Citation Management Tools
Citation management tools help you manage your research, collect and cite sources, and create bibliographies in a variety of citation styles. Each one has its strengths and weaknesses, but any are easier than using notecards or stacking piles of paper on your desk.
The Biosciences and Natural Resources maintains a helpful overview of various citation and document managers. One update to their information is that Zotero now can be used with browsers other than Firefox; see Zotero 3.0 Beta for information about this exciting change.
For further information, check out these websites:
Zotero installing, quick start guide and all sorts of information about using. Zotero is free and keeps copies of what you find on the web, permits tagging, notation, full-text searching of your library of resources, works with Word and has a free web backup service.
RefWorks user guides, tutorial and upcoming webinars. The Library pays the annual licensing fee so that it's free for UC Berkeley users. You can create your own database by importing references and using them for footnotes and bibliographies. Use the RefWorks New User Form to sign up.
EndNote offers support and BIOS has a page devoted to information about using; you can buy EndNote from UC Berkeley's Software Central.
Double check the formatting -- sometimes the software doesn't get it quite right.
Style Manuals
When preparing a bibliography, you’ll want to establish which style sheet your professor wishes you to use. For undergraduate English classes, the preferred style sheet is often the Modern Language Association’s MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. This publication also contains valuable information about the entire research process from choosing a topic, to avoiding plagiarism, to formatting the paper.
MLA handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7th edition. New York : Modern Language Association of America, 2009.
Doe Reference Reference Hall LB2369 .G53 2009
Main Gardner Stacks LB2369 .G53 2009
Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab created the MLA Formatting and Style Guide, which is quite useful.
Other common style manuals:
Columbia Guide to Online Style (UCB-only access)
Janice R. Walker and Todd Taylor. 2nd ed. NY: Columbia Univ. Press. 2006.
The Chicago Manual of Style (UCB-only access)
15th ed. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, 2003. Searchable, online version of the Chicago Manual of Style (15th edition).
Cite Right: A Quick Guide to Citation Styles--MLA, APA, Chicago, the Sciences, Professions, and More (UCB-only access) Charles Lipson. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, 2006.
Campus Library Map
Click on the image below to see a larger interactive version of the campus library map.
You can also view/download a PDF map of library locations. For library contact information and building addresses, visit our directory.
Off-campus access to library resources
You can access UCB Library resources from off campus or via your laptop or other mobile device using one of two simple methods:
Proxy Server
After you make a one-time change in your web browser settings, the proxy server will ask you to log in with a CalNet ID or Library PIN when you click on the link to a licensed resource. See the setup instructions, FAQ, and Troubleshooting pages to configure your browser.
VPN (Virtual Private Network)
After you install and run the VPN "client" software on your computer, you can log in with a CalNet ID to establish a secure connection with the campus network.
Library Workshop: Research 101
Unsure how to start a paper or research project? Think maybe you could stand to brush up on search strategies?
If this sounds familiar, Library Workshop: Research 101 has you covered. This interactive tutorial explores six stages of the research process. You can view it from start to finish, or focus on specific sections as needed:
Starting strategies from choosing a topic to search keywords.
The publication timeline, scholarly v. popular sources, and differences in academic disciplines.
Search for books and other items in OskiCat, Cal's local library catalog.
Locate and access articles in library research databases.
A good place to start is the Modern Language Association International Bibliography.
Common techniques for constructing searches that yield useful results.
Speclialized search strategies for targeting specific topics.