As a master’s student, you know that to get your dissertation published, you need to have a perfect dissertation. A perfect dissertation is what describes and crafts each element clearly. Everything is polished in such a dissertation, from the introduction to the reference section. However, it has been observed that many student researchers do not pay proper attention to the references. They take the data from a source and do not reference it in their dissertation. The primary reason found behind this is the students’ lack of knowledge in making references. It is why today’s article is all about explaining some top tools that can generate references for a master’s dissertation. However, before moving to the tools, let’s explain what a reference is in a dissertation and why is it important?
What Does The Word “Reference” Mean In Research?
Reference in its literal meaning is the use of a source of information to find something. For example, you ask someone to tell you the address of a particular location. Now, the person you have asked in your reference. In terms of research, reference means the source of information ( a book, research paper, or journal) to which you refer your reader. It simply means that the information that the reader is reading is borrowed from another piece of information. Using a particular referencing style, you are referring your reader to that particular source.
Why Is It Important To Generate References?
References are an important element of a masters dissertation. It is the references in a dissertation that justify the source of your information. If you do not add proper references, you may face plagiarism issues. So, by generating references which depict that the ideas and information used in the dissertation are someone else’s, you save yourself from plagiarism issues. Also, the references are the supporting evidence of your claims in the dissertation. Hence, in light of the points above, it is imperative to generate references for a master’s dissertation.
Top Tools To Generate References
From the discussion above, you have learned about the meaning of a reference. Also, in the subsequent question, I have explained the importance of generating references. Now, let’s talk about the top tools that you can use to generate references for a master’s dissertation. Hence, a brief description of the tools is as follows:
EndNote
EndNote is the most popular and easy-to-use reference-generating tool. It acts as both a reference generator and management software. This tool has the ability to manage and import references from online sources like PubMed, Web of Science etc. You can also import the references by using the citation manager in this tool. However, if you do not have the reference or citation, it can create them for you. all you need to do is provide this tool with the required information like author name, source name, publishing etc., and it will create the reference for you in just a minute. EndNote comes in both desktop versions and can also be added as an add-in to MS Word. The basic version is free, but the desktop is paid.
Zotero
Zotero is a totally free-to-use referencing tool. It can collect, cite, organise, and share references. This tool comes with a browser extension. This extension automatically senses the content in your browser window and allows you to add it to the library. However, the primary function of Zotero is referencing generation. This tool can generate references for a master’s dissertation in any referencing style. It can generate references in every style, whether it is APA, Harvard, MLA, or Chicago. Identifying duplicate entries and offline working are two additional benefits of using Zotero as referencing tool.
Mendeley
Mendeley is not a reference-generating tool; it is a whole literary world. Its functions are so much that it looks like a web browser. Nevertheless, this tool is another free-to-use referencing tool which acts as a generator and manager of references. Additionally, you can search for the relevant literature to your topic using Mendeley Literature Search. This amazing tool also supports importing references and citations from other tools. the good thing about Mendeley is that its MS Word and LibreOffice add-ins are easily available. You can download them easily from the internet. The add-in enables you to create and insert the reference or citation. In other words, it is a great masters dissertation help tool to generate references for everyone.
Citethisforme
A very popular tool to generate references for a master’s dissertation, Citethisforme creates citations and references with just a click of one button. The working mechanism of this tool is also very simple. Simply go to the page you want to cite or create a reference. Copy the link to that page and insert it into this tool and click on generate reference. Do not forget to select the referencing style because this tool can create references in MLA, APA, Harvard, and Chicago referencing styles. Another good thing about this tool is that it puts no weight on your pockets. It means you can use this tool for free.
RefWorks
The last tool on today’s list is RefWorks. This tool works pretty similarly to EndNote. RefWorks is a web-based tool that needs login to use. Not everyone can use this tool as only the educational institutes buy the subscription for this tool for students, faculty members, and staff. As all the references are stored online, the users of this tool can access the software from anywhere using any computer. All they need is a computer connection. This tool also comes with an MS Word add-in, meaning you can directly import the references to MS Word. It allows the researchers to create a bibliography in a wide variety of styles.
Conclusion
Conclusively, references are your saviour from plagiarism. Therefore, you must ensure the use of asked referencing style in your master’s dissertation. to generate references for a master’s dissertation, a number of tools are available these days. Some of those tools are already mentioned above. Hence, study them deeply, know about their working mechanism, and rock your master’s dissertation.
