Michael:
This problem began with Version 11 and occurs with very large databases. Mine was at 32,000 references when Version 11 came out and the slow-down was iimediate. I eventually contacted Thomson Reuters and they were aware of the problem. After several email discussions, their TechRep offered the following soution: “Use a smaller database.” I was floored at this suggestion. It is akin to taking your dog to the veterinarian because of excessive drooling, and being told that the solution is to teach your dog to spit. It is no soultion at all.
After some exploration, I found that TR’s suggestion was the only one that works. I split my database into a very large one and a very small one and enter new references into the small one only. And it works. Of course, I have to remember to set “All Databases” when I search, and any references I want to “Cite-While-You-Write” are in a front window.
Some time after I figured out the work-around, I heard again from TR’s tech rep, who informed me that they were going to look into the problems that those of us with really large databases were having. Haven’t heard a word since. And Version 12 has all the same problems as did Version 11, and some new ones, besides.
On the good side, “Cite-While-You-Write” started to work well with Version 11 and still does well with Version 12.
I started using Reference Manager in 1986. Now my database is us about 40,000 references (combined), and I have another that is at 15,000 references. So, what should we mega-database users do? I think Reference Manager’s days are numbered, and it will soon go the way of ProCite, another TR product that was discuntinued a couple years ago. If you don’t believe that, look at the number of posts on the Reference Manager forum (ca. 500) versus the other remaining TR product, Endnote (ca. 6000 posts, not to mention the Swedish and Korean Forums for that product). And consider how few replies are made by the tech reps on this forum.
And what about this problem for incongruity: Use Cite-While-You-Write to assure accuracy in your scientific papers, but backup your database and then restore it, and half of the letters with diacritical marks have been magically converted to random symbols, that are then included in the references in your manuscript.
This is an FAQ from the Reference Manager website, under the “Support and Services” tab:
“Install 22: What are the data limitations in the program?
Answer: There is no limit to the number of databases you can create, assuming that you have the disk space to store them. We recommend that you keep all the references you cite in your papers in one main database.
There is no limit to the number of references you can create in a Reference Manager database. It is recommended that the number not exceed 100,000 to maintain efficient performance managing the database. ”
I can get by with a limit of 100,000 references per database. When will Reference Manager actually do that?