In article <1993Nov17.164609.6378 at nrcnet0.nrc.ca> phi at nrcbsa.bio.nrc.ca (Dr. Barry Phipps) writes:
>Subject: Reference management software
>From: phi at nrcbsa.bio.nrc.ca (Dr. Barry Phipps)
>Date: Wed, 17 Nov 93 16:46:09 GMT
>I would like to buy a software package for management of literature
>references, to be used by a small group of people. I would appreciate knowing
>what other peoples' experiences are with the different packages available, eg.
>Reference Manager, Pro Cite, EndNote, etc..
I've been using Reference Manager for DOS for several years and have recently
started using Reference Manager for Windows. Both programs have a number of
minor problems but they have one tremendous advantage over anything else I've
heard of, namely Reference Update, Abstract Edition. I receive 2 diskettes
weekly containing the current literature which I scan with the profile I've
set up, read the abstracts, choose the ones of interest and then transfer
those citations with no extra typing other than editing changes into the main
Reference Manager database (currently just over 2000 citations). This has been
a tremendous help when writing review articles and when needing to make
citation lists for new graduate students. One other feature of RM that I
particularly like is the ability to set up citations in essentially any
journal format and the fact that RM converts WinWord files to files that I can
send away for publication. The main problems I've had with the Windows version
is that it takes too much memory, does not allow certain international symbols
such as the Scandinavian crossed o and gives minor problems with the TIGA
display that I'm using. However, with the above reservations, I wouldn't want
to write manuscripts without it.
--------------------------------------------------------
Mark Achtman, Max-Planck Institut f|r molekulare Genetik
Ihnestra_e 73, D-14169 Berlin, Germany
e-mail: Achtman at MPIMG-Berlin-Dahlem.MPG.DE
