AOSARS TRAINS ZAMBIAN POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS ON REFERENCING USING MENDELEY REFERENCE MANAGER
On Tuesday, 26th August 2025, the African Online School of Applied Research Skills (AOSARS) held a dedicated training session for Zambian postgraduate students on the use of Mendeley Reference Manager for referencing. The session highlighted how postgraduate students can strengthen academic integrity while making the referencing process simpler and more efficient through automation.
Why referencing matters
Participants were reminded of the vital role referencing plays in postgraduate research. It was presented as a way of giving credit to other scholars, avoiding plagiarism, and enhancing the credibility of academic work. A real example from a Zambian postgraduate student’s article was used to show how proper referencing improves the quality of research writing.
From manual challenges to software solutions
Students reflected on the frustrations of manual referencing, such as forgotten sources, inconsistencies between in-text citations and bibliographies, and the strict demands of styles like APA 7th edition. Mendeley Reference Manager was introduced as a practical solution, offering automated management of sources that reduces errors and saves time.
Mendeley Reference Manager in practice
The postgraduate students were guided step by step through downloading, installing, and creating an account in Mendeley Reference Manager. They also learned the difference between Mendeley Desktop and the newer Reference Manager, with the latter confirmed as the supported and updated version.
Different ways of adding references were demonstrated, including:
Importing PDFs and RIS files from academic databases such as Google Scholar.
Setting up “watch folders” that automatically capture new files.
Manually entering details for physical sources or texts without DOIs.
Tools for seamless referencing
Participants were introduced to the Mendeley Web Importer, a browser add-on that captures reference details directly from online sources, and Mendeley Cite for Microsoft Word, which allows in-text referencing and automatic generation of reference lists. Students saw how updating a source in Mendeley automatically refreshes references in Word.
Addressing common questions
The session also provided clarity on questions raised by students:
Mendeley Desktop vs. Reference Manager: Reference Manager is the official, user-friendly, and supported version.
Manual entry of references: Allowed for physical books and older sources without DOIs.
Secondary referencing: Students were introduced to APA 7’s “as cited by” format, though original sources remain preferable.
Paywalled articles: Manageable through RIS imports. Copy-pasting references from Google Scholar was discouraged to avoid errors in later revisions.
Building research capacity in Africa
Students were also introduced to other AOSARS programs that support postgraduate research across Africa. A forthcoming free session on MS Word automation for formatting theses and dissertations was announced. They were further invited to join the AOSARS WhatsApp research group (+254 724 800 626) for ongoing academic discussions and peer support.
Conclusion
The training session on Tuesday, 26th August 2025, gave Zambian postgraduate students hands-on experience with Mendeley Reference Manager, showing them how to simplify referencing and strengthen academic integrity. By focusing on real challenges and offering practical solutions, the session equipped participants with valuable skills for their postgraduate journey.
