RefWorks Usage Patterns: Exploring the First Four Semesters of Use by Faculty, Graduate Students, and Undergraduates

This study explores citation management usage patterns of undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty. We analyze the temporal use of RefWorks with an eye toward informing reference services and instruction initiatives. The frequency and intensity of use allow us to glean an understanding of user groups on campus. While our findings for undergraduates and faculty conform to general assumptions, graduate students emerge as a group more similar to faculty than anticipated. Graduate students’ use of RefWorks is characterized by steady logins and large amounts of references; thus, suggesting that personalized instruction might benefit graduate students more than scheduled workshops.