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RefWorks Basics: Upgrading from RefWorks (Legacy)

Learn how to use RefWorks

Sunset of RefWorks (Legacy) accounts

The Legacy version of RefWorks will be shut down in early 2023. Your last day of access will be 12/31/2022.

Your citations and files can be transferred to the current RefWorks platform by using the orange Upgrade button that you will see on the top left when you log in. 

 

If you do nothing, your RefWorks (Legacy) account will be automatically converted to the current RefWorks platform during the first week of January. You will receive an email with login instructions when that happens.

 

To complete the transition sooner, you can easily transfer all the items you've saved to the new platform by using the orange Upgrade button.

Upgrading your account now will give you time to troubleshoot in case anything goes wrong before you lose access to your RefWorks (Legacy) account. 


Please contact priscilla.finley@unlv.edu if you have questions about this transition. Thanks!  

Resources

FAQs

What does the upgrade process look like? 

What link should I bookmark for access to the current version of RefWorks?

What if I have multiple RefWorks (Legacy) accounts? The new version only lets me create one account linked to my UNLV email. 

If you have multiple RefWorks (Legacy) accounts, you will need to consolidate them into one upgraded RefWorks account connected with your UNLV email address.

As you upgrade each account, you will be given the option to create separate Projects in your upgraded RefWorks account or integrate the contents of all Legacy accounts into one Project.

Projects let you keep collections of references sealed off from one another.  Read more about working with Projects in the Knowledge Center.

If a legacy RefWorks account is used by multiple people, will they all have access to the upgraded account?
The user whose email is associated with the legacy account will have access to the upgraded account and can share the Project with others whom they wish to have access. Project sharing invitations can be accepted by users who have a RefWorks account.

Can I migrate my data to a different citation manager, like Zotero or Mendeley?

You can export your citation data as an .RIS file in order to import it into another citation manager. However, any PDFs, tags or notes that you have created will not be exported from RefWorks (Legacy). 

If you want to retain PDFs, tags, and notes, upgrade to RefWorks first and then export your data. 

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