Upgrading from Legacy RefWorks to RefWorks (Admin)
What Does an Upgrade Mean
RefWorks (the version with the blue interface) was released in 2016 and has since been available alongside legacy RefWorks (the version with the orange interface). Development of legacy RefWorks stopped in 2018 and since then it has been maintained, but no new features have been added.
Upgrading means moving legacy RefWorks users to the current RefWorks version, providing them the most advanced reference management experience and allowing you to teach and support one version only.
Why Should we Upgrade
RefWorks is continuously enhanced and has many features that are not available in legacy RefWorks; view RefWorks release notes. Upgrading to RefWorks will allow your users to benefit from the most up to date reference management service, with latest software versions that support better performance and security.
In addition, supporting RefWorks exclusively will allow you to focus your user training and support efforts on a single service, with one set of materials and processes.
Differences Between RefWorks and Legacy RefWorks
The following table details features that are available only in RefWorks and features that are available in both versions but with different names.
| Feature | RefWorks (blue interface) | Legacy RefWorks (orange interface) |
|---|---|---|
| User Interface |
Modern and intuitive Ongoing accessibility enhancements |
Outdated and less responsive Accessibility issues remain unaddressed |
| Reference organization options | Folders & sub-folders Projects: separate reference collections, each with its own set of folders References can be viewed by tags |
Folders & sub-folders Separate reference collections in a single account not supported References can be viewed by tags, called descriptors |
| Editing reference metadata | Multiple reference editing using Bulk Edit Metadata rich text formatting support Users can add up to 15 custom fields |
Multiple reference editing using Global Edit Metadata rich text formatting not available Users can add up to 15 custom fields, called user fields |
| Finding reference matches | Can search for reference matches in the Ex Libris database of over 4 billion records | Not available |
| PDF management | View PDF attachments using integrated PDF reader When uploading a PDF file metadata is extracted and enhanced from the Ex Libris database of over 4 billion records |
View PDF attachments only by downloading the files Metadata enhancement not available |
| Import references from websites that do not support direct export or export to reference file | Using Save to RefWorks | Using RefGrab-It |
| Collaboration options – folder sharing | With entire institution With specific users, with various permission levels; including collaborative pdf annotation (comments and notes) With non-RefWorks users via link |
With specific users or with non-RefWorks users, via link only |
| Collaboration options – Project sharing | Share Projects with RefWorks users | Not available |
| Collaboration options –writing | Project co-owners using RefWorks Citation Manager can each contribute to the same Word document | Not available |
| Writing tool add-ons | Available for Word, Google Docs and Hangul | Available for Word and Hangul |
| Copy citations into a document | Supported (not available for numbered styles) | Supported |
| Citation view, for viewing a formatted reference in a selected citation style | Shows the formatted citation and highlights missing metadata required by the selected style | Shows the formatted citation only |
| Citation style management |
Quick access to Favorite, Custom, Recent, and Institutional styles via dedicated dropdown lists Style customization using the Citation Style Editor |
Favorite styles management using the Output Style Manager Style customization using the Output Style Editor |
| Export Ref IDs | Ref IDs included in all reference export formats for easy reference identification | Not available |
| Deduplication | Choice of three deduplication algorithms Can de-duplicate a specific folder |
Choice of two deduplication algorithms Cannot de-duplicate specific folders, only All References |
| Admin Features | ||
| Accessing admin features | Via Admin section of RefWorks, available to users designated as Admins | Via Admin Tool using institutional admin credentials |
| Viewing user data | Export user data to CSV file for easy searching and sorting. | In Admin Tool (under Account Activity/Inactivity) using institutional admin credentials; data cannot be exported. |
| Viewable user information |
Name Customized information can be added to account creation (for example, Campus Name) |
Name Type of User (Role) Creation Date Last Login Date Additional info: UserID, # Logins, Login, Last RefID, Browser/OS Info |
| Syncing with external storage system | Enable/Disable DropBox sync | Not available |
Essential FAQs
Refer to the FAQs section for a comprehensive list of upgrade FAQs.
