Skip to Main Content

RefWorks (Citation Manager)

Why add personal notes to RefWorks?

  • Everything relevant to your research project is kept in one place
  • Notes are accessible online any time, any place
  • Notes are searchable
  • You can print your notes any time as part of a bibliography

How do I add personal notes to my RefWorks account?

To Add Personal Notes to Your References

  • Click on My Folders
  • Locate the reference to which you would like to add personal notes and click on it
  • When the record for the reference appears in the right column, click on the Edit icon (pencil) in the upper right corner
  • Scroll to the bottom of the record and click on Add more fields. . .
  • Enter the phrase Personal Notes in the box 
  • Click on the Personal Notes field shown below your search box
  • Enter your personal notes in the newly added field
  • Click on the Save button (Note that if you do not add text to the personal notes field, the field will not save for that record.)

How can I create a bibliography/reference list that displays my Personal Notes?

In order to do so, you will need to create a new output style by modifying a citation style (e.g., APA 7th ed.) to display your notes. 
Once you have created this new output style, it will display as one of your choices when you click on the Create Bibliography icon to create a new reference list/bibliography.

Create a New Output Style:

  • Click on the Create Bibliography icon
  • Click on Citation Style Editor
  • Place a search for or look through the list of current citation styles to find a style you would like to modify. 
    For example:  APA 7th - American Psychological Association, 7th Edition
  • Click on the selected citation style
  • Click on the Options drop-down menu in the upper right corner
  • Click on Duplicate
  • When the Duplicate Style window opens, modify the title of the citation style to reflect that its output will contain your personal notes.
    For example:  APA 7th - American Psychological Association, 7th Edition -- With Personal Notes
  • Click on Create Duplicate
  • When the Bibliography Settings window opens, locate the section that shows the parts of a reference in separate boxes
  • Click on the Plus Sign icon to the right of the boxes
  • When the Search fields or type to add text window open, type Personal Notes in the box
  • Once the Personal Notes field is included with the other parts of a reference, you can click and drag it to another position if you don't want it at the end of your reference
  • Click on Save

Create a Bibliography Including Personal Notes:

  • Display the collection of references you would like to use to create your bibliography/reference list
    • Click on My Folders
    • Click on the title of folder
  • Click on the Create Bibliography icon (Quotation marks)
  • Click on Create Bibliography
  • When the reference list window opens, click on the drop-down menu to view possible options
  • Click on the citation style that includes your personal notes
    • You will have to place a search for your new citation style the first time you use it.  In the future it will appear in the drop-down menu.
  • Click on Copy to Clipboard
  • Paste the bibliography/reference list at the end of your paper
  • Save your document
  • Make appropriate edits and save your document again