Some suggestions from endnote newbie: if solutions already exist, please post!

EndNote EndNote Product Suggestions
1

Dear all,

Due to Office 2007 incompatibilities, I’ve had to convert from procite to endnote. Although endnote has some advantages to procite, it appears to me there are also some major disadvantages. This is what would make my life easier on a next version (since I’m new to endnote, I may have overlooked some of the features of endnote - if this is the case, please alert me!!):

  • like procite, enable to define short form of the reference in footnotes per reference type, or at least add an option to exclude some reference types from using short form (reason: the built in short form works great for books, articles, … but is terrible for cases; this implies that - without creating multiple databases, it is not possible to define an output style according to the standard I have to use);

  • like procite, enable to change parts of text in field, without necessarily changing the whole field (global find/replace) (and while at it, a copy field function would also be great);

  • like procite, enable visualisation of the records that have already been used in a text (automatically marking records in the database when creating bibliography);

  • like procite, add a terms tab that gives an overview of all articles in certain journal, all records with certain
    keyword, …;

  • either enable defining record number jumps (ie. jump per ten) (like procite - this makes it easier to combine data from different databases in one text, since one database has record numbers 10, 20, 30, … and the other has 11, 21, 31, …), or add an autonumber function to the label field, or, if those two options or unavailable, make the record number visible somewhere on the screen when adding new reference, so one needs not to memorize record numbers in order to give label field unique id;

  • in the procite database conversion function, enable linking non-predefined procite workforms (i.e. custom made procite workform) to the reference types in Endnote;

  • enable changing the order of the fields in the “create new reference” form when defining reference types;

add extra custom fields in reference types;

  • when searching online catalogues, enable visualisation of the results without automatically importing them into the
    database.

Thank you for taking these suggestions into account

Message Edited by MvP14 on 02-06-2009 02:54 AM

Message Edited by MvP14 on 02-06-2009 02:59 AM

1 Like
2

Below, I have explained similar or the requested functions that already exist in Endnote. 

 

@mvp14 wrote:

 

  • like procite, enable to change parts of text in field, without necessarily changing the whole field (global find/replace) (and while at it, a copy field function would also be great);

 

This functionality is already in Endnote:  In X2 (it is also there in all previous recent versions, although it may be in different places) in addition to the “Change and Move field” under References (which performs the global editing, adding to or replacing a whole field in showing references), there is the Change text in the “Edit” menu (which will search and replace text in the field of your choice, in the showing references). 

 

 

  • like procite, add a terms tab that gives an overview of all articles in certain journal, all records with certain
    keyword, …;

 

there is the “subject” facility, or you can make smart groups that will automatically add a record to a group with certain criteria.  I am not very adept at this yet, but help should give more information on this capacity. 

 

  • either enable defining record number jumps (ie. jump per ten) (like procite - this makes it easier to combine data from different databases in one text, since one database has record numbers 10, 20, 30, … and the other has 11, 21, 31, …), or add an autonumber function to the label field, or, if those two options or unavailable, make the record number visible somewhere on the screen when adding new reference, so one needs not to memorize record numbers in order to give label field unique id;

 

the record number is a unique field.  I edit the preference to show this field, and then I can sort on record number.  Not sure this is what you want though, never having used Procite. 

 

  • when searching online catalogues, enable visualisation of the results without automatically importing them into the database.

 

This is implemented in the X2.0.1 patch. 

 

2 Likes
3

Below, I have explained similar or the requested functions that already exist in Endnote. 

 

Thank you for the reply! See my reactions below.

MvP14 wrote:

  • like procite, enable to change parts of text in field, without necessarily changing the whole field (global find/replace) (and while at it, a copy field function would also be great);

This functionality is already in Endnote:  In X2 (it is also there in all previous recent versions, although it may be in different places) in addition to the “Change and Move field” under References (which performs the global editing, adding to or replacing a whole field in showing references), there is the Change text in the “Edit” menu (which will search and replace text in the field of your choice, in the showing references). 

 

This functions works great and is exactly what I was looking for. I had overlooked it. Thank you for pointing it out.

  • like procite, add a terms tab that gives an overview of all articles in certain journal, all records with certain
    keyword, …;

there is the “subject” facility, or you can make smart groups that will automatically add a record to a group with certain criteria.  I am not very adept at this yet, but help should give more information on this capacity. 

