From ResearchSoft (ISI - Institute for Scientific Information)

DEMETRIOS LOANNIDES

Overview:
ProCite is a flexible, full-featured bibliographic management tool. (Version 4.03 was reviewed on a Windows NT machine).

Special features:
An ISI product, ProCite can import directly citations from ISI's Web of Science and Current Contents Connect. This is a special capability that it shares with Reference Manager. ProCite also provides the ability to sort LC and Dewey call numbers. In addition, unlike other popular bibliographic management utilities, ProCite has the ability to save its Workforms (also called Reference Types) in distinct files (with a pwf extension). This permits an unlimited number of Workforms. Each Workform is essentially a record structure definition. Although still limited to the 45 available fields, the user can rename all of them. The ability to create an unlimited number of such data structures makes ProCite the program of choice for anybody who wishes to combine bibliographic formatting without sacrificing some of the basic database management techniques.

Strengths:
These include the capability to customize the fields displayed in the browsing mode. Further, the preview panel allows users to view citations as they browse, and even to change the style on the fly. However, it does not present the record in the edit mode. Other strengths include convenient pull-down pre-defined sort commands and the ability to define 'groups' within each database; this is a very powerful and wonderfully intuitive feature. Grouping citations within the same database is extremely useful; although it is possible to accomplish this task with other bibliographic management tools, ProCite's approach is by far the best. ProCite also allows users to define the fields used for duplicate detection.

Weaknesses:
ProCite continues its legacy of having more than one data file per database. Although the number has been decreased to two (pdt, pdx), it can still present a file distribution challenge, as most users are now accustomed to distributing, over e-mail or otherwise, a single data file.

This product, which has a wonderful way of keeping track of call numbers and is best suited to accept information from library online catalogues, still does not have an integrated Z39.50 search client. A separate product called BookWhere? 2000 (also reviewed in this section) is available, which accomplishes this task in a seamless way.

Likely users:
This is a tool by far more useful and appealing to librarians than to scholars because of its better handling of call numbers and its more flexible database management features. However, this product has come a long way in terms of functionality and user-friendliness since its first MS-DOS versions. Even the non-computer-competent scholar can work out the basic features of this program without much trouble.

Platforms:
Windows 98, Windows 95, Windows NT4 or higher . A Macintosh version is also available. The interface is almost identical to that of the Windows interface. It was able to import a Reference Manager 9 database without much trouble.

Data can be posted on Reference Web Poster, a product by RIS (now ResearchSoft) that provides a Web search interface to Reference Manager, ProCite and EndNote data.

Price:
students, $199.95
direct pricing: single user, $395.95 five-user network, $1,395.95

Demetrios Ioannides, Electronic Resources Coordinator, ioannide@pilot.msu.edu