RefWorks

Research Resources: RefWorks

Notice to RefWorks users:

The Library will end the campus subscription to RefWorks on March 31, 2024, and will not be replacing it with another institutionally licensed citation manager. Please be advised that access to RefWorks for Saint Mary’s users will end March 31, 2024. If you have a RefWorks account, it is a good idea to back up your information. You will be able to export your citations from RefWorks into a new citation manager, such as Zotero, Mendeley, or Endnote. There will be more information coming from the Library early in the New Year. If you have questions, please contact research@smu.ca.

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RefWorks is a web-based citation management tool that allows you to collect, edit, and organize your bibliographic citations as you research and lets you create and format bibliographies.

Access to RefWorks is provided to the Saint Mary's community via the Patrick Power Library. To learn more about the most commonly used citation styles, such as APA and MLA, see Style Guides and Citations.

How do I create a RefWorks account?

You can access RefWorks via the Patrick Power Library website, under the Citations/RefWorks link on the homepage, or by visiting refworks.proquest.com.

First-time users can sign up using Create Account.

Select "Create Account" on the RefWorks homepage. You will need to enter a Saint Mary's University email address and create a password.
Next, activate your account via the link sent to your SMU email.

I don't have a SMU email address. Can I still create an account?

To create an account with a non-SMU email address, click here.

If you are off-campus, you will have to enter your S number and password first. RefWorks will prompt you to use your SMU email address to create an account, but you can sign up using any address of your choosing.

Once your account is activated, you can log into RefWorks from any compter on or off-campus at refworks.proquest.com.

I forgot my password! How do I reset it?

If you have already created a RefWorks account but do not remember your password, click the "Forgot your password?" link underneath the login window, and enter your email address to reset your password.

This version of RefWorks looks different. Are there two versions?

RefWorks has two versions that require separate accounts to access: ProQuest RefWorks (refworks.proquest.com) and Legacy RefWorks (refworks.com).

Both versions offer many of the same tools, but Legacy RefWorks is no longer being supported and will not receive updates in the future. To have the most up-to-date experience, you should sign up for an account on ProQuest RefWorks.

Important: If you have started a project using Legacy RefWorks, complete it within Legacy RefWorks before migrating to ProQuest RefWorks. You should only migrate your account when you have no active projects to ensure that you do not lose any of your work.

I have a Legacy RefWorks account. How do I access it?

If you have an existing RefWorks account on the Legacy version of the program, you still have ongoing access on the older platform. You can log into your Legacy account at refworks.com.

How do I migrate my Legacy account to the new RefWorks?

If you would like to migrate your Legacy account to the new RefWorks interface, you can import your previous references and folders into our new account. You should only migrate your account when you have no active projects to ensure that you do not lose any of your work.

To begin, login to your Legacy RefWorks account at refworks.com.

At the top of the homepage, look for the banner that says: "NEW: Move to the newest version of RefWorks from ProQuest."
Complete the prompts to import your Legacy RefWorks citations to the new ProQuest version.

If you have already created a ProQuest RefWorks account without first importing your citations from Legacy RefWorks, you can still import them using the following method:

In ProQuest RefWorks, click Add>Import references from the main header menu.
Under "Import from another reference manager," select "RefWorks."
Select "Authorize," and then enter the information for your Legacy account into the login prompt to complete the import.

What can RefWorks do for me?

RefWorks enables you to organize and format references from the Novanet catalogue, library databases, Google Scholar, and more. It also offers other functions to help with your academic writing process. Other features include:

Generate reference lists and bibliographies in recognized citation styles, such as APA, MLA, Chicago, and many more.
Quickly insert and format citations within the text of your paper using tools such as RefWorks Citation Manager.
Create folders to collect, store, and organize your references for various projects.
Share your references or bibliographies with colleagues or other researchers.

For more information on specific details and applications for RefWorks, check out the following guides: