Bookends and MLA/Silver Platter

[JEC]

I am new to Bookends and have been off of Endnote for at least one version, however, I am having very little success importing usably clean reference matter from the MLA (Silver Platter/WebSpirs) format. Partly this is clearly a WebSpirs problem: their dbase has no save-format options, except contents and ranges, and the filter in Bookends does not read the MLA marked records lists upon download/save. So, I have been taking download lists and copying them to clipboard in order to import, and this causes noisy/unclean records. I have also tried to use their print preview to copy into Word, clean it up myself, and then re-copy to clipboard or re-import through Word, again without success. I have two questions: first, is there a list of markers or field tags that Bookends uses to read records for import, so that I can pre-clean data with them? (I assume these are distinct from the ones I would use to create a custom filter, but if they are the same, the user info should specify that as well.) Secondly, and perhaps more ideallly, is there an easier solution that I might be missing?

Thanks
-JEC

[Jon]

I have two questions: first, is there a list of markers or field tags that Bookends uses to read records for import, so that I can pre-clean data with them? (I assume these are distinct from the ones I would use to create a custom filter, but if they are the same, the user info should specify that as well.) Secondly, and perhaps more ideallly, is there an easier solution that I might be missing?
-JEC

Hi,

I am on vacation in Italy and will answer this more fully when I return if you need more information.

Briefly, you should not need to clean up anything -- Bookends import filters sort through the garbage to find the tags and import the data. To create or edit an import filter, please refer to the User Guide (it is quite a bit easier than with EndNote). Basically, each field you want to import must be preceded by a tag, which you enter in the filter. A number of other settings handle things like the definition of when a reference begins, how names and keywords are arranged, etc.

If you cannot get the filter to work, you can always send me an example of a file you at trying to import (if from the clipboard, paste into SimpleText and send that) and I will create a filter for you. Wait until I return, please, if you want to send one to me (Aug 24 or later would be fine).

Jon
Sonny Software