🖥️Using a reference manager

There are many options for reference management software, and these may be introduced to you as part of your modules. While many professional researchers don't use these, they often already have well-developed personal systems for managing their literature and referencing. However, as you are starting your studies and are unlikely to already have this kind of workflow, it's worth getting started with a reference manager.

If you prefer not to use a reference manager, that's fine. However, make sure to be very familiar with this style guide, and build time for managing your sources into your workflow. You will have to format your in-text references manually, and generate your lists of references by hand.

What does a reference manager do?

Reference management software can do many things:

1. Allow you to easily add literature to your personal library as you are browsing on the web.

2. Give you a centralised place to store, organise/categorise, search and take structured notes on primary literature. You can maintain this "digital library" throughout your degree.

3. Add in-text references using a plug-in with your word processor, and automatically format these to your desired citation style (including the style outlined in this guide) with a single click.

4. Automatically generate your list of references cited in your writing, properly formatted to your desired style.

Many people only use reference managers when writing (3-4), but its worth noting that you can use these for managing your literature and taking notes (1-2) as well.

What are my options?

There are lots of options for reference management, and new ones come out all the time. Make sure whatever you use integrates with the tools you use to write. For most students, this will be Microsoft Word - but if you use another software or platform check for compatibility.

The University Library provides support and resources for EndNote, which is a popular choice. However, note that this is a paid service and you would lose access to it when you graduate. If you are interested in maintaining a personal library of literature beyond this point (e.g., for postgraduate study), we recommend Zotero, which has all the same functionality, and is free and open source.

Using a reference manager will likely require some independent learning on your part - you will need to look up resources online to figure out how to use it, and may need to troubleshoot issues as you go. It may seem easier to just not bother, but it will pay off over time. You'll build a well-annotated library of sources you can use across modules and assignments, where engagement with the literature is key to your success. Especially when it comes to doing larger pieces of work in your final year, you won't regret having many of the tasks associated with referencing automated.

How do I use a reference manager with this guide?

Whatever software you use, choosing Cite Them Right Harvard Style as the citation style will align well this guide. Nonetheless, remember that the references your manager will generate are only as good as the meta-data you give the software when you are collecting sources (how the software gets this data will depend on the software you use). If the data the manager is using is missing names and dates, these will be missing from your references, too.

You should always carefully proofread your work, including your references. Whether or not you use a reference manager. make sure your proofreading includes looking carefully over your list of references for consistency and errors.