Resources for Research and Doctoral Students

Reference managing software allows you to store and organise all the references you use for your assignments keeping them in your own personal database or library.

• search easily for a particular reference to which you need to refer using details such as ISBN or title
• make and save your own notes about the sources you add
• print or save a list of references
• insert citations into your document and automatically produce a reference list / bibliography in whatever style you require.

Benefits: saves time and stores your references on the go.

• you can import references with a click from databases, websites or the library catalogue
• it saves you time, especially when you have a number of assignments to do. 

For information and links to guides about different referencing styles, see our Referencing page.

There is free software that can help you to store and organise your references and produce bibliographies. Library Services encourages the use of Zotero and the Academic Liaison Librarians are able to offer sessions on its use.

• Zotero is an open-source tool, originally for use with the Mozilla Firefox browser, which can be freely downloaded to your Windows, Mac or Linux computer. It also has extensions for use with Google Chrome and Safari browsers. You can download a standalone version and sync it to your Zotero account when using any shared computer. When using your own computer, sync Zotero to retrieve and incorporate changes made on another computer. Plug-ins can be downloaded for use with Word and LibreOffice when producing your in-text citations and bibliographies. Zotero has the ability to help you connect to and share references with other researchers.
  • Find guidance at Zotero support pages  and the Zotero quick start guide.
  • Get help from your Academic Liaison Librarian.

• And if you want something simpler, like a reference generator, why not give Zoterobib a try?!

Exceptions to note with some references:

• academic posters
• social media posts
• streaming services
• images

You will need to enter the information on a blank template on this referencing platform. Copy the referencing information from the London Met Harvard Referencing for those types of research formats. 

Head on over to: Referencing, academic integrity and avoiding plagiarism - LibGuides at London Metropolitan University