List Archives >  Procite List Archive >  Archive by date >  This Month By Date >  This Month By Topic

New user having problems

Search email archive for  

New user having problems
Author: Lenny & Edith    Posted: Tue, 3 Feb 1998 11:55:20 -0500
Date: Tue, 3 Feb 1998 11:55:20 -0500 Reply-To: PROCITE The Personal Bibliographic Software Discussion List Sender: PROCITE The Personal Bibliographic Software Discussion List From: Lenny & Edith Subject: New user having problems Comments: cc: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" I am a volunteer at a "nature center" in Freeport, Bahamas. They have a log book with lists of several thousand references including books, pamphlets, reprints of newspaper and magazine articles in their vertical files, etc. They gave me a copy of Procite 3.4 to install for them and a copy of the "Basic Guide". Their idea was to enter the list in Procite so that they could search for information with key words as needed and prepare reference lists on a number of subjects. I set up a Procite data base called "booklist" and started entering the books, using the workform "book, short form". I also entered some articles using the workform "Journal, article". If I keep them in the same file I would like to change the filename from booklist to nature. I tried to do this, but had trouble accessing the file in Procite and changed it back to "booklist". I have a number questions, some of which I sent to ast week, but have not received any response from them yet. I would like to resolve these questions before wasting a lot of time entering data improperly. 1. Should I enter everything in one database using different work forms, or a separate data base for each form. If I enter in separate data bases would I still be able to search all of them for a specific subject or keyword? 2. While I was doing the book list, I could view the formatted reference sample. Since starting to enter some newspaper articles using the journal, article workform and trying to do other things I can no longer view formatted references. When I click on view formatted references I just get a "1." not matter what format or title I select. What did I do wrong? 3. Is there a way of printing a sample list of all available reference formats? 4. What are term lists and title lists? How do I create them and what are they for? How do they differ from a bibliography? 5. Can I customize the workforms? 6. If I give the name of the file folder in the "storage location" field for reprints, will this appear in my formatted reference list? 7. If I work on a data base on my home computer and someone else works on the same data base with a computer in the office, is there a way of merging our input? Lenny Harris

Re: New user having problems
Author: Donald Ulin    Posted: Tue, 3 Feb 1998 12:52:55 -0500
Date: Tue, 3 Feb 1998 12:52:55 -0500 Reply-To: PROCITE The Personal Bibliographic Software Discussion List Sender: PROCITE The Personal Bibliographic Software Discussion List From: Donald ulin Subject: Re: New user having problems In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" I'd like to help you, but what you are asking for is a synopsis of the whole users' manual! It would take me most of a day (or more) to answer these questions. So let me suggest you call RIS tech support. The manual is the worst computer manual I've ever seen, so I'm not surprised you are having trouble. In the meantime, why don't I answer one or two questions, and perhaps someone else can answer a few more, and that way we'll help you through at least some of your problems. >I set up a Procite data base called "booklist" and started entering the >books, using the workform "book, short form". I also entered some >articles using the workform "Journal, article". If I keep them in the >same file I would like to change the filename from booklist to nature. I >tried to do this, but had trouble accessing the file in Procite and changed >it back to "booklist". You can change the file name by changing names of both the ".dat" file and the ".key" file for the database you want to change. (e.g. booklist.dat becomes nature.dat and booklist.key becomes nature.key.) Or just use the "Save as" item under "File" in the menu bar; then delete booklist.* from the database directory once you make sure that "nature" is the same. (That's pretty standard for most windows applications.) >1. Should I enter everything in one database using different work forms, >or a separate data base for each form. If I enter in separate data bases >would I still be able to search all of them for a specific subject or >keyword? Enter them in the same database. If you want to change a record, just open it up, and pull down the menu to the *left* of "Record Number" to select a new workform. You can't use ProCite to search multiple databases simultaneously for keywords, though you can use the Windows95 search to find databases that contain some word. > >2. While I was doing the book list, I could view the formatted reference >sample. Since starting to enter some newspaper articles using the journal, >article workform and trying to do other things I can no longer view >formatted references. When I click on view formatted references I just >get a "1." not matter what format or title I select. What did I do wrong? This could be either because (a) you have entered the data into the wrong fields or (b) the output style is defined wrong. Look at the sample databases to get some idea of how data should be entered for each kind of workform. Choose or determine your output style by going to Bibliography Setup. (I use MLA). Then you can edit that style by clicking on "Open" under the File menu and going to the directory c:\procite3\styles, and opening the style you want to edit. I couldn't possibly explain here the details of editing an output style, but if you play around, you might be able to figure out what's going on there. (Just make sure you save a backup copy of the file you are altering, or you may end up having to reinstall procite.) And now I'll let someone else take over. Don Ulin >3. Is there a way of printing a sample list of all available reference >formats? > >4. What are term lists and title lists? How do I create them and what >are they for? How do they differ from a bibliography? > >5. Can I customize the workforms? > >6. If I give the name of the file folder in the "storage location" field >for reprints, will this appear in my formatted reference list? > >7. If I work on a data base on my home computer and someone else works on >the same data base with a computer in the office, is there a way of >merging our input? > >Lenny Harris > >

