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RefWorks Migration Guide: Importing References to Mendeley

About Mendeley Reference Manager

Mendeley is a free, open source citation management tool similar to RefWorks.
You can learn more about using Mendeley Reference Manager by viewing the helpful LibGuide below created by Elsevier.

You can go directly to the Mendeley website to download the free Mendeley Reference Manager software: https://www.mendeley.com

Importing References from to Mendeley Reference Manager

  1. Download, install and open Mendeley Reference Manager on your computer
  2. Click on Add New in upper left corner
  3. Choose Import Library from the drop-down menu
  4. Select BibTeX (*.bib)
  5. Select the file to be imported from the location where it was saved during the export process (Downloads, Desktop, etc)
  6. Click on the Open button
  7. The references will be imported into the All References area of Mendeley.
  8. A Collection in Mendeley serves the same function as a folder in RefWorks.
  9. If you imported a single file containing all of your exported RefWorks references, you can create new Collections as needed and re-organize your references.
  10. Under Collections (on the left side column) click on New Collection
  11. Enter the name for the Collection and press Enter or Return
  12. The name of the new Collection will display on the left side of the screen
  13. Select the references you want to add to a Collection.
  14. At the bottom of the screen, click on Organize and then Add to Collection
  15. Check off the Name of the Collection where you want to store the references
  16. Click Add button
  17. Return to Collections (left side column) and click on the new Collection name
  18. The references should now display under that collection name
  19. If you imported files representing separate RefWorks folders, you should create new Collections as needed following Steps 10 - 12
  20. Import the first file into Mendeley
  21. Go to the Recently Added (Left side column) and select the references you want to to add to the Collection.
  22. Repeat Steps 14 - 18 as needed 
Important: Download PDF files or other attached documents from your New and Legacy RefWorks accounts.
Use Mendeley's Drag and Drop feature to import PDFs and other documents individually. This will create new references for these items in your Mendeley Reference Manager.

Learning to Use Mendeley Reference Manager

Mendeley Reference Manager LibGuide

Need Library Help? Ask A Librarian for Assistance

If you need help exporting or importing references, Ask A Librarian for assistance: 
https://www.njcu.edu/library/library-services/ask-librarian