Database via WWW

3.17. Database via WWW

As there are still few commercial systems which offer the possibility to make a database available via the www (on the Internet or Intranet), the ones which I reviewed are dealt with in one place, to facilitate comparison.
Software packages like: EndNote Web, Bookends, Biblioscape and a service like Biblioserver are included here though not considered in any other grid of this work.

Database available via www (Internet-Intranet)

EndNote Web® v. 2.2 The Thomson Corporation last updated May 2008 entirely web based product. ID Login/password can be shared for group project. Share data only among subscribed EndNote Web users via Sharing Groups: i.e. shared folders of virtual pointers to records. If the entire database is copied to a group, can share the db. This includes options for reading or reading-and-writing plus fully managing the records in output	Bookends® Mac OS X: v. 9.2.1 Sonny Software last updated April 2007 it has got its own web server n.b. tested only in Intranet	RefWorks® RefWorks last updated October 2007 entirely web based product. Login/password can be shared for group project: one database fully available to several users. Also, make data public via RefShare: shared folders of records or entire db. This includes options for export, print, format bibliographies, post comments, see attachments, receive e-mail, RSS etc. etc. It does not include editing, import.	Reference Manager® Thomson ResearchSoft last updated April 2007 it has got its own web server n.b. tested only in Intranet	Biblioscape® Windows: v. 6 Professional edition CGI Information last updated April 2007 it has got its own web server n.b. tested only in Intranet	Biblioserver® Tarkvarastuudio see at the main web site: Biblioserver (Tartu, Estonia) last updated April 2007
A - Generic 1. Web based; Remote vs local system (remote means your data is duplicated -converted or not- hosted elsewhere and the software as well) 2. Publishes database for searching, saving/exporting 3. Makes database available also for editing records 4. Data format that can accept
ENW: 1 only web based; 2 only available to other subscribed EndNote users; 3: yes; 4: publishes its own database	BK: local; 2 only for searching, the results are treated as HTML data on the web; 4 publishes its own database	RW: 1 only web based; 2: RW & RefShare to anyone by communicating the URLs 3: Full editing from RefWorks account when login/password shared for group project, RefShare does not include editing 4: its own data + any that can be imported	RM: 1 Local, 2, 3, 4 proprietary RM database	Biblioscape: 1. Local, 2 3 4 proprietary Biblioscape database (can also import online, see further on)	Biblioserver: 1. Remote: hosting system (conversion implied); 2 3 4: ProCite, Reference Manager, EndNote
B - Access 1. Can set users' rights 2. Allows users' identity and password 3. Can set IP port (e.g. : 80, or other)
ENW: 1: only applicable to shared Groups R or R/W; 2 yes + one Administrator per site (Administrator can upload: modified styles, connections, import filters)	BK: 1 no, only searching; 2 yes both, rfecognizes identity or IP; 3 yes; can keep log, set HTML encoding and max number of connections	RW: 1 yes, to data published through RefShare; 2 (also an Administrator tool)	RM: first, the database must be open in read/write share access, then, for all databases: 1: read-only or read/write, 2 only one; 3	Biblioscape: 1 (read-only, read/write, admin) 2 (many) 3 (automatically switches to another if busy); can leave account self-registration (auto-login) to the user; can limit record editing just to its creator	Biblioserver: 1 2
C - Interface 1. Can customize look & feel
ENW: no	BK: yes (also by adding search fields and boolean operators)	RW: yes	RM: 1 (logo, about, text, home address). Also un/select certain fields for display: abstract, notes, custom, links to PDF, URL, full-text ...)	Biblioscape: yes, by changing the *.htm files under the ..C:\Documents and Settings\francesco dell'orso\Documenti\My Web Idea Tree\Projects\BFSBiblioWeb directory	Biblioserver: 1
D - Input/Edit records 1. Create 2. Delete 3. Duplicate 4. Modify 5. Use term lists
ENW: 1; 2; 4;	BK: none	RW: 1 2 3 4 5	RM: 1 2 4	Biblioscape: 1 2 4 5	Biblioserver : 1 2 4
E - Import Data format that can accept
