them from the Trash folder
  • Add Tags – Add tags to selected references. See Organizing References by Tags.
  • Tools – Opens a menu with the following actions:
    • Find duplicates – Find and remove duplicate references. See Finding Duplicate References.
    • Tools – Open the RefWorks Tools page to download and install RefWorks add-ons. See Connecting Your Browser, Microsoft Word, and Google Docs to RefWorks.
    • Global edit – Perform bulk edit operations on references. See Editing References.
  • Search – Search your references. See Viewing Your References and RefWorks Reference Fields and Types.
• D: Reference Organization
  This sidebar contains tabs that provide quick access to your references. See Viewing Your References. These tabs are:
  • All References – All records available in your RefWorks library except those in Trash folder.
  • Search Databases – Open a search area to discover items in external databases. See Finding References to Add to RefWorks.
  • Last imported – References added within the last 30 days. References imported prior to last 30 day are no longer visible in this tab.
  • Duplicates– Find and remove duplicate references. See Finding Duplicate References. See last results of your most recent duplicates search.
  • Sharing – Share a folder or view folders available in your institution. See Sharing References and Working with Shared References..
  • My Folders – Your references by folder, including those that are not assigned to any folder. A single reference can be in multiple folders. Also enables you to add and manage your folders. See Organizing References by Folders.
  • Tags – Your references by tag. A single reference can have multiple tags. A tag is created when you add it for the first time to any reference, or if it is assigned to a reference in a folder shared with you. When importing references, you can choose whether to import the tags or not. See Organizing References by Tags.
  • Trash – References you have deleted. RefWorks does not clear Trash folder automatically. References that you delete from this tab are permanently removed from RefWorks.
• E: Reference Details/Reference Editor
  Manually create a reference, view, edit or duplicate the reference that is currently in focus.
  • Reference Details/Reference Editor pane is hidden unless a reference is in focus, or you are creating a reference.
  • When enabled by your institution (see Configuring Site Settings), a link appears on the reference details view and in reference editor, with Full-text or partial access to the reference within your institution’s library or on an external site. This is your institution’s Link Resolver.
  • Attachments: when multiple attachments are present, scrolling is enabled.
    • When the reference has a full text PDF attachment Read link is visible to read the PDF in a reader.
    • When the reference has a non-PDF attachment, Download link is visible.

• F: Display Options
  The following display options are available:
  • Display: number of references per page; limited to 2000.
  • View: Type of view used for the page.
    • Normal
    • Table
    • Full
    • Citation
  • Customize: What to display/hide on the page. Applies to Normal and Full views only.
    • Folders
    • Tags
  • Sort order: Ascending or Descending  
  • Sort by: Define what data to sort on.
    • Date added
    • Date modified
    • Date published
    • Title
    • Author
    • Ref ID
• G: Pagination Buttons
  Enables navigation between the pages.

Managing Your RefWorks Account

Additional References

• Managing References
• RefWorks Overview