AOSARS TRAINS GRADUATES STUDENTS ON USE OF MENDELEY REFERENCE MANEGER FOR ACADEMIC CITATIONS
The African Online School of Applied Research Skills (AOSARS) conducted an in-depth training session on mastering citation management using Mendeley Reference Manager, aimed at enhancing researchers’ applied research skills. The session emphasized the importance of citation in academic writing, which involves acknowledging sources used in research and compiling a detailed reference list. Manual citation was noted as time-consuming and prone to errors, such as missing references or difficulties in adapting to citation styles like APA 7th edition, especially when extracting journal articles from larger works like theses. Mendeley Reference Manager was introduced as an efficient tool to automate citation processes, ensuring accuracy and ease of style adaptation.
AOSARS highlighted Mendeley’s user-friendly interface and free component, setting it apart from other citation tools and the now-unsupported Mendeley Desktop Manager. Participants were guided through the setup process, including downloading and installing the software, signing in with a free Elsevier account, and navigating the interface. The references function was demonstrated, enabling users to import references by uploading individual PDF files, importing folders of PDFs, or setting up a watched folder for automatic uploads of new research materials. For sources without digital copies, such as physical books, users learned to manually add references by selecting the appropriate source type (e.g., book, journal article, thesis) to populate metadata fields according to citation style guidelines.
Advanced methods for adding references were covered, including using Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) to retrieve metadata automatically and importing Research Information Systems (RIS) files from platforms like Google Scholar. For researchers transitioning from manual citations, AOSARS showcased the use of AI tools like Grok to convert existing reference lists into RIS files for seamless Mendeley integration. The session also explored the Mendeley Cite add-in for Microsoft Word, which allows users to insert in-text citations and generate automatically updating bibliographies. Participants were taught to distinguish between narrative and parenthetical citations in APA 7 style and how to adjust citation styles within Mendeley Cite to meet specific formatting requirements.
AI tools, such as Grok and Claude, were recommended for verifying APA compliance and generating RIS files, with an emphasis on ethical AI use to streamline clerical tasks. The recording of the session, along with custom-recorded materials for e-learning, is available for a small nominal fee to support platform sustainability at https://aosars.com/courses/a-complete-
guide-to-citation-and-referencing-using-mendeley-reference-manager/.
AOSARS outlined future plans, including bi-weekly free or partially free courses, modular paid courses, and access to pre- recorded sessions and certificates. They invited participants to join WhatsApp platforms for ongoing engagement and announced upcoming sessions on tools like Zotero to compare reference management software.
