referencehelps

Referencehelps is a cloud-based reference management and citation assistance service designed to help researchers organize bibliographic data and generate correctly formatted citations. It aims to streamline workflow from literature discovery to manuscript writing.

Key features include import from databases via DOI or bibliographic formats; support for BibTeX, RIS, EndNote XML; automatic metadata enrichment; deduplication; tagging and notes; PDF annotations; and cross-device syncing.

It provides citation formatting in common styles such as APA, MLA, Chicago, Vancouver, and IEEE, with options for style customization, and offers integrations with Microsoft Word and Google Docs for in-text citations and bibliography generation.

Collaborative features enable shared libraries, access controls, and real-time collaboration; data is stored in the cloud with export options and controls over privacy and ownership.

The product emerged in the broader market of digital reference tools and is widely used in universities and research institutions, though detailed corporate histories are not always publicly documented.

Critics note that automated metadata can contain errors and that dependence on cloud services raises privacy and security considerations. Offline use may be limited, and premium subscriptions may be required for full functionality.

See also: reference management, citation styles, BibTeX, Zotero, EndNote.