A quick delve into Reference Manager 12
Peter Somers
Product Specialist
We take a look at the
very latest version of
Thomson Reuter’s
popular citation
management tool with
the power to publish
and share collections
on the Web and provide
multi-user access to
references databases.
Despite regular free software updates
to keep Reference Manager current
with the latest operating systems and
equipped with most-wanted connection files
and import filters etc, there hasn’t been a
full software upgrade since Spring 2004. So
we’re keen to bring you news of Reference
Manager 12 hot off the developer’s desktop.
Now supportive documents
and related
works are at your finger tips! In Reference
Manager 12, you can attach multiple files to
references and store them all in a single
document repository. You can easily open up
these files by simply double-clicking on the
attachment icon. Anything useful or relevant
can be linked to a reference: e.g. a picture or
sound-bite plus a full-text document, to
create a well-rounded, comprehensive
library. And don’t worry about converting
existing links to new version 12-relative
links; that can be done in one simple step.
Reference Manager also comes
with some
useful database enhancements to make it
easier to manage and locate individual
references within larger collections. Updated
reference types enable better categorisation
and you can now sort references based on
five, rather than three, fields, the new
<Next> and <Previous> buttons help
you move through your references quickly
and easily. What’s more, you can now
spell check an entire database in one go
rather than trawling through individual
references one at a time. Combine that
with enhanced duplicate checking, and
you have a handy toolset for maintaining
a consistent and accurate database, with
the minimum errors or duplicates, even if
you regularly download references from
many different online sources.
Top of the most-wanted wish list of
Reference Manager users around the world
was the ability to run the Web Publisher
feature as a service. With version 12 that
wish has been granted, enabling Reference
Manager databases to be shared via the
intranet/internet using existing servers
and standard technology. Web Publisher
also allows you to use NAT (Network
Address Translation); the de facto standard
for shared access, offering ease and
flexibility of network administration. It’s also
been designed to integrate with other
network products and services better – all
good news for your IT team! Other Web
Publisher enhancements include an updated
Quick Search which covers more fields, and
unlimited record retrieval so your searches
are able to dig up every possible match.
Reference Manager 12 now utilises
the
new "ribbon" toolbar in Word 2007,
making citing references quicker, easier
and more intuitive. And despite the list of
new features and use of the latest
technology, Reference Manager 12 is still
backwards compatible, which means you
can open your existing version 11
databases in Reference Manager 12.
Why not take Reference
Manager 12 for a test drive and try all the new features
for yourself? |
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