What reference management system do you use?

NextSteps

I've been using Refworks rather than EndNote as it's online, which suits me as I work on different computers (work computer and my laptop). It's basically good but can be a bit clunky in the way it produces bibliographies and so on. Also the citation device, write-n-cite, won't work for me.

What system do you use, if any, and how do you find it?

Red Alert

I use JabRef (legally free) and available online:

http://jabref.sourceforge.net/

which uses BibTeX files as its backend database. This suits me because I use LaTeX primarily for writing documents. It's java-based and will run in Windows, Linux and Mac OS.

Openoffice.org has a pretty rudimentary built-in reference manager, which isn't too bad, but I just don't like it.

EndNote does apparently have the facility to suck in abstracts and more from Z39.50 sources which can be good for some.

r3nu4l

In may last agency, we always used Reference Manager and like Endnote it too pulls in abstracts and the database is pretty large. However, RefMan and EndNote are distributed by teh same companies in the UK (and Ireland?) so you won't get one cheaper than the other.

CathalMc

Real men use notepad and bibtex. No, I've been using Jabref too. My backlog of to-read and pile of read references was getting pretty unwieldy. It searches IEEEXplore too which is nice, it doesn't pull the abstract though which is unfortunate.

dK1NG

tried to use endnote, even done the training course for it - but heck, if u havent been using it from day 1 it'll be tough.

to make it worse, i'm doing law, and the referencing style is pretty much a b*llix - so i'd have to manually adapt the endnote style to suit my needs - 18 months in, thats not an option!!!:o

for future reference, i'll use it from the start of a project.

Red Alert

LaTeX/BibTeX is quite helpful on that score, but I doubt it is in any sort of use in the Law area.

Moojuice

I've used endnote from day one and I find it great. Its pretty deep and their is loads I havent looked into yet (regarding what it can do) but it works great for what I need it to do. Ill be using it for every other project in the future unless I come across something better.

Red Alert

JabRef will pull the abstract, but there's a 5 paper limit on it - might figure out how to change it in the source code if i'm bored someday (we do have an IEEE sub in UCD anyway).