Why use BibTeX?
- Once stored in a BibTeX file, a reference can be re-used in future documents (you may choose to maintain one master or a series of BibTeX files)
- Many databases and reference management software allow the automatic export of reference details as BibTeX files (in some cases, bulk export of multiple references is possible)
Basic structure of a BibTeX file
A BibTeX file (.bib) is a list of entries, each representing a different reference. Individual entry begins with a resource type (such as @article, @book, @inproceedings, etc.), followed by a unique key and other fields like author, title, year, etc.
Example: a .bib file entry
@article{goel_using_2017,
title = {Using {AI} to teach {AI}: lessons from an online {AI} class},
volume = {38},
number = {2},
urldate = {2023-11-28},
journal = {Ai Magazine},
author = {Goel, Ashok K. and Joyner, David A.},
year = {2017},
pages = {48--59},
url = {https://ojs.aaai.org/aimagazine/aimagazine/article/2732},
}
What is natbib?
Natbib is a LaTeX package that provides greater control over how citations are created and displayed in your document. It supports various citation styles including numerical style (Vancouver) and author / date (Harvard).
Inserting citations and generating a reference list
- Create a .bib File: compile your references in a .bib file (see Generating BibTeX file)
- Include natbib package: add \usepackage{natbib} in the preamble of your LaTeX document
- Add citations: use relevant variations of the \cite command to add in-text citations
- Specify bibliography style: choose your referencing style with \bibliographystyle{style} (see Harvard, Vancouver, IEEE)
- Generate reference list: add \bibliography{filename} at the end of your document to generate the reference list
In practice:
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{natbib}
\begin{document}
You are citing a reference using Natbib: \citep{Unique_key}.
\bibliographystyle{agsm}
\bibliography{references}
\end{document}
Example: Using Harvard style with Natbib package
