Skip to Main Content

ENVI 493: Senior Thesis Research Seminar: Organizing and Citing Sources

Organizing Sources

Organizing your sources is an overlooked part of thinking about your sources. The choices you make to manage your information impact your research question, outline, scope, and ultimately the final product. Here are some tips for finding a way to organize your sources:

  • Proactively rename documents as you download them.
  • Keep a research journal.
  • Use a citation manager to break your bibliography into section-level folders.
  • Create relevant tags for your references to search for themes within your research.
  • Keep a running document of notes. 
  • Create two folders; one of things you want to read, and one of things you have read. 

What Citation Style Should I Use?

Use the style recommended by your professor or choose one of the major styles below based on the discipline for your paper:

  • ACS (American Chemical Society) for chemistry
  • APA (American Psychological Association) for psychology and other social sciences
  • CSE (Council of Science Editors) for biology
  • Chicago (University of Chicago Press)
  • MLA (Modern Language Association) for literature, arts, and humanities

Library-Supported Citation Tools

The libraries support EndNote and Zotero. This table can help compare different tools.

 

EndNote desktop

EndNote Online

Zotero
Type of Program

A software program that you need to download on your computer or use in the computer labs.

A web-based application accessible on any computer, anywhere. A very pared-down version of the desktop version.

A software program with a web-based application accessible on any computer, anywhere.
How to Get It

Williams has a license to this software for students, faculty, and staff available through OIT's software download page.

Download and use Endnote 21 for free!

Anyone can create an account and use Endnote Basic online for free.

Endnote Web is a slightly fancier online version only available if you have downloaded Endnote 21. You can sync between free and subscription accounts.

 Open source. Anyone can download the program and use it for free.
Getting Started

Using EndNote Handout (Williams-specific)
How To Use EndNote 21 in 7 Minutes (Mac OS) (YouTube)
How To Use EndNote 21 in 7 Minutes (PC) (YouTube)

Using EndNote Basic/Online (YouTube playlist)

Endnote Online Essentials (video)

 Getting Started with Zotero (quick start guide)
Functionality Advanced functionality appropriate for sustained research projects such as theses. Can share references and PDFs with up to 100 collaborators.

Basic functionality. Can share references but not PDFs.

Sharing not yet available in Endnote Web.

 Advanced functionality appropriate for sustained research projects such as theses. Can create group libraries to share references and PDFs with collaborators.
Word Processor Integration

Cite While You Write plug-in is added to Word when you download EndNote. It appears as a tab on your toolbar.

Endnote 21 has a google add-on that allows you to cite while you write in google docs.Download the add-on and follow these instructions.

Don't have Word? Download it through OIT. 

Need to download the Cite While You Write plug-in on the computer you are using. Appears as a tab or toolbar in Word.

Cite While You Write in Google Docs is only available while using Endnote Web.

 Automatically integrates with Word and Google Docs accounts. Appears in the toolbars.
Changing Your Mind Can export references in a variety of formats to be imported into other citation management tools. Can export references in a variety of formats to be imported into other citation management tools. Can export references in a variety of formats to be imported into other citation management tools.