The document outlines a method for managing references using Excel and Word to simplify the process of deleting duplicates during a systematic review. It details steps to export references, identify and merge duplicates, and finally import cleaned data back into RefWorks. Additionally, it provides tips and troubleshooting advice for common issues encountered during this process.

1. From RefWorks to Excel (via Word) to
RefWorks:
deleting duplicates made easy?
Judith Gulpers
Erasmus University Rotterdam
gulpers@ubib.eur.nl

2. Why using Excel?
The reason to we tried this:
- Systematic Review by PhD-student, but
‘incomplete’ information downloaded from
the sources
- View ‘Duplicates’ – merging of the available
data was needed
- View ‘Duplicates’ seemed incomplete

3. Example search
• Test search:
“Online Social Network*” OR Facebook
AND
Friend*
• Databases:
– Communication & Mass Media Complete (CMMC)
– PsycINFO (via Ovid SP)
– PubMed
– Scopus

4. Example of duplicates

5. Using View Duplicates
• Article from Wilcox & Stephen not in list of
Exact Duplicates (136 references)
• But also not in the list of Close Duplicates
(292 references)
• On closer look: titles from PsycINFO seldom in
list of duplicates
– Month included in Publication Year field?
– Period at the end of the title?
• Which duplicate to delete?

6. Example of duplicates

7. Using Excel - I
1. Export All References - tab delimited
2. Open in Excel

8. Using Excel - II
3. Delete the first and third row
4. Apply filters to be able to sort
5. Freeze top row
6. Search for duplicates
7. Make reference complete by combining the
information from the different databases
8. Delete duplicates

9. Example duplicates

10. Known problems
• Double issues (e.g. 2/3) are dates in Excel
• Diacretics
e.g. Jónsdóttir's,Birgitta in Excel was
Jónsdóttir's, Birgitta

11. After cleaning in Excel
1. Make sure the first column shows the
Reference Type (Journal Article; Book, whole)
2. Change the items in the first row into
RefWorks tags
– Reference type = RT; Publication year = YR
– These tags are given in an old RefWorks manual
– Personal notes = PA

12. Next step: via Word!
1. Use Mail Merge – to get the tags vertically
instead of horizontally (Excel) per reference
(normally used for addresses)
2. Easiest: use the Wizard

13. Steps in the Mail Merge Wizard
1. Select the type of document > Directory
2. Select the Word file > use Current
3. Select the recipients > the excel file
4. Arrange the directory > connect the tags with
the excel file
5. Preview the directory; OK then:
6. Complete the merge and save the Word-
document as a text-file

14. Step 4 in the Mail Merge Wizard
• Enter the tags and use insert Merge Field to add the
Field
• I entered all database fields first and then added the
tags

15. Step 5 in the Mail Merge Wizard

16. Import in RefWorks

17. Tips & Tricks
• Save the Word-document with the tags (from
Step 4) – you can re-use it!
• Test with ID-numbers unsuccessful: they end
up in the Notes field
• You can also do this with Access databases
• We use it also to make downloads from the
GGC (cataloging system of OCLC)

18. Links
• The manual (with tags) from RefWorks:
https://www.refworks.com/userlog/support/Conve
rting%20Access%20Excel%20Word.pdf
(missing in the help files of RefWorks?)
• Our manual (in dutch):
http://rweur.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/van-
refworks-naar-excel-naar-refworks.pdf

19. Thanks for your attention!