Nursing - Graduate Student Orientation

Bibliographic software allows you to create and track references (aka citations) and to create bibliographies or reference lists formatted in the appropriate style, such as APA. You can import relevant records from databases such as CINAHL, PsycINFO and Google Scholar in addition to many others. You can add abstracts, keywords and other functions that enhance and improve the efficiency of your project.

Most bibliographic software allows you to connect to your reference lists while writing your paper in Word.

How does bibliographic software save time?

• Create bibliographies and references almost instantaneously.
• Reduce the likelihood of duplicate citations by removing them
• Create your own critical abstracts, which is part of the the production of your work.
• Re-use or repurpose your own content over time.
• Search and organize your own database of references according to how you would use them.
• Embed footnotes, endnotes and within text citations.

What it won't do:

• It will not create a perfect bibliography or reference list according to your favorite style. You will still have to know APA, so it is a good idea to purchase APA Style Guide.
• It will not correct errors or omissions that were in the database from which you retrieved references. Garbage in, garbage out. If the data uploaded from Google Scholar is not correct, then your citation won't be correct either. You will always need to verify the information.

Endnote is a robust bibliographic software program

• The desktop version is not free, but can be purchased from the University's bookstore for $140.
• The web version is free, but not as robust as the desktop version

To learn more about Endnote, review this guide: Endnote