Bibliographic tools cite sources for writers. Different disciplines of study require academic writers to consult different citation style guides. All of these styles guides -- Modern Language Association, American Psychological Association, American Anthropological Association, Chicago Manual of Style and more -- offer complex guidelines on how to reference research both within the body of a paper and in a bibliographic page at the end. These guidelines even govern the use of periods in citations and can be difficult to follow. Making mistakes or typos is also easy when referencing numerous citations. However, with a reference tool, a writer can simply enter the publication information into boxes on a web page, and the program will automatically format the source. Some reference programs only require the ISBN number.
One of the frustrations with academic style guides is that associations change them frequently. However, bibliographic tools update citation guidelines automatically, so writers don't have to learn new style guide modifications. This saves writers time and money because they don't have to purchase new style guide editions as they come out.
As writers work, bibliographic tools keep track of resources, saving them for later. This way, a writer does not have to carry dozens of books around or even worry about writing down the publication information and finding it again later. A reference tool will save all the information for the writer. Most reference tools will even save entire electronic articles for writers, so the writer doesn't have to print or email them to herself. If a writer sees an article of interest but is not certain if he will need it, a reference program will file the article, allowing the writer to look at it at a later time.
Because bibliographic tools are electronic, writers can save them on one computer and access them from another. Researchers working in libraries can save sources to their reference account and then log into their account at home or the office and access them again there. This saves writers from writing down or printing publication information. Writers can also modify or delete bibliographic entries at any time with electronic bibliographic tools.
Because bibliographic tools keep research organized and properly cited, they make it easy for writers to avoid plagiarism -- improperly citing or not citing ideas from outside sources they have relied on in their writing. Academic dishonesty can have serious consequences, including a zero on a paper, expulsion from school, being let go from a job or a public scandal, if the author intends to publish her research.