Over the years, EndNote, the bibliography-management software from ISI ResearchSoft, has earned a special place in the hearts of harried academic writers. EndNote 5 has several welcome new features, including tighter integration with Microsoft Word, a built-in spelling checker, and enhanced document-sharing capabilities. Unfortunately, Mac OS X users will be disappointed by EndNote 5’s lack of native support. (ISI ResearchSoft has committed to releasing an OS Xcompliant version, but didn’t have an estimated ship date or upgrade price at press time.)
One of our favorite new features in version 5 is the Find Citations function, which allows you to search for and add references to documents without leaving Word. As you insert references, EndNote generates formatted citations and updates your bibliography. EndNote 5 also embeds reference information in documents, so coworkers don’t need a copy of your electronic reference library to move or delete citations. Another new command removes Word field codes.
Macworld’s Buying Advice
EndNote is still an indispensable academic-publishing tool. But until ISI ResearchSoft announces a plan and pricing for a Mac OS Xnative version, you might be better off waiting to upgrade–this is particularly true for those who are currently using EndNote 4.
No Need to Leave EndNote 5’s Find Citations function lets you search for references without leaving Microsoft Word.