New user having problems -Reply
Author: Jancie Hatcher    Posted: Tue, 3 Feb 1998 13:14:22 -0500
Date: Tue, 3 Feb 1998 13:14:22 -0500 Reply-To: PROCITE The Personal Bibliographic Software Discussion List Sender: PROCITE The Personal Bibliographic Software Discussion List From: Jancie Hatcher Subject: New user having problems -Reply Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Dear Lenny - I hope the attached is helpful. >>> Lenny & Edith 02/03/98 11:55am >>> (clip) 1. Should I enter everything in one database using different work forms, or a separate data base for each form. If I enter in separate data bases would I still be able to search all of them for a specific subject or keyword? ****************** My database has used multiple work forms; it should not be a problem to combine them. The only time we have separated databases was if there was another reason to separate the materials from the bulk of our entries. ********************* 5. Can I customize the workforms? *************** Yes, they can be customized. *************** 6. If I give the name of the file folder in the "storage location" field for reprints, will this appear in my formatted reference list? ****************** We used the call number field for our document locations, and these do print in the bibliography listings. *********************** Jancie Hatcher GA Pollution Prevention Asst. Div. (404) 651-5120

Re: New user having problems
Author: Lenny & Edith    Posted: Tue, 3 Feb 1998 19:06:33 -0500
Date: Tue, 3 Feb 1998 19:06:33 -0500 Reply-To: PROCITE The Personal Bibliographic Software Discussion List Sender: PROCITE The Personal Bibliographic Software Discussion List From: Lenny & Edith Subject: Re: New user having problems In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 12:52 PM 2/3/98 -0500, you wrote: >I'd like to help you, but what you are asking for is a synopsis of the >whole users' manual! It would take me most of a day (or more) to answer >these questions. So let me suggest you call RIS tech support. The manual >is the worst computer manual I've ever seen, so I'm not surprised you are >having trouble. In the meantime, why don't I answer one or two questions, >and perhaps someone else can answer a few more, and that way we'll help you >through at least some of your problems. I wrote to tech support at risinc last week and got no response. I don't like to call 800 numbers from here. They cost about $1 a minute. > >>1. Should I enter everything in one database using different work forms, >>or a separate data base for each form. > >Enter them in the same database. Thanks. That's what I wanted to hear. >> >>2. While I was doing the book list, I could view the formatted reference >>sample. Since starting to enter some newspaper articles using the journal, >>article workform and trying to do other things I can no longer view >>formatted references. When I click on view formatted references I just >>get a "1." not matter what format or title I select. What did I do wrong? >Choose or determine your output style by going to Bibliography Setup. (I >use MLA). Then you can edit that style by clicking on "Open" under the >File menu and going to the directory c:\procite3\styles, and opening the >style you want to edit. You were right. I went to Bibliography Setup and found that I had selected analytic author and titles whereas I had entered them in the records as monographic. I haven't a clue about what the difference is, but once I made them the same, it worked. Also changed to MLA output which seems to be better for our purposes. Thanks for your help. Sorry I can't help you with air fare and hotel expenses in Freeport. However, if you are a qualified gambler, you can come on a free junket. Lenny

Previous by date: Re: Rebuild Database, Christine Capen
Next by date: Re: New user having problems, Donald Ulin
Previous thread: Linking references to citations in text, Wallace, Ian
Next thread: New user having problems, Lenny & Edith