 

Thank you for pointing that out. The mentioned facilities remedy not having an overview of keywords, authors, reference types and the corresponding references available at all times in the database. However, I still think that would be useful, especially since it is not possible (as far is I’ve found out) to select e.g. keywords from a list of keywords when searching in the keywords.

 

  • either enable defining record number jumps (ie. jump per ten) (like procite - this makes it easier to combine data from different databases in one text, since one database has record numbers 10, 20, 30, … and the other has 11, 21, 31, …), or add an autonumber function to the label field, or, if those two options or unavailable, make the record number visible somewhere on the screen when adding new reference, so one needs not to memorize record numbers in order to give label field unique id;

the record number is a unique field.  I edit the preference to show this field, and then I can sort on record number.  Not sure this is what you want though, never having used Procite. 

 I’m aware that the record number is a unique field and it is indispensable for the database integrity. The rigidity of the record number in endnote is for me especially problematic if I want to use several libraries, since this means I have references with the same record numbers in the various libraries. Procite allows user to define record jumps, which means you can prevent having various databases with references with the same record numbers. The label field in endnote can solve this problem, because one can make libraries with different label fields. Here’s how I do it: in one database, I add “1” to the record number, in another I add “2” to the record number. This means I have the label fields 11, 21, 31, 41, … and in the other 12, 22, 32, 42, … If it was possible to define the record numbers, then I wouldn’t have to manually assign a label field in the various libraries, and this would limit the margin for errors. The ability of having an definable autonumber label field would do the same trick. Subsidiarily, seeing the record number when adding a new reference would be a help. It is indeed possible to view the record numbers and sort by record number. And when one opens an existing reference, the record number appears on the top left of the screen. However, when adding a new record, the record number of the new record is nowhere visible. Therefore, I suggested that would be the case.  

 

  • when searching online catalogues, enable visualisation of the results without automatically importing them into the database.

This is implemented in the X2.0.1 patch.

 

Great, I’ve installed the new patch, but it doesn’t seem to work yet.  Maybe I first have to reboot.

 

4

Given Leanne’s reply, these are the product improvement suggestions that still stand (I’ve put the most urgent one as far as I’m concerned in bold and I’ve added one new one - who can shorten the list some more? Thanks in advance.):

  • like procite, in output styles, enable to define short form of the reference in footnotes per reference type, or at least add an option to exclude some reference types from using short form (reason: the built in short form works great for books, articles, … but is terrible for cases; this implies that - without creating multiple databases, it is not possible to define an output style according to the standard I have to use);

  • like procite, enable visualisation of the records that have already been used in a text (automatically marking records in the database when creating bibliography);

  • like procite, add a terms tab (next to the “subject” facility and smart groups) that gives an overview of all articles in certain journal, all records with certain
    keyword, … ;

  • either enable defining record number jumps (ie. jump per ten) (like procite - this makes it easier to combine data from different databases in one text, since one database has record numbers 10, 20, 30, … and the other has 11, 21, 31, …), or add an autonumber function to the label field, or, if those two options or unavailable, make the record number visible somewhere on the screen when adding new reference, so one needs not to memorize record numbers in order to give label field unique id;

  • in the procite database conversion function, enable linking non-predefined procite workforms (i.e. custom made procite workform) to the reference types in Endnote;

  • enable changing the order of the fields in the “create new reference” form when defining reference types;

add extra custom fields in reference types;

  • in addition to the template function, enable copying data from a certain field in the previously opened record by using F5 (or another key). For instance, I’ve just added a book published in 2008. Now I’m adding a new book published in 2008. In the new record, when I enter the Year field, I push F5 and I get 2008.

Message Edited by MvP14 on 02-09-2009 10:12 AM

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But an overriding concern for Endnote users, is that backward compatibility is not compromised by new features.  It was somewhat of a disaster when they changed the database structure with EN8 and later not being compatible with EN7 and earlier (not to mention the bugs that were introduced).

6

You wrote:

like procite, enable visualisation of the records that have already been used in a text (automatically marking records in the database when creating bibliography)

That is a feature I am also waiting for desperately! Mayby EndNote can work this out (smart groups?)

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@mvp14 wrote:

  • like procite, enable visualisation of the records that have already been used in a text (automatically marking records in the database when creating bibliography);

Thanks for the interesting ideas  MvP14. I would like to see something like this … perhaps once a bibliography has been generated, have an option for EN to scan the DOC for EN refs and then 'select’those refs in the ENL. I guess ‘travelling library’ performs this function already, but outside the ENL.

Ta, Paul