MUSY 301: Introduction to Music Research and Writing

ProQuest RefWorks is a citation management tool that helps researchers gather, manage, store, and share information and generate citations and bibliographies in various styles.  

Extensive video tutorials are available. The Write-N-Cite plugin allows you to cite sources while creating a paper in Word or Google Docs, automatically building your cited references list as you write.

Refer to our RefWorks guide for how to get started with RefWorks at Oberlin.

Zotero is a free app that collects, organizes, and cites research sources in various citation styles.

It allows you to import citation information from databases, the library catalog, and websites. You can attach digital files (PDFs, images, etc.) to your citations, organize them into collections for different projects, and create bibliographies with a few clicks.

Getting Started

Step 1

Register an account on Zotero.org. This will sync your collection to the cloud as a backup (up to 300 MB for free).

Step 2

Download:

• Zotero 7 app: A stand-alone application to install on your computer.
• Zotero Connector: A web browser add-on to save to Zotero from your browser (Chrome, Edge, and Firefox work best). The Zotero Connector for Safari is bundled with Zotero. You can enable it from the Extensions pane in the Safari settings.

Word processor plugins for Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and LibreOffice come bundled with the Zotero app. They will be installed automatically.

Step 3

Once you have installed Zotero on your computer, go to Settings > Sync and sign in with your Zotero.org account. This will create an online backup of your Zotero library and allow you to access it on your computer or Zotero.org.

Zotero Mobile

Zotero is also available on the Apple app store. An Android app is not yet available.

• Keep a research journal: It is important by Anuja Cabraal

• WHY (AND HOW) I KEEP READING AND RESEARCH JOURNALS by Sherran Clarence

• Why (and how) should I keep a research journal?

1. Google Form
2. Google Sheets 
3. FileMaker Pro (This is what I'm using)

1. Scrivener
2. Google Docs
3. Google Sheets OR Microsoft Excel

Scrivener aims to serve serious writers. To that end, it provides extra features for managing long documents, and helps you organize the chapters, plot lines, characters, and general structure of your novel.

For example, with Scrivener, you can view your research and notes alongside the actual manuscript, and you can break up the text however you like. It acts more like a complete project manager for the whole writing process. You can also fine-tune all kinds of formatting options, including headers, footers, and footnotes. This extended level of control continues when you’re ready to export your work: Scrivener supports all the popular formats, including PDF and Microsoft Word.