REFERENCE: An APPLE II package for storage and retrieval of journal references

Abstract

The package described here enables the user to maintain a "card index system" of journal references on floppy disk, with easy retrieval of references by author, subject, or combination of subjects. Many scientists maintain a card index system of journal references. The organization of such a system can pose a problem. To file references alphabetically by author makes for easy access to a particular reference, but it is cumbersome if one wants quickly to locate all references relevant to a given topic. Filing by topic avoids this problem, but this does not work efficiently for references that are relevant to more than one topic. These problems can be overcome by using a microprocessor to store on random-access files the information that would normally be kept on index cards. The computer package described here enables the user to maintain a "card index system" on floppy disk, with easy retrieval of references by author, subject, or combination of subjects. Of course, in many respects, such programs cannot compete with the large library search systems now available in many universities. The microprocessor searches comparatively slowly, and one has available only those references that have been typed in. The program package described here would not be costeffective for someone who found typing laborious and did not have secretarial help. Two advantages of having a personalized index system based on a microcomputer are cost and availability. Perhaps the most useful aspect is the facility to develop a reference system coded to personal specifications. The subject codings used by library search systems are rational and fairly comprehensive, but they seldom correspond to the optimal partitioning of the topic for anyone specialist. Using the computer package described here, a set of references can be coded into as many subject categories as one wishes. The categories can be as broad or narrow as the user desires, and idiosyncratic categories (e.g., a classification of articles in terms of methodology, as well as subject matter) are