When you are doing research, it can be useful to use a tool to create and sort citations and references. This is particularly so if you need to manage a substantial number of references, as is the case when you are doing a thesis.
Bibliographic, or reference management tools, offer an uncomplicated way to collect and save details of the resources you have used in your work. These are software applications for scholars, researchers and authors to use for recording and utilising bibliographic citations (references) as well as managing project references either as an institution, research team or an individual. Once a citation has been recorded, it can be used time, and time, again, when generating bibliographies or lists of references.
Apart from organising references, most reference management software enable users to search references from online libraries. They normally consist of a database in which full bibliographic references can be entered, plus a system for generating selective lists of articles in the different formats required by publishers and scholarly journals.
Modern reference management packages can usually be integrated with word processors so that a reference list in the appropriate format is produced automatically as an article is written, reducing the risk that a cited source is not included in the reference list. They will also have a facility for importing the details of publications from bibliographic databases. They can generate references, reference lists and bibliographies in a variety of referencing styles.
“Selecting a tool to manage your references is straightforward. A first question to ask yourself, however, is whether you need to use one at all. All these tools require some investment of your time, so some form of time-cost v benefit analysis is essential”, suggests Carlotta Morillo, BSc Sustainable Management.
There are a range of free and paid for tools available, including web-based applications. Many free versions, however, may have limitations, such as the amount of storage space.
Manual handbooks
The simplest ones to use are downloadable files – effectively PDF handbooks that explain how to manually cite and reference, and which sometimes provide examples. Most educational institutions have these, and they are usually accessed from their website or intranet. Their big advantage is that they can be downloaded and kept on your laptop, or phone, or printed-off and kept in your study area for quick reference. The downside is that they do not perform the formatting for you, but just give advice on how to do it. If you are new to using referencing this can be a positive thing as it helps you to learn how to reference properly.
Word processor-embedded plugins
Word processing software you use, such as Word, may have in-built or plugin applications which allow you to generate references as you write. Although useful, experience suggests that these are not as accurate as full-blown tools.
Online websites
There are websites that allow you to instantly generate a single reference, often known as citation generators. The big advantage of these is that they are easy to access and use (so long as you are online!).
Browser extensions
If you are online, there are tools available that provide extensions to your browser which help you easily collect references.
Specialist applications
Many applications (usually in return for a licence fee) allow you to access them online and/or install them onto your device.
Wikipedia provides an excellent page containing an extensive comparison of tools you may find useful and many of the leading providers have useful explanatory videos on YouTube. At the present time, the best-known of these are Endnote, Mendeley, Papers and Zotero.
Effective bibliography and reference management is crucial when you are sourcing and reviewing your literature. Thesis Upgrade has some useful publications to help you search for relevant literature and critique your sourced literature.