By when do we need to upgrade?
You can upgrade when it is convenient for you and for your users; you may want to consider the academic calendar or other institution-wide scheduling. The current planned legacy turn off date is June 30, 2023. All users must upgrade before this date. In line with the Data Retention Policy, data will be retained for a period of 120 days after legacy access is disabled.
Will you turn off legacy RefWorks?
Currently, the planned legacy RefWorks deactivation date is June 30, 2023. We encourage all institutions and users to upgrade and discontinue use of legacy RefWorks well before this date. In line with the Data Retention Policy, data will be retained for a period of 120 days after legacy access is disabled.
Once we upgrade, can we go back to using legacy RefWorks?
In line with the Data Retention Policy, data will be retained for a period of 120 days after legacy access is disabled. If after completing the upgrade process you requested legacy access to be disabled, you can enable legacy RefWorks access once again within this period. User accounts will be restored to their status at the time of upgrade. Changes made to their RefWorks account post-upgrade will not be reflected in their legacy RefWorks account. After this period, it will not be possible to restore legacy RefWorks access for your institution; however, all data will be available to users in their RefWorks accounts.
What type of support will I receive for the upgrade process?
The RefWorks team is available to help you and your users throughout the upgrade process, regardless of the upgrade path you choose. RefWorks provides a simple upgrade process accompanied by documentation, video tutorials, and a world-class support team available to help you and address any questions or concerns. Contact us by submitting a support case; please start the subject with the word "Upgrade".
Before Upgrading
Familiarize yourself with RefWorks
You are likely already supporting RefWorks at your institution, in addition to legacy RefWorks. If you do not have RefWorks access at your institution, contact RefWorks support and ask them to set up your RefWorks institution.
We recommend having test users work with RefWorks as both end users and admins before upgrading your institution.
- Ask staff who will be supporting RefWorks (for example librarians supporting legacy RefWorks) to create a RefWorks account and familiarize themselves with the service. Refer them to the following resources:
- We recommend having at least one test admin user. After the designated test admin user creates an account, contact RefWorks support and ask them to designate the user as an admin. This user will then have access to the Admin section of RefWorks where admin features, including designating additional users as admins, are available.
- If you will upgrade using the User Upgrade option (and not the Institutional Upgrade option), we recommend testing the upgrade flow your users will follow. For details refer to User Upgrade Guide – Upgrading to RefWorks.
Expect an increase in training and support requests as users begin accessing their new accounts post-upgrade.
Disable Legacy RefWorks Account Creation
Before upgrading we recommend disabling legacy account creation, so that new users benefit from RefWorks from day one. This will also avoid the accumulation of additional legacy accounts that will later have to be upgraded.
- Access the legacy RefWorks Administrator Tool and navigate to the Subscriber tab.
- In Allow Creation of New Accounts (shown circled below), select No
Users who attempt to create a legacy RefWorks account after account creation has been disabled will receive the following message.
Communicate with your Users
Regardless of the upgrade path you choose, make sure to let your users know what options they have and what may change in their RefWorks experience. Training and support requests are likely to increase as users begin accessing their new accounts post-upgrade, therefore we recommend providing trainings and links to RefWorks resources, such as:
- Introduction to RefWorks
- RefWorks end user training webinar recording
- RefWorks User Guide
- YouTube Video Tutorials
- Getting Started with RefWorks webinars – registration link
Email your Users
We recommend emailing all legacy RefWorks users letting them know your upgrade plans. This may include an explanation about the Upgrade button in legacy RefWorks, details about a planned institutional upgrade, an institutional upgrade deadline, and more, depending on the current upgrade situation at your institution and your planned next steps.
Regardless of the upgrade path you choose, we suggest asking users to notify you when they no longer have use for their legacy account. This will allow you to delete the accounts and to have an accurate picture of legacy vs. RefWorks usage at your institution.
To email your legacy users, you can generate the email list in the Administrator Tool and use your default email application to contact the users.
