The Gustave L. and Janet W. Levy Library

RefWorks Frequently Asked Questions

RefWorks is a web-based reference management program provided by the Levy Library. It is similar to Reference Manager and EndNote, but no software is required.

Use RefWorks to:

The main difference between RefWorks and similar programs, such as EndNote, is that RefWorks is totally online and provided for free to Mount Sinai users by the Levy Library.

View a Chart comparing RefWorks with two similar programs: EndNote and Reference Manager.

Purchase Discounted EndNote software: Mount Sinai faculty, staff and students may purchase EndNote X2 for Windows and X1 for Mac from Levy Library Computing for only $50 (Retail price is $200). To purchase your copy please fill out this form and return it to Levy Library Computing.

Go to RefWorks and click Sign Up For an Individual Account. Assign yourself a RefWorks username and password, which will be used each time you login. There is no limit to the number of RefWorks accounts you can create.

Our Mount Sinai Group Code, which is emailed to you when you sign up for an account, can be used for off-campus access to RefWorks and Write-N-Cite. Forgot the group code? Ask us.

There are two ways to access your RefWorks account from off-campus. Read more.

To access your account from off campus, you have two choices:

1. Access RefWorks the same way you access other library resources from off-campus: Select the RefWorks link from the databases page, listed under the category citation indexes. You will be prompted to login with your MSSM username and password and then to enter your RefWorks username and password.

2. Or, use the Group Code: Go directly to: http://www.refworks.com/refworks and enter the Mount Sinai RefWorks group code. The group code is emailed to you upon registration. If you access your account this way, you will not be prompted to login to the library.

Please Note: Off-campus Write-n-Cite users must use the group code or make one quick change. Write-n-Cite is the utility used to insert RefWorks references into a Microsoft Word document. After downloading and installing the Write-n-Cite utility:

http://eresources.library.mssm.edu:2048/login?url=http://www.refworks.com/refworks/?WNC=true

Your RefWorks data is stored on the RefWorks servers. It is a good idea to back up your account locally by going to Tools and then BackUp/Restore.

Yes, multiple users can access one account simultaneously. There is no need to set up a network. All users can have adding, editing, deleting, and printing rights. Or, create a read only password to allow users to view and print a database, but not to change it. Create a read only password by going to the Tools menu and selecting Update User Information.

Connect from your RefWorks references to Levy Library full text e-copies, the Library's online catalog (to search for print copies), and the ILLiad system to automatically submit an interlibrary loan request for the reference. View full text options by clicking on the following image in your RefWorks database:

At this time, article-level linking is not available from every publisher. If an article link is not available, use a journal link to go to the online journal and then search or browse for the article you need.

Read more about Levy Library FIND IT. Read Article Linker FAQ's.

Databases like PubMed and the Levy Library catalog do not require subscriptions and can be searched online through RefWorks.

From RefWorks, go to either the Search or Tools menu and select Online Catalog or Database. Select the database you would like to search. Then, perform a search and select the references you would like to import into your RefWorks account.

References you want to import into RefWorks must be saved in a text file format with each piece of information identified through the use of a delimiter or tag. For example:

TI: Effect of rearfoot orthotics on postural sway
AU: Hertel J; Denegar CR; Buckley WE; Sharkey NA; Stokes WL

Each data service has a different name for this format.

Directions for PubMed/MEDLINE: Perform a PubMed search. Display references in MEDLINE format by changing the PubMed display option from Summary to MEDLINE. Select Send To and then Text to save the file on your computer.

To import saved PubMed references into RefWorks: Log in to RefWorks and select Import from the References menu. Select the NLM PubMed Import Filter and PubMed for the Database. Browse to find the saved file and click Import. Your records should appear in the Last Imported Folder.

Export to RefWorks from Google Scholar, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Web of Science: Please see full directions here for instructions on exporting from these databases into RefWorks.

You can easily move references back and forth between EndNote, Reference Manager, and RefWorks. View step-by step Instructions for converting references from other bibliographic management software.

Download the Write-N-Cite utility by going to Tools then Write-N-Cite. Once installed, Write-N-Cite will appear in your Microsoft Word Tools Menu. In Microsoft Word, click on the Write-N-Cite button to log in to a small version of your RefWorks database. ( Read about off-campus access to Write-N-Cite).

Write your paper as normal, clicking Cite next to the references you want to insert into the document. RefWorks inserts raw data to hold the place for the reference until you are ready to format the paper. When finished typing your paper, save the Word document and click Bibliography from the Write-N-Cite menu. Select desired output style and click Create Bibliography. Your formatted paper is created in a new Microsoft Word document.

You can also write and format your paper in RefWorks without using the Write-N-Cite utility. See RefWorks help file for information on how to write a paper offline.

RefShare is a module of RefWorks that allows you to share references or folders from your account publicly and/or with other MSSM RefWorks users.

To share a folder or database go to Folder/Share Folders or Tools/Share References. From this page, select the options for the folders or references you want to share. You determine if recipients will have printing, exporting, and bibliography rights. Your database and/or individual folders each have a url. You may email this url to colleagues or use the url to post your references on a personal website. Recipients do not have to login to RefWorks to view your references, but they will only have access to Mount Sinai full text if they are affiliated with Mount Sinai.

RefWorks Shared Area Page: View our MSSM shared area page by going to View/RefWorks Shared Area. This page is designed for Mount Sinai users to post references or folders that they would like to share with other RefWorks users at Mount Sinai.