Bibliographic Software and the Electronic Library

Bibliographic software is an essential tool for the downloading of bibliographic records from databases on CD-ROM and other electronic media in the emerging electronic library. This book provides information scientists and librarians with the guidance they need to evaluate, select and support bibliographic software. Part 1 provides an introduction to bibliographic software and its use for importing downloading records into personal databases for citing in papers. Part 2 provides five contrasting case studies on the evaluation, selection and the use of the main packages in academic and research organizations: Pro-Cite at the University of Portsmouth, Reference Manager in a School of Medicine, End Note at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, Papyrus at the University of Manchester and a systematic trial of all the major bibliographic and formatting software at the Thornton Research Centre of Shell Research. Part 3 considers the legal implications of downloading records from databases including the proposed European Directive on the Legal Protection of Databases.
Four appendices provide: contact addresses for the packages, guidance on the reformatting of BIDS databases, Internet discussion lists for bibliographic software, criteria for evaluating packages and a user trial questionnaire. A bibliography of recent literature and advice on obtaining demonstration copies of the packages encourages the move from theory to practice.