Reference management: UKHSA Knowledge and Library Services
Source: gov.uk (2025-07-27)

Guidance from Knowledge and Library Services (KLS) on managing references effectively as a key part of research, writing, and collaboration.

Managing references effectively is a key part of research, writing, and collaboration. Reference management tools help streamline the process of collecting, organising, removing duplicates and citing sources, ensuring accuracy and consistency across your work.

Overview of reference management

Reference management tools allow you to:

store and organise references for books, journal articles, websites, and more

insert citations directly into documents using plugins for Microsoft Word and other editors

generate bibliographies in a wide range of citation styles (such as APA, Harvard, Vancouver)

collaborate with colleagues by sharing reference libraries

Sharing reference libraries using RIS format

A RIS file is a standard plain text format used for exchanging bibliographic references. It was developed by Research Information Systems, which is where the name ‘RIS’ comes from. The RIS file format is a widely supported standard for exchanging reference data between different reference management systems.

Each RIS file contains citation details - such as author, title, publication year, and journal name - using two-letter tags (for example, AU for author, TI for title, PY for publication year). These tags are followed by a hyphen and relevant information.

A RIS file allows you to:

export your reference library from one tool (such as EndNote, Zotero, Mendeley)

share the .ris file with colleagues

import the file into another reference manager while preserving citation details

This makes RIS an ideal format for collaboration across teams and organisations using different tools.

Access to EndNote

EndNote is a comprehensive reference management tool that includes features such as integration of ‘Cite While You Write’ with Microsoft Word, smart groups for organising references, the ability to annotate and highlight research documents, and automatic reference formatting. It also provides access to full-text PDFs where available, either through institutional subscriptions or open access sources.

UKHSA staff have access to the full desktop version of EndNote through the company portal (previously Software Centre) - all UKHSA staff should use Endnote when preparing documents for publication

for those whose organisations do not provide access to the EndNote desktop version, a free web-based version, EndNote Online (https://access.clarivate.com/login?app=endnote), is available - while it has fewer features than the desktop version, it still offers robust tools for managing and sharing references

Knowledge and Library Services (KLS) offer training and support on using EndNote and general reference management for UKHSA, OHID, NHSE and LAPH. Other reference management packages are available, but KLS is unable to provide specific training for these tools. For help using EndNote or troubleshooting problems, contact us.

Contact us

For further information or queries, contact us.

Get in touch (https://forms.ukhsa.gov.uk/kls-enquiries)

Feedback

This is a new service. Help us improve it by providing feedback (https://submit.forms.service.gov.uk/form/7932/give-feedback-on-knowledge-and-library-services).