Biblio Tech
Review
Information Technology for Libraries

Main BTR Sections

[Biblio Tech Review]
[2001 Issues]
[Tech Briefings]
[Product Directory]
[Exhibitions]
[Archive Issues]
[Archive Reviews]
[About BTR]

© Biblio Tech Ltd. All rights reserved.

Procite version 4 reviewed

UPDATE - version 5 available October 1999 - With Z39.50 searching

Editing

When you open up a Procite database the Window presents you with 2 panes – at the top is a summary list of records with a clear set of fields which can be changed by the user.  Each record has a box to mark a record for subsequent action.  Clicking on the columns sorts the database accordingly.  In the lower pane is a view of the current record – it may be set to any style from the 30 plus available.  To edit a record, either double click or press enter and a separate window opens with the record in edit mode - very similar to EndNote.  The edit Window itself has a simple layout with field names down the left and, when there is a list of terms attached, it shows a combo box type arrow which gives direct access to the list.

There is some configuration possible within the edit mode to suit personal needs like hiding empty fields.

Lists are well implemented with no limit on the number although only 4 are linked to a field -(compare EndNote where you can link any list to a field). Terms form the lists can be entered into any field as required and allow all the usual benefits of consistency etc.

Dates - the topic giving everybody headaches at the moment are very well handled - you can handle dates BC to 2000+ with no problems and even date ranges may be entered with syntax like Spring 1997, Dec-Jan 1996-1997.  exact dates can be entered in many ways including with Roman numerals e.g. 1.xi.97.  The problem of European style dates e.g. DD/MM/YY are side stepped neatly with 1/11/97 being interpreted as 11th November 97. If you want to use European style dates then enter them as 1 NOV 97.  Even imprecise dates are interpreted correctly so you may enter 90? or 199?

Cite While You Write

The creation of bibliographies in all three products reviewed works roughly the same way with the author either entering a brief form of a citation in a standard format or picking an item from the database.  Procite and Reference Manger both score over EndNote with their use of a floating toolbar for this - it is quicker than using the drop down menu from the Word Processor.

Sorting

.Sorting of records for both viewing and printing in Procite is impressive.  Up to six levels of sorting can be specified.  There are some pre-configured multiple sorts like Author/title/date and you can define your own. Unusually you can sort by call number in either Dewey or Library of Congress order. Diacriticals are sorted according to the language set in Windows - so you cannot sort a bibliography for a Swedish journal AND for an American journal for example without re-setting the sort order in the Regional Settings for Windows and then re-booting your PC. It is also necessary to re-build the database to get the sorting to take effect – this could be a problem for multi-lingual authors.

One nice sort feature within Procite, however, is the column click sorting in the view mode.  It is easy to use and is very quick to present references in a new order.  Without testing in detail, Procite seems the fastest of the three on sorting records in view mode.

Searching

Searching in Procite is very powerful although not totally intuitive.  Usefully, you can enter a search statement directly into a search box if you wish. If you drive the search building from the various buttons on top of the search box, then you have a powerful set of search operators and operators to refine the search.  The search box itself has a configurable summary results pane and the full record viewable as well. The display of the full record can be customised according to style.  Search expressions can be saved so that the user can build up a useful library of saved searches and run them as desired and even combine them into new searches.  See search screen shot

Marking and grouping records

ProCite has 3 ways to mark records for later use - you can simply highlight them, and/or mark them via a checkbox or add them to a more permanent “group” where they can be used as a sub set for virtually any action like searching, printing etc. The marking facility is the best of the 3 products and gives the user terrific flexibility in record manipulation. Drag and drop can be used to pull records into a group if required.

Web Linking

Procite can load Web pages directly from a browser into the database.  The title is correctly loaded and the URL goes into the URL field.  Once in the database, the Web page can be launched directly from Procite - although the link has to be made via a menu option rather than the more intuitive (and preferable) option of clicking on a hyperlink in the record. However, you can link to the Web via a Cntrl L whenever a record containing a URL is displayed - either in hit list or full record display.

Procite also allows a link to any addressable file e.g. a Word Processor file. If accessed, the application and the file are launched - this makes the PBM into a complete access control system for Word Processor files - with far superior indexing and cataloguing than within the word Processor themselves.

Styles

Procite has about 30 pre-configured output styles ad the capacity to build your own through a neat style building dialogue box that is uncannily similar Reference Manager. 

Importing and filters

Procite has about 30 pre-configured output styles ad the capacity to build your own through a neat style building dialogue box that is uncannily similar to Reference Manager. Procite has a good set f import facilities and can import tagged MARC fields but again, like EndNote cannot MARC exchange format records. The process is nicely controlled with good error messages and clear progress through the process.

Printing

Procite allows the printing of a group, highlighted or marked records and gives a print preview option with style selection at the print point.  A useful facility is the grouping of records for a “Subject bibliography - it is in fact much more than that with the output being grouped together under whichever fields are selected - it is a unique feature that should be really useful for organising all sorts of lists of material.

Non-roman Characters

Procite generally ignores diacritics but you need to be careful since Ø is found as a distinct character whereas Ò and Ô and Õ are all treated the same. Thus the Greek symbols will be found whether entered as  or abc. Compare with Reference Manager where they would be treated separately.

Conclusion

ProCite is a very professional product and is the leader on points for the features evaluated in the testing - good searching, editing and good user interface make it a hot candidate for any researcher looking for a good all round organiser.

Top of Page

Top of Page