| Compiled by Tracy Kent, Social Science Librarian,
University of Birmingham
t.k.kent@bham.ac.uk
Are you a Researcher or Information Professional with a need
to manage references?
Managing references is a labour intensive, but necessary
part of Information Management. If your references cannot
be found or, worse, found incomplete then there is a serious
problem for you or your organisation. Reference management
software might be the answer.
Do your homework!
Research and plan your requirements for the software.
Consider what the software can do and the space implications.
Choosing software is a very personal choice and it is difficult
to compare features, so obtain demonstration copies.
Consider the hardware you have available
Does your organisation have an IT standard which
must be conformed to (for example PC or Mac) and how many
users are likely to need to make use of the software? Is there
a networkable version? Will users be based in one location
or is access required any time, any place, anywhere? Can the
data be easily transferred from one type of computer to another?
Are your references to be accessed securely and used anytime?
How is the integrity of the collection maintained?
Whether entering author's names, periodical titles,
keywords or other reference components, the extent to which
consistency is maintained impacts upon the validity of the
data retrieved, and the speed of retrieval. Check what features
are provided to help maintain a consistent database, such
as alphabetized listings, duplicate detection and alternative
periodical names.
Which services do you use for your research?
The software provides an opportunity to import references
from a range of databases, suppliers and providers. You need
to be clear about where you obtain your data so that you can
check if the process of importing is straightforward. Some
packages are aimed at particular disciplines whilst others
are multidisciplinary. Direct searching of particular database
hosts (Web of Science, library catalogues, etc) is often inbuilt
so check if your particular favourites are listed.
Who searches your collection?
Answers to this will determine how full and complete
your citations need to be including whether you wish to link
to full text documents, web URLs or to refer to material housed
in a physical building. How sophisticated does the searching
need to be to retrieve meaningful references? Do you require
full Boolean logic operators or merely a browse option? Are
your users local or across the other side of the world?
Where do you publish?
The production of a bibliography at the touch of
a button is the greatest time saving device of this type of
software. The delivery of several hundred output styles does
away, to some extent, with the need to know citation rules
and practices, but only if your required style is supported.
Finally, what are the support and training implications
for introducing the software?
Although entering and retrieving references should
be simple, specific training is often necessary to be able
to exploit the software to its fullest. Who will provide the
training? What support strategies are in place once the training
phase is over? How will you obtain and encourage feedback
on the software once its in place
PDF of Top Tips on
Reference Management Software Factsheet (21 KB)
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