Erin recently blogged about a new feature in MyEBSCOhost that allows you to add notes.  You can also add notes in RefWorks for individual articles.  Check out the RefWorks Basic Guide, which shows you how to Create an Annotated Bibliography.  Just follow the instructions to Create an Annotation to add your notes.

If you already have a MyEBSCOhost account you can easily transfer all of your references to RefWorks.  Just follow the steps on the Exporting from Library Databases guide for EBSCOhost databases and export from your MyEBSCOhost folders.  You have to option when you export to RefWorks to delete the articles from your MyEBSCOhost folder or leave them there, so you can either continue to keep them in both places if you like.

Hungry to learn more about RefWorks?  Check out one of our RefWorks Online Seminars.  Just go to the RefWorks Information Page (linked as RefWorks from the Library Homepage) to register!

-Sommer

At the session we cover the following:

1. Creating a personal account
2. Getting references into RefWorks
3. Organizing with folders
4. Navigating RefWorks
5. Building APA Bibliographies

In the meantime, check out these recommended RefWorks guides:

• RefWorks Basic Features
• Importing from the Library Databases

Questions? Ask a Librarian!

-Sommer

I am at the Phoenix PhD Colloquium this week and a learner asked me for some suggestions on setting up a naming system for her folders in RefWorks. One of the first ways that comes to mind is to create folders by a course number or name of the assignment,  and also by subject .  You can then put on article in multiple folders. That way you have your articles organized for your coursework and also by subject for when you work on your comprehensive exams and dissertations. 

What is nice about RefWorks is that you don’t need to come up with the perfect system to start.  RefWorks has very sophisticated ways to search for articles under the Search menu at the top of the RefWorks page. You can search by topic, author, journal title and many other options. So even if you only remember a few details about an article you can locate it. You can also always create, rename or delete folders using the Organize Folders link under the Folders menu in RefWorks.

If you have further questions on setting up folders or using the search function in RefWorks check the handouts RefWorks Basic Features  and RefWorks Advanced Features. Or Ask-a-Libarian.

What is your strategy for naming your folders in RefWorks?

Robin

Unfortunately, the Folder feature in the databases is misleading. And as these learners found out, the majority of our library databases will not save your marked articles once you end your session. The folders in the databases are for use only during your search session, at the end of which you can print, email, or save your marked articles in another location (your hard drive, flash drive, etc.)  You also have the ability to export the citations of the articles you found directly into RefWorks. 

RefWorks is the method we recommend for saving articles over a period of time.  At its most basic, RefWorks will keep track of your article citations and maintain links to retrieve the full-text of your articles.

For more RefWorks info, check out these blog posts: 

•  RefWorks Gets Applause in Dallas
• Why Use RefWorks?

To begin using RefWorks to organize and maintain your citations, check out the resources we have available on the library’s RefWorks page and create your free account.  There is a media piece on the right-hand side as well as several Basic and Advanced Features guides that will help you get started.  If you get stuck or need assistance, just give us a call.  We’re happy to walk you through RefWorks over the phone.

There is another way to maintain access to articles you’ve put in a folder, but only when using the EBSCOhost databases.  EBSCO allows you to create a personal account using My EBSCOhost.  This is a free service, you just need to take a minute or two to set up your account.  Once you are signed in, any articles you put in a folder will be saved for you, as well as previous searches you tried, etc.

- Jennie

If this sounds familiar, check out Capella Library’s Database Research Log and our Scholarly Research Log.  The Database Research Log is a worksheet created to help learners keep track of their database searching by seeing what databases they’ve tried, what keyword combinations they used, and where they might need to go next.   

The Scholarly Research Log is a worksheet best used to keep track of individual books or articles found during the research process.  The Scholarly Research Log allows learners to track the resources they’ve found, if they are peer-reviewed, if they were ordered via Interlibrary Loan, and what theories/methods/findings were discussed in the article.

So next time you’re having trouble keeping your searching and your resources organized, remember these tools are here to help you.

- Jennie

The current Group Code is Si3cly.

You only need the Group Code if you’re using Write N Cite, exporting from Google Scholar, or accessing RefWorks from outside of the Capella Library. Logging into RefWorks through the Library eliminates the need to use the Group Code.

For more information about RefWorks, check out the following guides:

• RefWorks Basic Features
• Importing from Library Databases
• RefWorks Advanced Features

If you’ve been using EndNote and would like to make the switch to web-based RefWorks, then check out this guide: Transferring from EndNote.

-Sommer

But before you close your courseroom for the last time, think about the readings and guides that were in your course. If you think they might help you later on, this is the time to save or print hard copies for your personal library.

This is especially important if you are a doctoral learner. Building a collection of important readings now can help you prepare for your comps, and even your dissertation. We often get calls from learners trying to remember a great reading from three or four quarters ago. It’s not so easy to do, and sometimes there just isn’t enough information tucked into the recesses of your memory to refind the exact item you want. It’s much better to have it at your fingertips.

Just printing the Course Materials page from the syllabus can be helpful (all the citations are there, and you can use Journal & Book Locator to find them again). Or you can send the citation information to RefWorks as you do your readings. Then you’ll be ready to add them to a bibliography if you use them later on.

Whatever way you do it, now’s the time to take a moment to collect and organize. Building your personal library often goes hand in hand with building your knowledge in the field.

-Erin

If you’re having trouble navigating the redesigned Library website, take a look at Erika’s blog post from 12/9 with some navigation tips. All of the library databases, including Dissertations & Theses Full Text & the ebook databases (ebrary, NetLibrary, etc.) can be found by clicking on the link Articles, Books and More.

If you’ve got New Year’s Resolutions on your mind and are wondering what you could resolve to help you become more successful in your coursework in 2009, try resolving to keep your resources organized with a shiny new RefWorks account. RefWorks will also help you generate Reference Lists in APA format (just be sure to edit it with your human eye, as computer generated ref lists can have errors). Check out the RefWorks Blog Posts we’ve written since we added it in August this year.

Here’s to an organized and efficient 2009!

-Sommer