I'm getting a -- 'length' is null or not an object -- error message. What should I do?

If you are seeing this message, you are probably using Write-n-Cite III. Sometimes Write-n-Cite III users insert citations in a specific location and then realize they don't want any citations in that location. Using the "Edit Citation" link it is possible to remove the inserted references, but it is easy to forget to remove the curly-Q brackets defining the in-text location as an in-text citation site. Use Ctl F or Edit->Find to search for instances of {{. Alternately, search for {{}}, then for {{ }}, then for {{ }}, etc. to find empty sets of curly-Q brackets separated by different numbers of spaces. When you find an empty {{ }}, highlight it and delete it.

Some Ref Works users will remember that it used to be necessary to revert to Write-n-Cite II before removing the {{}}'s and then convert back to Write-n-Cite III. Fortunately, all this reverting and converting is no longer necessary.

RefWorks isn't working. What should I do?

RefWorks like any internet-based resource will occasionally stop working for unclear reasons. Before deciding that something is wrong with RefWorks worldwide, I try clicking on my internet browser's "Refresh" button. If the "Refresh" button doesn't produce a functioning version of RefWorks, I try one of the following maneuvers at a time until I reach a functioning version of Refworks:

• I try closing all my browser windows and then open a new iteration of the browser.
• I try using the Internet browser's "Tools" menu to access "Options" or "Internet Options" and then delete all cookies, cached internet files and my internet history.
• I try using a different internet browser. Since I usually use Internet Explorer, I would try switching to Mozilla Firefox.
• I restart my computer.

I've rarely encountered a situation when one of the above steps doesn't work.

With Refworks the only other thing I might try is changing the way I access the RefWorks website. Instead of using the link to RefWorks on the Library's homepage, I would try going directly to http://www.refworks.com, using the Log-in button, entering UNMC's group code, and then logging into my account. Going straight to refworks.com can solve a couple of different potential problems. If you are working from outside the campus network, going straight to refworks.com lets you avoid communicating through the Library's proxy server. The proxy server makes your communications look like they're coming from on-campus which improves your access to full-text journal articles, but the proxy server also slows communications, and comes with a time-out function which can prematurely terminate long uploads or downloads. If your problems originate when you try to upload or download a large file, it's definitely worth avoiding the proxy server time-out by accessing RefWorks directly through the www.refworks.com site. When you're on-campus, the way you access RefWorks shouldn't matter. However, there was one instance recently when IP addresses weren't being assigned correctly on campus (the campus uses a non-fixed IP system) and this caused problems with resource access from many campus computers. It's possible that going straight to www.refworks.com might be helpful in that type of situation -- but not certain.

If none of the steps listed above gets you back to a functioning version of RefWorks, call the Library Reference Desk 559-6221 or contact RefWorks technical support. It's possible that RefWorks is experiencing server problems, etc. but, if not, we may be able to help. If you contact us by e-mail, please describe the exact step/s that isn't/aren't working.

Where I can obtain an electronic record for a book?

You might be best served by entering the book information manually. To do this use the "References" menu to select "Add New Reference." Be sure to select the correct "Ref Type." If you are wanting to cite a book chapter, you would need to select "Book, Section." If you want to cite the whole book and the names you have listed are authors and not editors, you would use "Book, Whole." If the names you have listed are editors, you would use "Book, edited." Use the "see detail" links to get to instructions for entering data (especially authors names) in the fields.

There are several sources for partial, electronic records for books. Almost all of these sources are library catalogs or databases of library catalog records. For example, you can search WorldCat for the book of interest and export the record from WorldCat to RefWorks. Click on the "W" link on the Library's homepage to reach WorldCat. Alternately, you can use the Refworks "Search" menu to select "Online catalog or database." Use the drop-down menu to select the "Library of Congress" or other library that is likely to own the book of interest to you and then enter your search terms. I should warn you, however, that you will have to edit the record that you import into your account from either of the sources I've mentioned. Catalog records don't always include all author or editor names. They don't always distinguish authors from editors, etc. So you will need to check all the information that is imported into your Refworks account. It is sometimes more difficult to edit a record accurately than to enter the information manually.

How do I move my RefWorks references into EndNote

The following is based on my knowledge of EndNote 8. Please, do let me know if you find that the process is not identical in your version of EndNote.

There are three parts to this process. You must first export a RIS format file from RefWorks. You must then edit the RIS format file you've saved. Finally, you will have to import the edited file into EndNote.