In-app Notification
Consider posting an in-app notification in legacy RefWorks similar to the email communication. This message will be displayed to your users when they login into their legacy RefWorks account.
Update your Resources
Update your library website, libguides, links to RefWorks, trainings and user guides to reflect RefWorks, in addition to or instead of legacy RefWorks information, depending on your current upgrade situation and plan.
- RefWorks account creation and login link: https://refworks.proquest.com/ (legacy RefWorks login link is http://www.refworks.com/)
- RefWorks logo: download here
- RefWorks messaging in your website and materials: find taglines and descriptions here
- Update your webpage: find website examples here
Refer to the Resources page and to the Admin Onboarding Toolkit for additional helpful materials, including customizable user guides and email signature banners.
Update your APIs
If you are using APIs to integrate legacy RefWorks functionality into your website, you may integrate RefWorks in a similar way, and remove the legacy functionality once you have completed the upgrade to RefWorks. For details refer to the RefWorks API documentation.
Upgrade Options
Two upgrade options are available. Read through the descriptions and find the option most suitable for you at this time, which may also be a combination of both options.
Institutional Upgrade
This is the recommended option, which allows you to upgrade legacy RefWorks accounts in bulk, giving you control of the upgrade schedule, and with no action needed by users. This will allow you to easily end legacy support knowing that 100% of your users have RefWorks accounts with all their legacy folders and references.
However, if preferred, you can start the upgrade process by allowing users to upgrade at their own pace, using the User Upgrade option. At a later time, you can upgrade remaining legacy RefWorks users using the Institutional Upgrade option.
Click here for details about implementing the Institutional Upgrade option.
User Upgrade
This option allows users to upgrade their accounts at their own pace, though you may want to provide them with a deadline so that you can stop supporting legacy RefWorks.
If you choose this option, at any later time you can use the Institutional Upgrade option to complete the process for users who have not yet upgraded.
Click here for details about implementing the User Upgrade option.
After Upgrading
Training
Whether or not you conducted RefWorks training for your users before the upgrade, additional training post-upgrade, once they have access to RefWorks accounts, is recommended. Refer users to the following resources:
Inviting Users
Now is a good time to invite new users, who have never used legacy RefWorks or RefWorks, to open a RefWorks account. For details refer to RefWorks Admin Guide – Managing Users and watch the RefWorks Admin – Inviting Users video tutorial.
Disabling Legacy RefWorks Access
Once you have completed the upgrade process for all legacy RefWorks users at your institution, contact support so we can disable legacy access for your institution. Once this is done, if users try to access a legacy account, they will see the following message:
Resources
The following is a comprehensive list of all admin and user RefWorks upgrade and getting started resources:
General
FAQs
Managing the Upgrade Process
Does RefWorks automatically replace legacy RefWorks, or do we manage the upgrade process?
The upgrade is not done automatically: you control this process and choose when to enable RefWorks for your users and when to disable legacy access. We recommend using the Institutional Upgrade option for a swift and complete replacement of legacy RefWorks. However, if preferred, you can start the upgrade process by allowing users to upgrade at their own pace, using the User Upgrade option. At a later time, you can upgrade remaining legacy RefWorks users using the Institutional Upgrade option.
By when do we need to upgrade? Will you turn off legacy RefWorks?
You can upgrade when it is convenient for you and for your users; you may want to consider the academic calendar or other institution-wide scheduling. The current planned legacy turn off date is June 30, 2023. All users must upgrade before this date. In line with the Data Retention Policy, data will be retained for a period of 120 days after legacy access is disabled.
What type of support will I receive for the upgrade process?
The RefWorks team is available to help you and your users throughout the upgrade process, regardless of the upgrade path you choose. RefWorks provides a simple upgrade process accompanied by documentation, video tutorials, and a world-class support team available to help you and address any questions or concerns. Contact us by submitting a support case; please start the subject with the word "Upgrade".
How can we encourage our users to upgrade?
The most common reasons for users to object to upgrading are concerns regarding feature parity, upgrade process complexity, and the ability to continue their work seamlessly. Below are talking points suitable for the various objections.
