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EndNote 3.0: Powerful Online Searching

$169 research tool makes accessing remote databases, such as those run by universities and the Library of Congress, simple and fast.

By Glenn McDonald, PCWorld   

Priced at $169, EndNote 3.0 is the latest version of the deservedly popular research and bibliography tool from Niles Software. It%squots something of a niche product that%squots not used much out of academic circles, but if you regularly need to perform extensive online research you can%squott do any better than EndNote.

EndNote generates bibliographies formatted to your specifications, which you can then export to your word processor. It integrates directly into Microsoft Word, adding options to Word%squots toolbar for quick, easy access--a tremendous time-saver for academics and students.

EndNote can search remote databases, such as those kept by university libraries, research institutions, and even the Library of Congress, and extract article information, abstracts, and sometimes full-text copies. For example, if you%squotre a student researching a term paper on Hinduism, you can search your university library database and create a printable list of all the sources you need. If there is a database on the Web that contains the complete text of an article you want, EndNote can shuttle you to that site with one click. This means you can get to all those trade journals without leaving your keyboard.

The big news with version 3.0 is that you can now search more than 100 remote databases from within the program. Previously, you had to find your own way into databases and import records into EndNote. Most of the big bibliography databases use a standard protocol that lets EndNote snake into even the biggest and oldest online databases.

EndNote%squots search interface depends on the search index limits for that database. For example, the Library of Congress indexes only five fields, including the author, keyword, and title, so your search is limited to those fields. That means no advanced Boolean searching, since you%squotre searching only indexes, not the abstract or full text itself. Still, having a single search interface can be a relief compared to learning a whole new search system for every database you visit.

Keep in mind that some databases require passwords to get in, and others charge subscription fees. In general, all the really high-end sources like big medical journal databases charge for access. That%squots where EndNote stops making sense for the casual user, because individual accounts for these monster databases are very expensive. But if you%squotre a student or have access to a university or institutional account, many databases are open to you and your password. And if not, there are still plenty of academic and public domain databases to romp through.

Considering how powerful it is, I found the learning curve on EndNote surprisingly manageable. The program hung on me occasionally as I was trying to access a database. EndNote is stubborn, too--my only choice was to Ctrl-Alt-Delete my way out of those hiccups. But overall, EndNote 3.0 is a fine and very powerful research tool, though its usefulness is limited outside the academic realm. Buy a copy for a college student you love.