3.6. Import

Import

1 Different ways :
    1. direct copy of records (write from database to database)
    2. batch import
        a) with reformatting filters
           a1) ready-made
           a2) un/modifiable
           a3) user can define more
    3. can capture an html WWW page and transform it into a db record
    4. can download data ready formatted in its own proprietary format from specific data sources
    5. other

Biblioscape Bookends (Mac) Library Master Procite EndNote Reference Manager Papyrus (Mac)
Bscp: 2 a1) a2) modifiable a3 4. Via so called 'Internet' function, and the built-in Bibliobrowser, can capture and import tagged records displayed on the web (must select a filter): one at the time or as many as displayed on a Web page BK:  1 2 a1) a2) modifiable a3); 4 drag and drop from Amazon Books (DE, US, UK) PubMed, Library of Congress searched via companion free software Reference Miner; automatic BibTeX unique key generation for imported references LM: 1 merge a subset; 2 a) a1) a2) a3) Pr: 1 copy and drag-and-drop; 2, a) a1) a2) modifiable, requires distinct BiblioLink procedure; a3); 3; 4 En: 1 copy and drag-and-drop 2, a) a1) a2) modifiable a3); 4 ; 5 can import from its own EndNote's XML  basic format and from Traveling library included in a MS-WORD document: once anchored to a MS-WORD document a bibliographic record is embedded in it, if one handles such a document without the db EndNote records he can import those embedded in the paper into a db, thus recreating them, except for the Abstract, Notes and the six Custom fields which are never embedded RM: 1; 2, a) a1) a2) modify and save under different name a3); 4; 5 can import from RM and EndNote XML proprietary format and from Traveling library included in a MS-WORD document: once anchored to a MS-WORD document, a bibliographic record is embedded in it, if one handles such a document without the db RM records, he can import them into a db, thus recreating them except for the Abstract and Notes fields (the 5 Custom fields can be embedded) Papyrus: 1 (drag and drop from another Papyrus 8 database); 2 a) a1) a2) modifiable a3); 4

2 Delimited/Tabbed stuctured input ASCII text file 

 [e.g.: fixed/variable number of fields; fixed/variable fields position in different RTs ;  RT can be changed; multiple value fields allowed (e.g. more names in author field ...); fields contents can also spread over different lines; can define field separator ; can replace delimiter if embedded in field; can define end of record]
Bscp: yes BK: yes LM: yes
variable number of fields; variable fields position; RT can be changed; multiple value fields allowed; fields content can spread over more than one line; can define field separator; can replace delimiter if embedded in field contents; can define end-of-record
Pr: yes
fixed or variable number of fields ( RT; RN; plus all 45 fields or only workform related); fixed position of fields;RT cannot be changed, must be present as the first field or last used in data entry be assumed by default; multiple value fields allowed, if separated by // / or ; in name field; fields content can spread over more than one line; can define field separator; can replace delimiter if embedded in field contents; can define end-of-record
En: yes
Tabbed where number of fields and their position can vary: Tab delimited: special first line for reference type and second with fields names labels according to the receiving EndNote RT; no fixed position required; recognizes multiple authors (since v. 9 the CDF ready-made option for ProCite has been discontinued); RT can be changed and multiple value fields are allowed
RM: officially not available

You can (try to) create your own capture definition to import comma delimited records. None is provided. Fully undocumented. Not simple at all: use only one destination field "Source" with subfields and its parsing option. Assume you succeed (but practically: out of question), the answers to this item would be: number and position of fields can vary according to the specified RT; more than one RT can be defined;  multiple value fields allowed;  fields content can spread over more than one line; can define field separator; can replace delimiter if embedded in field contents;  can define end-of-record. Never tried with tabbed files. 

Papyrus: yes
number and position of fields can be variable according to the receiving RT; RT can be changed; all multiple defined fields, e.g.: names, publishers, kw ... can accept reperated values); fields content can spread over more than one line; can define field separator; see shipped tab-delimited plug-in filter; no built-in CDF format: user must create it, not obvious: producer will assist for no charge

3 Can import alpha/numeric data from a spreadsheet

Bscp: yes BK: yes LM: yes as long as it is comma/tab delim. structured Pr: yes as long as it is comma/tab delim. structured En: yes as long as tab delimited or tagged structured, see above 2 RM: see above 2 delimited/tabbed ... Papyrus: yes as long as it is comma/tab delim. structured