A. Export a RIS format file

If you are exporting from a RefShare folder:
1. Go to the Refshare folder
2. Select the references you wish to export. You can export several references from a single page, a whole page, or the whole list. To export a whole page, click the "Page" radiobutton above the "Add to My List" and "Export" buttons. To export the whole list of references, click the "adjacent "All in list" radiobutton.
3. Click on the Export button. The "Export" page will appear.
4. On the "Export" page, click the "Bibliographic Software (EndNote,Reference Manager,ProCite)" radiobutton
5. Make sure pop-up blockers are disabled.
6. Hit the "Export to a text file" button at the bottom of the page.
7. The records will appear in RIS format in a new window. Use the browser "File" menu to "Save As" the file type should be set on "Text File (*.txt)". If it isn't, select "Text File (*.txt)", name the file, click the "Save" button and proceed to part "B". below

If you are exporting directly from your Refworks account
1. Log into your RefWorks account
2. Use the "References" menu to select "Export"
3. For "References to include," select the references you wish to export ("all references," references from a specific folder, etc.)
4. For "Export format," select " Bibliographic Software (EndNote,Reference Manager,ProCite)
5. Click the "Export to Text File" button
6. A "please wait" message will appear.
7. A new webpage containing "RIS Format" references will either open on its own or you may have to click a link to open the new page. I've pasted an example of a RIS format reference below.
TY - JOUR
ID - 298
T1 - Long-term campaign. Nursing: the power to make a difference
Y1 - 2007
Y2 - 07
VL - 23
IS - 4
SP - 18
KW - Career Choice*
KW - Persuasive Communication*
KW - Marketing/*methods
KW - Nurses/*supply & distribution
KW - Education, Nursing
KW - Focus Groups
KW - Humans
KW - North Carolina
AB - Although many recruiting campaigns focus on quick results, an effort by the North Carolina Center for Nursing is taking a decidedly long-term approach. Posters are directed at middle school students and even elementary-grade kids.
N1 - Language: English. Date Created: 20070907. Date Completed: 20071003. Update Code: 20071207. Publication Type: Journal Article. Journal ID: 101279978. Publication Model: Print. Cited Medium: Print
A3 - Anonymous
SN - 1931-9592
JF - Profiles In Healthcare Communications
JA - Profiles Healthc Commun
UR - https://library1.unmc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cmedm&AN=17821932&loginpage=login.asp&site=ehost-live
M1 - Journal Article
ER -

8. Use the internet browser's "File" menu to select "Save as." A "Save web page" dialog box will appear.
9. In the "Save web page" dialog box, choose a "Save in" location that you will be able to find, give your file a name you will remember, choose the "Text File (*.txt)" option from the "Save as type" drop-down menu, and click the "Save" button.


B. Edit the RIS format file you've saved

1. Open the saved file from part A.
2. If the file is large, I would recommend copying the entire contents of the file and pasting the copied contents into a Word document for editing. Why? "Replace all" edits as described in steps 3 and 4 of these instructions can stall out in programs like Word Pad or Notepad. If you do choose to do the editing in Word, when the editing process is complete, use Word's "File" menu to select "Save as" and then you will have to choose "Plain text (*.txt) from the "Save as type" drop-down menu before saving the edited file.
3. Use the "Edit" menu to select "Replace." Then have the program find

AB -

(there are two spaces between the B and the hyphen)
and replace it with

N2 -

(there are two spaces between the 2 and the hyphen)
Wait for the replacement process to complete. This step will insure that the abstract is placed in the abstract field in EndNote.
4. Use the "Edit" menu to select "Replace." Then have the program find

EP -

(there are two spaces between the P and the hyphen)
and replace it with

-

Wait for the replacement process to complete.
This step should result in the insertion of a hyphen and then the end page number after the start page number in the EndNote "pages" field.
5. Save the edited file.

C. Import the edited file into EndNote
1. Open the EndNote library you to which you wish to add your EndNote references. **If you haven't already imported journal abbreviation lists into your EndNote Library, you should do this before bringing any refrences into your Library.** (at least this was an important step in setting up libraries in EndNote 8 and earlier. It involved using the "Tools" menu to "Open Term Lists" and selecting "Journals." Please see your manual for further info this and any other steps you should take before importing references.)
2. Use the EndNote "File" menu to select "import."
3. When the "Import" dialog box appears, use the "Choose File " button to locate the revised file saved in step B.5. above.
4. Use the "Import Option" drop-down menu to select "Other filters." The "Choose an Import Filter" box should appear eventually. Scroll down to find and highlight "RefMan RIS." Hit the "Choose" button. The "RefMan RIS" filter should now be chosen in your "Import" dialog box and will appear among the short list of filters in the "Import dialog box's "Choose an Import Filter" drop-down menu in the future.
5. Leave the other settings on their defaults ("Import all" and "No translation")
6. Click the "Import" button.
7. A list of the newly imported references will appear. To see these as part of the entire list of references in your library, you will have to use the EndNote "References" menu to "Show all references."