ENW: can use some 670 different import filters	BK: n.a.	RW: yes, any that can import	RM: n.a.	Biblioscape: yes, like normal import function (see Import)	Biblioserver: n.a. (see above 1 Generic)
F - Searching 1. Simple 2. Advanced (more fields, boolean operators) 3. Hypertextual (navigating) 4. Term lists browsing 5. Across more databases 6. Marking records
ENW: 1 full-text with several operators: + - * (...) "..." 2. more fields only when searching remote databases (some 2770 configured mostly via Z39.50 protocol) 3. only names	BK: 1 single word search 2 user has to create a form. None of the remaining 3-6: because it displays the result as static text references, does not use or open the db; can set hits limit via user's form	RW: 1, 2, 3, 4 6 RefShare search is bound to full-text word searching	RM: 1 2 3 5 (max 15) 6	Biblioscape: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 Many approaches (see also the generale page on Searching): -Folder (virtual group of records); -Fast searching; -Advanced (multi-fields with boolean operators; -Indexed; -Lookup, i.e. browsing lists; -Glance (queries pre-configured by administrator)	Biblioserver: 1 3 4 5 6
G - Output 1. More views/styles 2. Other data that can send
ENW: brief general view + 1 full record + 1 input form + preview of formatted bibliographies (some 3380 styles available)	BK: 1: user has to create a form to select; 2: can send to the user a hypertext link to Bookends records, to PDF files etc.	RW: yes (standard, one line, full view, formatted in up to 3 different styles, lookup lists)	RM: three views; one short view -or with partial abstract; one full (via unmodifiable template: wrong: "Map" for any type of RT ...), can set fields via admin mode; one formatted via a style not selected online	Biblioscape: view one (in Full, via unmodifiable template) or more records; can use any citation style online; can also hide certain fields just in web publishing;	Biblioserver: view one or more records; two proprietary styles
H - Sort
ENW: can sort brief catalogue view by Author or Year or Title A/D; bibliography lists are sorted according to the selected citation style	BK: user has to create a form to set and select	RW: yes (choice among 10 criteria)	RM: yes (choice among 3 fields)	Biblioscape: yes (choice among 6 fields)	Biblioserver: yes (choice among 2 fields)
I - Export/Save 1. Data format that can produce
ENW: can use 6 formats	BK: displays formatted output on a HTML page. The manual, p. 250, states that users can retrieve 1 attached PDF file if the search form is set so	RW: yes, see Export (tabbed, various tagged formats, XML)	RM: yes; Export: 1: so-called RIS for RM itself or EndNote or ProCite: data doesn't need to be converted, it is in db format, also XML: both proprietary; Save: chosen output style in .html; can also directly print	Biblioscape: yes export only; 1: Biblioscape Tag File, Refer-Unix, Refer-EndNote, RIS-Reference Manager ; other option: copy and paste from the displayed list, no print or save	Biblioserver: yes: 1: two proprietary styles (same as output)
J - Manuscript formatting
ENW: yes: can scan and format RTF files; can use CWYW plug-in within MS-Word	BK: n.a.	RW: yes	RM: no	Biblioscape: yes (called Format), can handle HTML or RTF files and use any citation style	Biblioserver: no
K - Help (online via www)
ENW: yes	BK: no	RW: yes (not contextual)	RM: yes	Biblioscape: yes	Biblioserver: yes
L - Other
ENW: can exchange data with EndNote desktop; it is most usually offered for free to institutions having subscribed ISI Web of Knowledge® database	BK: offers unlimited number of concurrent users; does not have extra cost	RW: see also Network version; Can send and receive RSS feeds; use RefGrab-It to capture web pages and transform them into database records	RM: offers unlimited number of concurrent users; does not have extra cost	Biblioscape: also offers: Discussion Forum management; Tasks management; It does have an extra cost: three types of licence (number of users r/w: 3; hits: 50,000; concurrent users: 3) and you can switch from one to another; can keep usage log;	Biblioserver: offers multingual interface (English, French, Czech, Eesti); unlimited number of concurrent users; handles special routines for ProCite, for which it was originally conceived