What is RefWorks?

RefWorks is a tool to help you collate the references of the resources you read and then put them in to the format required for your assignments.

Why reference?

Referencing is an important part of academic work.  If you use someone else’s work without giving them due credit, you are committing plagiarism.  Imagine if someone used a photograph or a piece of writing of yours, without saying where they got it from.  This wouldn’t be fair to you.  Referencing allows the author of a work to receive the recognition they deserve.

There are lots of conventions surrounding referencing, but the most important thing is to have the different bits of information any reader requires to find the original work.  If you reference something in an accepted format, any reader familiar with that format can tell what type of resource you have used straight away and then find it if they wish.

Create an account

By creating a RefWorks account at the beginning of your course, you can ensure you keep records of everything you read and then have the reference to hand whenever you need it.  You will need to access RefWorks via the ILS website to create your account, so it knows you are a member of our community.

• Go to www.yorksj.ac.uk/ils/refworks
• Click the link to log in to RefWorks
• Enter your YSJ username and password (as you would for email and Moodle)
• Click ‘Sign up for a new account’
• Fill out the forms and create your account

You can choose a username and password that works for you and they will be valid beyond your course end date, for as long as YSJ retains the license to the service.  From now on, you can log in to RefWorks directly at www.refworks.com/refworks .

Accompanying video: https://hml.yorksj.ac.uk/Play/5198