Entering & Importing References into RefWorks

Importing Data Directly from a Database:

1. Under the save or export function within the online database service, select or click the save to RefWorks option.
2. If you have your RefWorks account already open, the import will automatically begin. If not, then you will be prompted to the RefWorks login page; after you login, the import will automatically begin.
3. Select View Last Imported Folder to review the imported records.

Direct export to RefWorks is available from many online databases. Please note that the steps involved in exporting will vary according to database - for details about exporting from an individual database, click on the database name from the menu on this RefWorks page

Helpful Hint: Every reference added to RefWorks needs to have a Source Type – the source type determines the relevant data field that show up as REQUIRED for a  bibliography. The default Source Type is “electronic” but you can change your default Source Type settings under the Tools Menu. 

Importing Data from a text file (Indirect Export):
References can be imported into RefWorks from a text file (txt.) created by saving references from a wide variety of online services and other bibliographic management programs.

1. Retrieve the results you want to export from the online database, SJU catalog or non-RefWorks bibliographic manager, and save them to a text file. If the database vendor lists several different formats for saving the references, see the RefWorks Help file for further details on the appropriate selection.
2. Access your RefWorks account and click References from the drop-down menu; then select Import.
3. On the subsequent menu, access the drop-down menu next to Import Filter/Data Source and click the source of the data.
4. Click on the Database drop-down menu and select the source database.
5. Click on the Import References Into menu and designate the specific folder where you want to file the imported references. If you do not choose a folder, the references will automatically go into a folder titled Last Imported Folder.
6. Enter file name into Import Data from the following Text File by browsing and selecting or manually typing in the file name.
7. Click on Import at the bottom of the screen. When the import is complete, select View Last Imported Folder to review and modify the imported references.

Helpful Hint: An up to date listing of all the online services and databases that are supported by RefWorks, can be found on the  Import Filter List.

Manually Entering References:

1. Select References from the pull-down menu tool bar and then choose Add New Reference.
2. Start by selecting your bibliographic output style (e.g. APA, Chicago, MLA) under View fields use by.
3. Designate the type of reference you are entering (e.g. journal, book, or dissertation) under Ref Type. Field names marked with a green checkmark indicate recommended information needed to produce an accurate bibliography for the selected output style and reference type. These fields are not required to save the actual reference in RefWorks.
4. Enter information in the boxes provided and click Save when finished.

Helpful Hint: Click on any green checkmark to view style-specific notes. You can also check for style changes by clicking on More detailed information available here at the bottom of the page.

Searching and Importing resources from within the RefWorks interface:
You can use RefWorks as a search interface for a number of online resources.
RefWorks provides access to a number of publicly available services such as NLM’s PubMed as well as many universities’ online catalogs.

1. From the Search pull-down menu, select Online Catalog or Database.
2. Under Online Database to Search, select a database from the drop down menu.
3. Select the Max. Number of References to Download from the drop-down menu.
4. Enter terms in either the Quick Search for: or in the Advanced Search for: box.
5. Click on Search to begin your search. A new window will open displaying your search results.
6. Select the references you wish to import into your RefWorks account and click Import.

Converting References from Other Bibliographic Management Products:
RefWorks is compatible with a number of other bibliographic management products. You can easily convert an existing bibliographic management database such as EndNote into RefWorks. For details related to importing data from specific individual bibliographic management products, please refer to the online Help section of RefWorks. If you have a large collection of references in Reference Manager, please contact RefWorks@stjohns.edu for assistance in converting your records.