RefWorks allows you to export citations as a batch. This is especially helpful when doing a literature search in one of the major databases. You are able to search, save the ones you want, search again with different keywords, save those, etc. and when you are finished with that search session, you can import all citations with just a few keystrokes.
The export function in new RefWorks usually works the same as it does in legacy RefWorks. Here are step-by-step instructions for a few of the most popular databases.
PubMed—As a File
- Perform your search in the PubMed database. Check the box next to the ones you want to keep.
- Click the “Send To” button and choose the Clipboard. Do NOT choose “Citation Manager.”
- By the Clipboard icon, click the line that displays the number of your results.
- Depending on the browser, click Summary, Display Settings, or Abstract to open the format menu, and select MEDLINE and then Create File.
- Your file will show up in your Downloads file folder, and as a recently downloaded file in the grey line at the bottom of your screen. You have now saved your citations in a format that is readable to RefWorks; now to import it.
- In RefWorks, create a folder for the project (if you haven’t already).
- Under “References” (top left), select “Import.”
- From the Import Filter/Data Source Menu, select “NLM PubMed.”
- Do you see your folder icon in the grey bar at the bottom of your screen? If so, you can drag your folder icon onto the “Choose File” button. If it’s not there, you can find the recently imported folder in your Downloaded file. Double click it, or drag and drop it on “Choose File.”
- Click the “Import” button. They will automatically be entered into your Last Imported Folder in RefWorks.
PubMed—As Text
- Perform your search in the PubMed database. Check the box next to the ones you want to keep.
- Click the “Send To” button and choose the Clipboard. Do NOT choose “Citation Manager.”
- By the Clipboard icon, click the line that displays the number of your results.
- Depending on the browser, click Summary, Display Settings, or Abstract to open the format menu, and select MEDLINE and then Create File.
- The citations will be displayed on your screen in MEDLINE format. Right click with your mouse or select your browser’s edit menu, then click select all.
- Copy the references.
- In RefWorks, select Import from the References menu.
- From the Import Filter/Data Source Menu, select NLM PubMed. The Database Menu will automatically change to PubMed.
- Click the From Text button ,and paste the citations you copied into the box. Click the Import button.
CINAHL
- Perform your search using the Ebsco CINAHL database. Place items to send to RefWorks in the Ebsco folder by clicking the blue folder icon next to each article.
- Click the Folder icon to display the results in the folder.
- Select individual references to export or check the Select/Deselect All box at the top to choose all references.
- Click Export in the right-hand column.
- Select Direct Export to RefWorks in the Save Citations to a File Formatted for Section.
- Click the Save button.
- In RefWorks, click the View Last Imported Folder button.
