If you use RefWorks you already know that it is a great tool for creating a database of references. You know that from that database you can develop bibliographies and format citations in your papers. But did you know that you can share your folders or even your entire database with your colleagues, collaborators, classmates, students, residents, or anyone, regardless of their affiliation? RefShare could be used for sharing with co-authors, for a shared lab library, for distributing electronic course reading lists with links to full-text, for resident education — the possibilities are endless.
RefShare provides:
- A URL which is accessible by anyone even non-NYMC or non-Refworks users. This URL can be emailed to your colleagues or posted on a page like in DCDB or Moodle.
- Users with the ability to export, print, comment or create bibliographies from your shared citations depending on how you select your sharing options.
- Real estate in the NYMC Shared Folder Area for others to discover (optional – see below).
- RSS feeds which alert subscribers when new items are added to the folder or database.
- Statistics on number of views of your shared citations.
Please note that RefShare does not allow collaborators to edit the database or folder. If you want to do that you can create a shared account with a shared username and password.
Here’s how to add a folder to RefShare:
Under the “Folders” menu you will find an option to “Share Folders.”
You have the option to either share your entire database or individual folder(s).
You then have options:
- URL – You can cut and paste the URL into an email or onto a web page to share, or have RefWorks send an email for you, as indicated by the arrow (1).
- Print, export, Bibliography, RSS options — these options determine what your collaborators will be able to do with your references. Again, remember, they can not edit your references so allowing all of these poses no danger to the integrity of your database.
- OpenURL refers to the NYMC ArticleLinker which links citations to the library’s licensed full text. Select the “Site Defined” option to have these links appear in your database.
- Output styles are the bibliographic formats that will be available to users. Recommendation: give them as many options as possible.
- Title and Information help viewers identify your database in the Shared Area (2), which you can opt out of and just share with select people if you choose.
The Shared Area is a publicly accessible bank of shared RefWorks databases. Placing your databases and folders in the shared area will allow anyone who visits the shared area to browse your references.
RefShare is a powerful tool for collaboration. If you have questions about its use or would like to discuss further, please either comment here, speak with a User Support librarian 914-594-4210, take one of our RefWorks classes, or schedule a consultation.
The next RefWorks class is Monday, May 10 at 2 PM. To register: http://library.nymc.edu/calendar/index.cfm?calendar_id=420
We look forward to working with you.
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