[Papyrus-L] Migration from Papyrus

[Raisa Deber]

Actually, the opposite.  We're hanging on to Papyrus because we have  
a fairly large research group (including collaborators in multiple  
locations, which means client-server approaches don't work too well),  
and haven't found an alternative which allows us to assign unique  
identification numbers to references.  (Most appear to do dynamic  
allocation).  We have over 14,000 references entered, have one master  
database (with a research assistant who maintains it and posts  
revised bb files daily on the server), file material (including  
electronic and hard copies) by their Papyrus number, using a  
'located' keyword to indicate where copies exist.  Since I have a non- 
Intel Mac, I can text extract from Word documents.  (Otherwise, one  
has to use WordPerfect, which I also had to abandon for similar  
reasons, or downsave to Word 6/95 format.)  So we tend to use the  
process of having a master copy of articles (with Papyrus numbers)  
which is sent electronically to co-authors by the first author.  We   
ask collaborators to use track changes, and the first author then  
makes the changes on the master copy and I text extract it.  Trying  
to work with a colleague using EndNote was a nightmare, since we  
didn't have the references!   We had to enter everything into Papyrus  
and start it from scratch.

Indeed, we've started using the nomenclature of "wiki" to indicate  
that we're hoping our researchers will suggest entries, corrections,  
keywords, etc.  We're also allowing people to tag their references  
(with a researcher- set of keywords) in the master Papyrus data base,  
which they then can export to their own reference managers, if they'd  
like.
So - which if any of the alternatives allow fixed identification  
numbers?  And are useable for both Mac and PC?
Raisa Deber
On 13-Apr-07, at 7:12 AM, Rodgers, John R. wrote:


> Richard's comments point up a difficulty for those of us who co- 

> author or otherwise shared e-texts.  This is the same problem that  

> made me give up WordPerfect- no one else in my circle uses it.   

> Searching using Endnote is a problem for me because I have a very  

> large database, but it is no problem for the students I teach who  

> for the most part have small databases.  Similarly, when I co- 

> author I need to use a common reference managing program.  I  

> imagine that many of those who have managed to hang on to using  

> Papyrus are sole authors.?

>

>

> John R. Rodgers, Ph.D.

> Department of Immunology

> Baylor College of Medicine

> Houston, Texas 77030

> 713-798-3903

> fax: 713-798-3700

>

>

>

> Personally I use Emacs both for writing the documents and for

> manipulating the BibTeX files but there are Java based programs that

> will do it.

>

> Of course, it does require learning LaTeX, but its much better than

> using Word anyway, IMHO

>

> --

> --

> Richard Fieldsend

> _______________________________________________

>

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Raisa Deber, PhD
Professor, Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation
Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Director, M-THAC (From Medicare to Home and Community) Research Unit   
(www.m-thac.org)
Health Sciences Building
155 College Street Suite 425
Toronto, ON  M5T 3M6
phone:  (416) 978-8366
fax:  (416) 978-7350
e-mail:  raisa.deber at utoronto.ca