LaTeX
LaTeX is a specific document preparation system that allows for high-quality typesetting and is especially useful for technical and scientific documentation.
For use within ITC, there are two manuals available for your MSc or PhD thesis
- You can download the ITC LaTeX package via the ITC software manager and use it on your laptop. This will allow you to work on LaTeX projects offline. This installation will include the MSc and PhD thesis templates (made by Rolf de By).
- There are also slightly different templates available for ITC MSc and PhD theses to use in Overleaf (with an institutional login available). You can use such a template by following these instructions:
- PhD template: Clone the template found here: https://www.overleaf.com/read/gcvsmdhjptxh . The clone will be your own project. It includes a readme file and the manual.
- MSc template: Clone the template found here: https://www.overleaf.com/read/vkrrhtssfszt . And continue using that clone for your project.
Find more information on The LaTeX project website https://www.latex-project.org/.
Referencing with latex
Both Mendeley and Endnote can export references in the BibTeX format used in LaTeX . If you work with Overleaf, also Mendeley integration is available. Do understand that exports from Mendeley are not entirely troublefree and that a good scholar will verify their correctness before using BibTeX.
What is BibTeX?
BibTeX is a tool for managing references so that they can be formatted using the LaTeX document preparation system. LaTeX is widely used in the physical sciences and engineering to format documents containing formulas, equations, etc.
BibTeX references are stored in plain text files, that have the file extension .bib (e.g. references.bib).
A reference for a journal article in BibTeX looks like this:
@article{00255156958,
language = {English},
title = {Properties of quadratic equations and their application to power system analysis},
journal = {International Journal of Electrical Power and Energy System},
author = {Makarov, Y.V. and Hill, D.J. and Hiskens, I.A.},
volume = {22},
number = {5},
year = {2000},
pages = {313--323},
issn = {0142-0615},
abstract = {A number of facts about quadratic algebraic problems and applied Newton-Raphson-like methods are presented. The main results are about solution structure, loading trajectories, load flow feasibility boundaries, and Newton-Raphson solutions. Various practically important applications of these properties are discussed. Although motivated by power flow problems, the results are valid for any problem described by an algebraic system of quadratic equations.},
URL = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0142-0615(99)00041-1},
}
Bibtex and Mendeley
From the Mendeley menu, access "file", go to "Export all" and select the BibTeX format for use in LaTeX. Or use the Mendeley integration in Overleaf when you are working on that platform.
BibTex and EndNote
Converting EndNote References into BibTeX Format
It is easy to convert references from your EndNote library into BibTeX format. This technique can also be used when a database does not support download in BibTeX format. In such cases, download the references to EndNote and then convert them into BibTeX.
Select those references in your EndNote library that you want to convert to BibTeX.
Go to the EndNote Style Manager, and select the style BibTeX Export.
Click on File and select Export.
When the dialog box opens, choose a name for your file and the location where you wish to save it. The file must be a text file (*.txt). In recent versions of EndNote, you must select the output style at the bottom of the Export File Name dialog box.
Open this file in a plain text editor (e.g. Notepad) to confirm that it is in BibTeX format. Close the file and change the name to BibTeX format, e.g. myrefs.bib