In addition, some users may be resistant to any change. If you are not yet using the institutional upgrade option, you may consider providing an upgrade deadline and stopping to provide legacy RefWorks support.
The current planned legacy turn off date is June 30, 2023. All users must upgrade before this date. In line with the Data Retention Policy, data will be retained for a period of 120 days after legacy access is disabled.
Feature Parity
-
All main legacy RefWorks features, and many additional features, are supported in RefWorks.
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RefWorks has numerous features and options that are not available in legacy and has monthly releases in which it is continually updated and enhanced.
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For RefWorks vs. legacy RefWorks details refer to Differences between RefWorks and Legacy RefWorks.
Upgrade Process Complexity
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Upgrade is done at the click of a button, using the upgrade button in legacy RefWorks; if you have not enabled this option, users can still easily upgrade by opening a RefWorks account and upgrading from within the new account, but it is recommended to enable the upgrade button to make the process as simple as possible. To enable the upgrade button in legacy,
contact Tech Support.
Upgrade to latest RefWorks version -
Refer users to the How to Upgrade – Users video tutorial and User Upgrade Guide which demonstrate how simple it s to upgrade.
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Offer upgrade training and RefWorks training to your users. For details refer to Communicate with Your Users and Resources.
Work Continuity
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As soon as users upgrade their account, all their folders, references and custom styles are available in their account.
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If users have Word documents written with RefWorks Citation Manager or Write-n-Cite, after upgrading their account they will be prompted to upgrade their document at the click of a button.
Once we upgrade, can we go back to using legacy RefWorks?
In line with the Data Retention Policy, data will be retained for a period of 120 days after legacy access is disabled. If after completing the upgrade process you requested legacy access to be disabled, you can enable legacy RefWorks access once again within this period. User accounts will be restored to their status at the time of upgrade. Changes made to their RefWorks account post-upgrade will not be reflected in their legacy RefWorks account. After this period, it will not be possible to restore legacy RefWorks access for your institution; however, all data will be available to users in their RefWorks accounts.
Can users switch back and forth between legacy RefWorks and RefWorks accounts?
If you haven't deleted legacy accounts or asked us to disable legacy RefWorks access for your institution, upgraded users will still be able to access their legacy RefWorks account. A legacy RefWorks account can be upgraded multiple times by the user or via institutional upgrade, with each import copying only items added since last import. Items added to a RefWorks account cannot be "downgraded" to a legacy RefWorks account.
How can I see the user information for my institution?
In legacy RefWorks
-
You can view user information in the legacy Administrator Tool, under the Usage tab.
-
After the institutional upgrade feature is released, you will be able to generate an Excel with all legacy RefWorks account information, under the Institutional Upgrade tab.
All users located in the Alumni site, regardless of institution, will be given the opportunity to upgrade to RefWorks individually.
In RefWorks, in place of an alumni site, alumni can access their RefWorks account as long as their institution is subscribed. For additional details refer to the Alumni Access article.
How can a user verify that all folders and references were upgraded?
If you or your users would like to verify that all items were upgraded successfully, you can compare the number of folders and references in the legacy account and in the RefWorks account:
- User:
Look at your folders list in your legacy account and your new RefWorks account, note the name and number of references per folder:
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- Admin:
- Legacy RefWorks: After the institutional upgrade feature will be released, you will be able to generate an Excel with all legacy RefWorks account information, including folder and reference count, under the Institutional Upgrade tab.
- RefWorks: folder and reference count will be added to the downloadable user information. For details about viewing and downloading user information refer to RefWorks Admin Guide – Managing Users.
RefWorks and Legacy RefWorks Features
Are system requirements for RefWorks different than for legacy?
No, if your systems support legacy RefWorks they will support RefWorks as well. For details refer to RefWorks Browser Requirements and to Finding the Right Writing Tool Add-on.
Will functionality be different for users after their accounts are upgraded?
Yes, RefWorks has many features which are unavailable in legacy RefWorks, detailed in Differences between RefWorks and Legacy RefWorks. While RefWorks has an intuitive interface, we recommend providing training and resources to your users.
