Product: EndNote Plus v. 2.11 Macintosh

Author: Tom T. Postmes, Ph.D.

Discipline: Dept. Of Communication

Contact: University of Amsterdam, Oude Hoogstraat 24, 1012 CE Amsterdam, The Netherlands

People are often conservative in their experimentation with new technology and new software. Although most people are aware that there exist tools to aid scientists in maintaining their references and bibliographic database, I am always surprised at how few people actually use them. It seems people develop ways to cope with the cumbersome publication guidelines for referencing and bibliographic information. Moreover, people seem to depend on these existing methods no matter how impractical they might be, and they need a strong motivation to alter their routines, however much they might improve by doing so.

I was no exception to this rule, and kept various lists of publications in various formats. Whenever the dreaded day came to compile a reference list, I usually spent hours and hours collecting references, digging out papers, and bringing the list into its appropriate editorial shape. Yet this was my method to deal with referencing, and I cannot say I was too unhappy with it: it was just something I saw as part of the job. One day a colleague of mine showed me that he used EndNote to maintain a database of relevant publications. He gave me a copy of his database, and because there were many useful references in it I started using EndNote to access this resource. During the following years, while doing my Ph.D. research, I gradually discovered what is possible with EndNote, and later with EndNote plus. Although every program takes some investment at first, EndNote was so accessible that it rapidly became my preferred bibliographic aid.

I am now devoted to this program: it offers a wide range of possibilities that make it a huge time-saver, a great organizer, and a powerful tool. In our University we have direct access to all relevant abstracts on CD-ROM. I use these CD-ROMs to look up papers that are worthwhile, and I can read the abstracts without leaving my desk. The great power of EndNote Plus is that it interfaces perfectly with this database. I now use EndLink to capture my references directly from CD-ROM, I plug the references directly into my paper, and I leave all the rest for Endnote to sort out. When the time comes, I simply ask the Endnote plug-in to format my bibliography, and it does so impeccably. Especially the powers of EndNote Plus to deal with your bibliographic requirements from within your word processor are invaluable. It is simply one headache less, especially when one has to switch from one editorial style to another. It is a tool every researcher should use. I certainly can not work without it.