ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Reference management software

Reference management software is a tool that helps you organize and keep track of the sources you use when you are writing a research paper or project.

Imagine you are building a big puzzle. Each piece of the puzzle is like a source of information, such as a book, article or website that you need to use to write your paper. Just like trying to keep track of all the puzzle pieces, it can be difficult to keep track of all the sources when you are doing research.

Reference management software helps you to keep all your sources organized in one place. It is like having a special box to put all the puzzle pieces for safekeeping. You can add information about each source, like the author, title, and publisher, into the software, and the software will remember it for you. This will help you to quickly find the source again later if you need it.

Another great thing about reference management software is that it can help you to create your bibliography or reference list. When it is time to finish your paper, you usually need to create a list of all the sources you used. This can be a bit tricky, but reference management software can help you by automatically creating a list of the sources you used in the correct format, like APA or MLA.

In summary, reference management software helps you organize and keep track of the sources you use when you are writing a research paper. It is like having a special box to keep all the puzzle pieces safe and a helper to create your list of sources when you are done.
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