RELEASE: IMMEDIATE        DATE: 8/31/04

CONTACT: EMILY SILVERMAN, (413) 545-0995

Library ANNOUNCES “RefWorks” Bibliography SOFTWARE AVAILABLE

 

     Amherst , Mass. - The Library has purchased a campus-wide subscription to RefWorks, a web-based citation management software program. It is available to all UMass Amherst students, faculty, and staff via the Library's web site, www.library.umass.edu. RefWorks greatly enhances the library research process as it collects, stores, and organizes citations from books, articles, web sites, and other sources.

RefWorks automatically converts citations into properly formatted bibliographies. Numerous citation styles are offered, from the popular (MLA, APA, Turabian, Chicago) to the specialized (American Anthropological Association, IEEE, and others). It is a user-friendly program and can be customized with a wide range of options and features. RefWorks easily interfaces with the Library's 300+ databases, as well as databases at other libraries. RefWorks also converts citations from other bibliography programs such as Endnote and Reference Manager.

First-time users should set up a RefWorks account: Select the link to RefWorks on the Library's front page. Click on “New to RefWorks?” and select the link for “Individual Account.” (Off-campus users will first be prompted to authenticate their OIT account username and password.) An online tutorial is available at refworks.com/tutorial/.

Several RefWorks workshops are scheduled. See www.library.umass.edu/reference/refworks/workshops.html for more information.

RefWorks Bibliography Basics for Undergrads (Sign up for one workshop) Learn how to enter and organize references, and create quick bibliographies according to various citation styles (e.g. MLA or APA). Tuesday, September 28, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 5, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. (More sessions to be announced.)

RefWorks for Grad Students, Faculty and Other Researchers (Sign up for one workshop) Besides the fundamentals, learn how to create multiple accounts, populate and manipulate your database, convert Endnote libraries to RefWorks, import references from library databases, use RefWorks to retrieve articles and search catalogs, and create bibliographies in your preferred citation styles.

Wednesday, September 22, 10 :30 a.m. -.12:00 p.m.
Thursday, October 7, 10 :30 a.m. -.12:00 p.m.
Tuesday, October 19, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Monday, November 8, 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
Tuesday, November 16, 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.

Pre-registration is required. Contact Madeleine Charney, 577-0784 or mcharney@library.umass.edu, to register. The workshop location will be confirmed upon registration. For more information about RefWorks, contact the Ask a Librarian service at www.library.umass.edu/ask/ or stop by a reference desk in the libraries.