4 Can import ISO 2709 format

Bscp: no BK: no LM: no Pr: no En: no RM: no Papyrus: no

5 Can import MARC format file

Bscp: no BK:  filter for tagged Library of Congress records : one has to copy and modifiy it to match different MARC idioms; built-in option for subfield code and data starting position (skip indicators) LM: one has to create its own filter for a tagged MARC format (without leader and directory and each field on a different line) , alternatively, download records through Z39.50 online connection and MARC tagged modifiable filters, e.g. via the companion software Bookwhere? Pr: one has to create its own filter for a tagged MARC format (without leader and directory and each field on a different line), alternatively, download records through Z39.50 online connection and MARC tagged modifiable filters (limited options to handle subfields in names) En: one has to create its own filter for a tagged MARC format (without leader and directory, each field on a different line), then a series of specific options for handling MARC tagged records is provided (e.g. subfields to a limited extent ...); alternatively download records through Z39.50 online connection and tagged MARC filters, already made and modifiable (limited options to handle subfields in names) RM: filters for tagged USMARC are available -others can be created, e.g. for UNIMARC as well- to download and import records through Z39.50 online connection

it is more than difficult to deal with embedded subfields codes for the whole import procedure is poorly documented as far as complex issues are concerned

Papyrus: not ready-made: one has to create its own for a tagged MARC format (without leader and directory and each field on a different line)

6 Tagged structured input ASCII text file, reformatting:
   1. condition check
   2. change RT
   3. merge fields
   4. delete/discard fields
   5. field content parsing
   6. add field content, text strings, punctuation 
   7. tolerate fields in variable position
   8. upper/lower case conversion
   9. replace text

Bscp: 1 in built-in options; 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Can use Regular expressions: To find what text should be replaced or removed, regular expression string can be used. To use regular expression, put your regular expression string inside "RE(...)RE"
BK: 1 in built-in options; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 9 remove chars at record, not field, level; can extract field substring (from field beginning to several markers: tab, space, letter, not a letter, number etc.) LM: 1 field mapping depending on RT; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9;

many more fexible and powerful options are available

Pr: 1 only: "when using workform [X], do not transfer field(s) ..." (field mapping depending on RT); 2; 3; 4; 5; 7; 8; 9 En: 2; 3; 4; 5; 6 no ; 7; 8 (any field); 9 only omitting strings for each single field (cannot copy Ctrl-C, must retype every single string) RM: 1 to replace text or not; 2; 3; 4; 5 (7 predefined patterns: author, periodical, date etc.: Source field lets indicate delimiters, also commas and tabs); 6 (4 keywords + date stamping --settings are not at the filter level but in the import window); 7; 8 (also Casing Term Dictionary); 9; also "Periodical term Dictionary" for terms without periods in abbreviated titles that are not abbreviated words Papyrus: 2; 3; 4; 5; 6 (kw + internal date stamping)

7 Import through Z39.50 online connection
    1. can modify import filters

Bscp:  no (can use available Z39.50 gateways to retrieve displayed tagged records and import one at the time) BK: no LM: n.a. (needs external software BookWhere® with automatic SendTo LM feature) Pr: yes (via incorporated subset of BookWhere® client); yes En: yes (via incorporated proprietary toolkit, Yaz based); yes RM: yes (via incorporated subset of BookWhere® client); yes Papyrus: n.a.

8 Other: can import proprietary format files

Bscp: not reviewed BK: not reviewed LM: normally only modifiable dedicated filters; BookWhere? -Z39.50 client search tool- can directly write data to an LM database Pr: normally only modifiable dedicated filters, but can automatically convert Reference Manager and EndNote databases; BookWhere?; several databases can directly write data to a Pr database; or it directly reads downloaded file from host databases En: yes, e.g.: built-in filters: tab delimited, its own XML, all unmodifiable;  EndNote, Refer/BibIX, Reference Manager  ProCite [sic] tagged (RIS) modifiable ; since v. 9: ProCite unmodifiable CDF and option to directly open ProCite and RM databases have been discontinued; Bookends: from which must export as ProCite, ISI's Web of Science; Ref-11, NoteBookII Plus & NoteBuilder, Citation 6, Papyrus 6-7, BibTex  + normally modifiable dedicated filters; it directly reads downloaded file from several different hosts and services (Scholar Google included)  RM: normally only modifiable dedicated filters, but can automatically convert ProCite and EndNote files; BookWhere?, ISI Current Contents, ISI Web of Science can directly write data to an RM database; directly reads downloaded file from several different hosts; can import Thomson ResearchSoft's proprietary XML format Papyrus: normally only modifiable dedicated filters; automatic import from another Papyrus db; directly reads downloaded file from several different hosts


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