Using a reference management system is vital when you do your final year projects, but can also help you create accurate references in your other assignments.
We support two systems - Mendeley and EndNote. Both can can be used to store references, and then insert the citation in your Word document, automatically building the bibliography for you in the correct style.
See the boxes below for guidance on using them and details of upcoming workshops.
If you are looking for a more basic referencing tool which will generate references in the Royal Society of Chemistry style consider using ZoteroBib:
Mendeley works well with PDFs, allowing you to import them and it automatically captures the reference details to allow you to create references in your work. Use the Word add-in for Mendeley to insert those references into Word and automatically create the reference list.
Use this guide or watch the video to find out how it works.
We offer workshops on using both EndNote and Mendeley. Book your place by selecting from the times displayed below. All workshops take place in the Library.
There are two versions of EndNote - Desktop and Online. Use the guide and videos below to teach yourself how to use Desktop EndNote to manage your references and insert them in Word documents. EndNote Online will act as a backup for your library of references if you set up the sync option.
The University has a site licence for EndNote which covers installation on personal computers. Go to the DTS Self-Service Portal to get the software. Note that you will need to have the full version of Office installed before installing EndNote so that the EndNote toolbar can be added to Word (it will not work with the online version of Word). You can install Office by logging in to Microsoft 365 Copilot with your University credentials, go to 'Apps' and click on 'Install Apps' in the top right of the screen.
When you have installed the software and create your library file. Make sure you save the file to the hard drive of your computer not iCloud or OneDrive, or to a location which is being automatically backed up to the cloud. The Applications area on a Mac, or the Program Files area on a Windows computer should be okay.
Important note for Mac users: If you are Mac user please be aware that once you have installed EndNote it won’t be obvious it is open as it won’t fill the screen until you create a file. Look for the EndNote toolbar across the top of your screen and click ‘File’ then ‘New’ to create a file. It will then fill your screen.
This guide covers:
Watch this series of videos to find out how to use Desktop EndNote.
If you are unable to view these videos on YouTube they are also available on YuJa (University username and password required):
The default Cite Them Right Harvard style available via EndNote has a few small errors in the way it formats references, for instance the closing bracket after date accessed for webpages is missing. Download our corrected version of the style:
Once downloaded open the style and go to 'File' and 'Save as' and 'Save'. This should save it into a location where EndNote can find it and use it. You will then need to select the 'Reading Cite Them Right-Harvard' style from the list of styles in Word (click on 'Select another style' to find it).
Download the RSC style using the link below. Save it into the Styles Folder in the EndNote program files (on the C: drive for Windows computers, in Applications on an Apple Mac).
Abbreviate journal names automatically
It is possible to pre-populate your EndNote library with abbreviated journal names which match the CASSI source index. You need to import the 'Chemical' term list of journal names. This will download thousands of journal names with their matching abbreviations. The RSC referencing style is automatically set to use 'Abbreviation 1' from the term list. Follow our step-by-step guide to find out how to do this:
If your journal name is not in the downloaded list you just need to add it to the Journals Term List with the recognised abbreviation found by searching the CASSI Source Index. If your journal is not in the list look for titles using the same words and copy the abbreviated form to create the correct abbreviation.