Introducing Refwork @ Drexel

Introducing RefWorksto the Drexel Community

Tim SiftarInformation Services Librarian

July 17, 2008

Outline

Why? Context Questions we asked ourselves Promoting RefWorks Measuring success

Why? Why now? Why us?

Why? Convenience Plagiarism prevention

Why now? Growing student body & demand New, better-priced option, user-friendly

Why us? “Library” issue – not computing services Chance to “shine”

Drexel Context

“Drexel University 1995-2007 Enrollment Trends,” Drexel Enrollment Management Office 2007.

Drexel Context

“Drexel University 1995-2007 Enrollment Trends,” Drexel Enrollment Management Office 2007.

Citation Management Support

20032004

20052006

20072008

noth

ing

SF

X im

port

to R

efW

orks

Questions we asked ourselves

Did our users need it? How to promote? How to train? How to support?

Promoting: literature

RefWorks handouts (went fast) Text tipsheets (too much text?) Exhibit “Never type a bibliography again” “Library Lifesavers” bookmark – just the facts

Online tipsheet: http://www.library.drexel.edu/resources/tutorials/refworks.html

Promoting: communications

Short emails & newsletter articles Announcements to faculty & staff Tabling events on campus (raffle entry if

signed up) Front page website “quick-link”

Promoting: instruction

Mention during required freshman research instruction (some quick demo)

Hand’s-on training during subject librarian orientations (10-40 minute)

Self-guided Powerpoint screenshot & Camtasia streamed video versions

Integrate into overall librarian messageWeb-based examples:http://www.library.drexel.edu/resources/tutorials/UsingRefWorks.swfhttp://rmc.irt.drexel.edu/playlists/gc24/RefShare_and_Inserting_Bb_Links.html#

Tutorial: http://www.library.drexel.edu/resources/ER/CitingReferences1.html Powerpoints: www.library.drexel.edu/resources/tutorials/UsingRefWorks.ppt

www.library.drexel.edu/services/documents/EndNoteJayBhatt.ppt

Promoting: in the curriculum

Required in Freshman Engineering Design (~700 students)  ENGR101 - individual assignment  ENGR102-ENGR103 - group design projects use

it for sharing references

Source: Jay Bhatt, Drexel Engineering Librarian

Promoting: to admin staff

Departmental bibliographies input via RefWorks & promoted via RefShare

Research assistants deliver work as RefWorks list

Promoting: how we sell it

Demo database import and bibliography generation for the quick sell.

Stability & convenience of SFX links to full text.

“Write-n-Cite” integration with MSWord. Shared workspace good for project teams.

Promoting: via library tech

Support

Train all Ref Desk staff on basics . One or two “champions” to cover finer points

and get listed for tech support. Offer “brown bag” overview for computing

services tech support. Promote excellent RefWorks tutorial & help.

Measuring success

0

1000

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3000

4000

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6000

Faculty Graduate "Other" Researcher Undergraduate

Drexel RefWorks Users - July 2008

User Count

Total Users = 8,489

Measuring success

RefWorks Usage Aug '07-Jul '08

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Aug-0

7

Oct-0

7

Dec-0

7

Feb-0

8

Apr-0

8

Jun-

08

Month

# U

se

rs

Repeat Users

New Users

Total Users

Total Users = 8,489

Measuring success

0

5

10

15

20

25

Aug-0

7

Oct-0

7

Dec-0

7

Feb-0

8

Apr-0

8

Jun-

08

Month

Oc

cu

ran

ce

pe

r u

se

r

AverageReferences addedper user

Average SessionsPer User

Total Refs = 200,516

Measuring successUndergraduate RefWorks Users by Discipline

Business

Humanities

Nursing

Medicine

Science & Technology

Social Sciences

Other

n=5117 (July 2008)

Going forward?

Zotero “sync preview” - web-hosted optionhttp://www.zotero.org/documentation/sync_preview “Papers” – http://mekentosj.com/papers/ (mac) EndNote Web - http://www.endnoteweb.com/

More?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_reference_management_software

Brainstorming!

Follow up questions?

siftar@drexel.edu

215-895-2762