11 Reference and bibliography management

With the aid of technology, it is not possible to very easily and efficiently manage and utilise the literature sources that you need when writing an academic project.

The first step is finding the appropriate literature, which is explained in more detail in the chapter below. This section is included in advance as it is useful to select the bibliography management software in advance of completing a literature search.

Each of the more popular reference management software tools have a variety of advantages and disadvantages, depending on what program you choose to work in.

My own preferences are shaped by my experience with each program - and a desire to make sure that the content I create will be accessible to me always, regardless of whether I am at the university or not. If better options exist I would be most interested in hearing about them.

The first two software options enable in-text referencing and automatic generation of reference lists in MS word. The last option, of manually collecting your reference data, is the most inefficient, but has some benefits. The videos below will link to the Loom hosting service, and provide a guide to Mendely. Refworks can do pretty much everything that Mendeley can, but it is expensive to use once you leave the university.

Order of preference

  1. Mendeley

  2. Refworks

  3. Manual storage