Can I work offline in Write-n-Cite with my RefWorks account?
This is currently not supported.
Can I configure folder sharing options (such as deciding which fields to share and if to include attachments) in RefWorks?
While these folder sharing options are currently not available in RefWorks, RefWorks supports other folder sharing options which are not supported in legacy RefWorks, such as the ability to share a folder with all users at the institution and the ability to share a folder with specific users.
How can I create a reference based on a specific citation style?
While this option is currently unavailable in RefWorks, after creating a reference it can be viewed with Citation View, which shows the formatted citation in the selected citation style and highlights missing metadata required by the style. Make sure the “Highlight missing metadata” checkbox is selected.
The User Upgrade Experience
Will you be alerting all our users before we perform an institutional upgrade?
We will not be communicating with your users pre-upgrade unless requested by you. Refer to Communicate with your users for guidance.
As part of the institutional upgrade process, users whom you choose to upgrade will automatically receive an email letting them know that their account has been upgraded and providing relevant resources about accessing and using their new account. In addition, when logging into their legacy RefWorks account after it has been upgraded, they will see a message with similar information.
Do users need to make any changes on their end before or after we use the Institutional Upgrade?
No, users do not need to make any changes. When first logging into their new RefWorks account they will be able to review and update their profile information before starting to use their new account.
When upgrading an account, via user upgrade or admin upgrade, is the entire account recreated in RefWorks?
The upgrade copies folders, references (excluding references in Deleted References), reference attachments, and custom styles.
Public folder sharing links will not work in RefWorks; publicly shared folders should be reshared after upgrade. If public access is still required, RefWorks supports additional folder sharing options which may be preferable to public sharing, such as sharing with individuals or with the entire institution.
Institutional styles you created in legacy RefWorks will not upgrade to RefWorks. To have them copied to RefWorks, please contact support. To define institutional styles in RefWorks, refer to Managing Institutional Styles.
Will users with multiple legacy RefWorks accounts have multiple RefWorks accounts?
Multiple legacy accounts associated with the same email address will be upgraded to separate Projects in a single RefWorks account.
If a legacy RefWorks account is used by multiple people, will they all have access to the upgraded account?
The user whose email is associated with the legacy account will have access to the upgraded account and can share the Project with others whom they wish to have access. Project sharing invitations can be accepted by users who have a RefWorks account.
Can users continue to work on papers written with legacy RefWorks after upgrading?
Yes, upgrading to RefWorks does not interrupt any ongoing research. Whether using RefWorks Citation Manager or Write-n-Cite, users can upgrade their Word document after upgrading their RefWorks account. For users of Write-n-Cite for Hangul: converting the document to an RCM – Hangul document will be supported in the future.
Will user passwords or logins change?
Users log into RefWorks using an email address and password. When upgrading, the email address associated with their legacy account will be used for RefWorks login. Their password will remain unchanged. Users who have multiple legacy RefWorks accounts associated with the same email address should use the password of the account into which they most recently logged in. Users can select the "Forgot your password?" link if they are not sure which password to use.
Users who log into legacy RefWorks using institutional credentials (Single Sign On) will be able to log into RefWorks using institutional credentials as well. After their account is upgraded, they will receive an email with a link to associate their login credentials with their RefWorks account. After this one-time association, they can log into RefWorks by selecting their institution from the Use login from my institution list in the RefWorks login page.
Will users need to provide cookie consent to use RefWorks?
Yes, when users first log into their upgraded RefWorks account they will have to accept cookies.
Will email notifications, for example about folder sharing, come from a different email address?
Yes, RefWorks emails will come from refworks@proquest.com; make sure this email isn't blocked by your institution.
Other
How is GDPR and data privacy handled in RefWorks?
Applicable GDPR, privacy, data retention and other policies can be found in the Policies page in the Customer Knowledge Center.
How do I access the legacy RefWorks Administrator Tool?
Access the tool here; if you do not have login credentials, please contact support.