Product: EndNote 3.0.0 for Windows 98

Author: P.J. Chandler, Jr., M.D., M.B.A.

Discipline: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Contact: tgfbeta@swbell.net, Ambulatory Plastic Surgery Center, Richardson, TX

The EndNote program has been an invaluable tool in translational research (reviewing the work of others and applying it to present day problems) done in this office for several years. Early editions of EndNote were used for compiling a bibliography on the breast implant immune issue and its relation to the finding of talcum powder from surgical gloves in these patients. With the availability of MEDLINE to the public, articles back to 1966 were easily obtained. With newer editions of EndNote, the ability to format a paper for most journals has become simpler. There is little time and effort required using the program as it is compatible with my word processor, imports references with ease, and allows the maintenance of an organized library. There is very little new under the sun in medicine. Many present day research questions have been answered in the past in the literature. Using the findings of others is an inexpensive way to solve problems without having to conduct basic research anew. Because MEDLINE only goes back to 1966, I have found in communications with the Library of Medicine that OLDMEDLINE (pre-1966 material) is being digitalized and is available through Grateful Med for search capability. I could not find a way to directly import references into my library with the connection files, but with the help of EndNote's online technical support, found this can be done by the use of EndNote's import filters. With EndNote's excellent Help function and user-friendly manual, I found the URL function to access full texts of articles in my bibliography. Once full text is obtained, i.e. internet or scanner and OCR, I can enter the address of the article in the URL section of the article's record and that's it! From then on, I just select a title listed in our library, push Ctrl + G, and I've got full text of the article right in front of me whenever I need it. These articles can now be searched when documentation is needed in the development of a paper for publication. I have compiled a library of 1,673 articles that have been published in many different journals since the 1950's. Reviewing the references of these articles has expanded this bibliography to before 1900. As I become more familiar with EndNote, I'm realizing its limitless capabilities as a tool in translational research.