Use of Reference Management Software in Social Sciences
V. SriramV. Sriram
Chief Librarian, K.N. Raj Library
Centre for Development Studies
Thiruvananthapuram
email: [email protected]
Contents
� Literature – What and How to manage
� Basics of referencing – What and Why
� Reference management software
� Zotero – Features
� Zotero – Word integration� Zotero – Word integration
Literature
Research requires engagement with literature at each and every stage starting from exploring the topic to submission of the paper / theses / report.
Researchers gather a huge mound of literature in the research process and are literature in the research process and are often shocked to find that they are not able to manage it well.
Making literature manageable involves assessing their relevance, systematically keeping track of the sources, and maintaining notes / annotations
Managing Literature
Systematic gathering of sources:
Using proper tools to gather literature –Google Scholar, Journal Databases, …
Creating bibliographic records and making it error freeerror free
Organizing by topic, subject, research area…
Linking the soft copy full text for easy retrieval
Assigning a unique primary-key for print items.
Managing Literature
Annotation / Notes:
Incorporating the following -
Author and the audience
SummarySummary
Critical comments
Notes on relevance
Referencing
What is referencing?
It is a method used by the researchers to demonstrate that they have conducted a thorough and appropriate literature search, and reading. To accurately acknowledge and reading. To accurately acknowledge other people's work and ideas when writing your own work, you need to use a referencing style. There are many types of referencing style such as Chicago Style, MLA, MPA …
Referencing
Need for referencing
Accurate referencing reflects good academic practice and enhances the presentation of your work: it shows that your writing is based on knowledge and informed by appropriate academic reading.
You need referencing to ensure that anyone reading your work can trace the sources you have used in the development of your work, and give you due credit for your research efforts and quality.
If you do not acknowledge another writer's work or ideas, you could be accused of plagiarism.
Reference management software
To record the details of all the information you find. You will need these details to provide accurate references, and to enable you to locate the information again at a later date
Benefits:Benefits:
search easily for a particular reference to which you need to refer back
print or save lists of references
insert citations into your document and automatically produce a bibliography in whatever style you require
Reference management software - Evolution
Proprietary / Free Open Source
1980s – Reference Manager, End Note, Bookends
1990s – Pybliographer, Biblioscape, 1990s – Pybliographer, Biblioscape,
2000s – 25 new software – Mendeley, Zotero
Comparison -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_reference_management_software
Reference management software - Evolution
� MS Word: References. Citation and Bibliography
� Beginner: Zotero
� Advanced: Mendeley� Advanced: Mendeley
� LaTex users: JabRef
Zotero
Free – Open Source
Platform independent
Works Offline and Online
Over 6700 referencing styles Over 6700 referencing styles
Data Sharing
26 fields
34 Types of Sources
Linking full text / pdf
Integration with MS-Office / Open Office
Conclusion
Organizes your research materials
Long term storage
Reduces data entry and formatting
Helps to develop your researchHelps to develop your research
Thank you!Thank you!Thank you!Thank you!
V. Sriramemail: [email protected]: 9447251892
Firefox - Installation
Zotero - Installation
Zotero - Installation
Open Zotero
Collecting References
Collecting References
Adding items
Organizing items
Drag & Drop Items
Notes
Tags
Searching Items
Zotero – Word Add - in
Insert Citation
Insert Bibliography
Create Zotero Account
Zotero Login
Synchronize
Settings
Backup