Overview

EndNote 3.1 is an easy-to-use, powerful, feature-filled, and customizable bibliography-making and reference-managing database program. The most impressive new feature is an integrated remote reference database connection and downloading feature, formerly provided as a separate companion program called EndLink. The automatic Internet connection files provide the appropriate information to the remote server for a direct connection from within EndNote. Users can search the remote database from within EndNote and download hundreds of references in just a few minutes. One may connect to such commonly used online reference databases as Ovid Medline, the National Library of Medicine PubMed, and BioMedNet's Evaluated MEDLINE.

It is also possible to configure a Web browser to use EndNote as a helper application to directly import references from an online database to an EndNote library. Alternatively, EndNote will import references captured as a text file from a database provider using one of the many Import filters included. Add-in modules are available for Microsoft Word versions 5x, 6x, 98, and 2000, to facilitate access to EndNote while word processing. EndNote is also compatible with other word processors, such as WordPerfect, ClarisWorks, and Nisus Writer. One can search local or remote reference libraries based on any field or a combination of fields using Boolean operators.

Reference libraries generated in EndNote for Macintosh may be used with no conversion with EndNote for Windows. EndNote 3.1 continues to provide excellent documentation concerning compatibility with previous versions and word processing programs, as well as offering easy to follow instructions on installation, use, customizing features, and troubleshooting problems.

Available platforms	Microsoft Windows 3.1/95/98/NT; Macintosh OS 7 or later
System requirements	Windows 3.1/95/98/NT: IBM PC or compatible computer with 386DX/25 MHz processor or higher; minimum 8 Mb free RAM; minimum 5.5 Mb free hard drive space; mouse; CD-ROM drive (floppy-disk version of EndNote available upon request). EndNote for Windows is a 32-bit application. Mac OS: Macintosh running System 7 or later; minimum 2 Mb free RAM; minumum 5 Mb free hard drive space. Other requirements: Internet connection; Web browser. Microsoft Word 5 and 5.1 users need at least an additional 2.5 Mb RAM allocated to Word to use the EndNote plug-in module. Microsoft 6 users need at least 3.6 Mb RAM to run Word 6 and the EndNote module. Not written as a native Power Macintosh application.
Test platforms	Power Macintosh G3 300 MHz, 160 Mb RAM, Mac OS 8.1, Microsoft Word Office 98, U.S. Robotics 56K modem
	Power Macintosh 7200/90, 32 Mb RAM, Mac OS 8.0, Microsoft Word 6.0.1 Macintosh Quadra 660AV, 32 Mb RAM, Mac OS 8.0, Microsoft Word 6.0.1 Macintosh Centris 610, 32 Mb RAM, Mac OS 8.0, Microsoft Word 6.0.1
Price	$299.00 shipped; $275 downloaded; $99.95 student; (see vendor information)

How Long Did It Take to Learn to Use It Productively?

EndNote is easy to learn, and provides many tools to aid new and old users alike for the most efficient use of this program.

Product Quality

Customizability

Allows users to customize database fields, bibliography styles, connection filters, and import filters.

Ability to Program in Scripts, Add Extension Modules, etc.

Does not have the ability to use scripts. However, add-in modules for Microsoft Word allow users to access EndNote while word processing.

Ability to Import and Export in Different File Formats

Provides reference import filters for importing references saved as text files from Web-based searches, or from other commonly used bibliography database programs such as Reference Manager, Procite, Refer/Bibtex, and other EndNote libraries. EndNote can export references as text format, rich text format, or HTML.

Useful or Unusual Features

• Increased number of predefined journal formatting styles (from 240 to over 300)
• Integrated set of over 100 predefined Internet connection files, which allow direct connections to be established from within EndNote
• Over 100 predefined online reference database import formats
• Brief computer guided tutorial, downloadable from the company Web site
• ClarisWorks compatibility
• Add-in module for Word 98
• New reference type for electronic sources
• New field for entering URLs
• Launch URL command to have a Web Browser launch a URL from an EndNote reference
• Ability to format HTML documents from within EndNote
• Shipped with connection files for both free and subscription-based databases
• Supports direct imports from Web-based databases using a Web browser configured to use Endnote as a helper application

The aforementioned importing features allow users to create or update reference libraries quickly and with fewer mistakes than manual reference entry. One caveat: connection files and import filters must match the specific database provider exactly. If a specific import filter for a remote database cannot be found, custom import formats may be made. In addition to the EndNote manual, ISI ResearchSoft's technical support is willing to direct registered users of EndNote on how to adapt existing filters and connection files for use with a currently unsupported provider. To facilitate manual reference entry, one can create term lists, which store frequently entered information such as journal names, authors, or keywords. The journal's term list stores the name of a particular journal as well as its abbreviation.

Limitations

Difficulties with the bibliography-formatting process when switching from one version of Word to another and using the EndNote add-in module.

One such example is saving an EndNote-formatted Word 98 document as a Word 6.0/95 document to share with a colleague who is using Word 6. The formatted references cannot be easily unformatted (although there are instructions found at the EndNote Web site), and sometimes cannot be recovered if the document has been processed too many times, in which case the information delineating the EndNote reference is lost. While this is a problem with how Word 98 saves version 6 files and not a problem with EndNote per se, it is still devastating.

A few formatting limitations (most of the limitations represent relatively low frequency occurrences and can be handled by manually editing). These include:

• Citation styles for which listing an author only once is required in a multiple citation
• Including the original year of publication for books with multiple press dates
• Formatting author names in small capital letters or all capital letters
• Using abbreviated references such as "Ibid," "idem," or "op cit."
• Appending letters to bibliographic numbers
• Italicizing the letter after the year when an author has two or more references cited from the same year
• Suppressing an author's name when there are two or more works by the same author and inserting a dash
• Formatting anonymous references
• Changing the capitalization of a title for a reference
• Text notes in the reference list
• Different page numbering formats within a bibliography
• Disambiguating APA style when two different citations shorten to the same authors.

Comparisons with Similar Software

Version 3.1 integrates the previously separate EndLink program for remote database reference retrieval and significantly enhances its abilities to link to the Internet and retrieve references. It also simplifies the interface with remote databases. The improvements in the remote reference database handling are welcome, and solve the most frustrating aspect of EndNote Plus 2 and EndLink. The one major feature lacking in EndNote is a built-in spell checker, which many other bibliography reference database programs have adopted. EndNote does contain the global editing functions Change Text and Change Field, commands that one can use to change commonly misspelled words in all references at once, in addition to adding or deleting information to all or a subset of references.

Technical Support and Documentation

The well-written manual can be used by both novice and advanced reference database users. It provides easy-to-use instructions, with examples for entering references manually or via Internet reference database retrieval, formatting papers, and generating bibliographies. A computerized, downloadable tutorial is helpful for both novice users and seasoned veterans. It highlights how to use the major features of EndNote 3.1, including Internet connections and remote database reference retrieval. A Web-based technical support database is frequently updated, with detailed yet understandable answers to problems and downloadable patches where applicable. There is an Internet mailing list/user's group, and technical support is provided by email for Macintosh and PC users.

Target Users

EndNote is suitable for students and faculty alike.