RefWorks Advanced Features Training – Module 7 Using the Output Style Preview Utility
RefWorks Advanced Features Training Module 7
Using the Output Style Preview Utility
Pre-requisite: RefWorks Fundamentals (or basic working knowledge of RefWorks)
Module length: 3 minutes
Module objective: At the end of this module users will be familiar with the
functionality provided by the Output Style Preview Utility.
Section 1 – Using the Output Style Preview Utility
The Output Style Preview Utility is a great place to go when:
-
You aren’t sure what style you need (but know you need Author-Date,
Superscript, etc.
when you want to easily see how a particular reference type is formatted
for a particular style
you want to search for a style similar to what you need so that you can
modify it
The Output Style Preview Utility can be accessed from the Tools area or from
the Bibliography area.
It allows a user to pick any output style and view the formatting for in-text
citations, bibliographies, even footnotes and endnotes (depending on the style
chosen).
o
o
Open Output Style Preview Utility and select Chicago, 15th
Author Date
Then select and display Chicago 15th, Notes version
Formatting is displayed for the “defined” reference types for the selected
output style. Defined reference types are those reference types that the
author’s instructions for a style give examples for. If there is no defined
reference type for a type of reference in a RefWorks database, the Generic
reference type will be used in the bibliography.
For example, let’s say the output style did not have a sample reference for a
Map in the instructions to authors, but a Map needs to be cited in the paper
being written. When RefWorks creates an output style, the Generic ref type is
always defined and used if you are trying to cite a reference type that was not
defined. RefWorks will automatically use that generic definition for that
reference in your bibliography, so at least you have a minimal amount of
information.
The Output Style Preview Utility will either display sample records from the
user’s account or it can use sample references provide by RefWorks. It the
option to use a user’s references is selected, the references are randomly
selected. The user cannot choose which references to be previewed.
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©2008 RefWorks LLC
RefWorks Advanced Features Training – Module 7 Using the Output Style Preview Utility
User Tip: To see specific references formatted in a particular output style, use
the Switch to drop-down and customization options available. (This feature is
covered in the Viewing, Printing and Sorting module)
If a user chooses to use their own references to preview the style, only the
reference types in that user’s account will display in the preview (so if there
are no references with the Conference Proceedings reference type in the
account, a preview reference will not be displayed).
Also, stray punctuation or bad data (due to missing or incomplete reference
information) is visible when using a user’s data and this may not provide the
best representation of how the output style is defined for that reference type.
Users can use the Output Style Preview Utility as a method for finding a style
when they do not have a specific style name, or when they want to create a
style and find one to modify that is close to what they need.
o
Demonstrate looking for a Biology subject style in the list
(Journal of Cell Biology)
Section 2 – Conclusion
Users should now be familiar with:
o How to access the Output Style Preview Utility
o How to preview styles using the Utility
o How to use their own data or RefWorks sample data for previewing
a style.
Next, we’ll cover working offline.
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©2008 RefWorks LLC