Monday 4 March 2013

Thing 14 - Mendeley

Still having huge problems with Chrome and have closed the whole thing down a couple of times by mistake whilst reading the Mendeley info.  Had to set up my pages yet again and the Delicious Bookmarklet has disappeared again, although all my other bookmarks are still intact.  I am beginning to feel that my Friday mood of despair is justified after all.

But I am a person who loves lists and organisation (is this a trait common to all Librarians?  Am I the only one who cannot resist rearranging the weights in the gym before I do anything - or is this just a delaying tactic?)  and Mendeley has restored my good mood.
Although I have no need of using this in my present situation, I can see that if I was a student again, a researcher, or someone needing to produce work of this nature, this would be an invaluable tool.  It seems quick to pick up, straightforward and certainly has all the features I would wish for, and others I had not realised I might need.  The five short videos are very useful, as are Michael's notes, and I feel that I could certainly set myself up with this and get the hang of it very quickly.  The groups are a really good idea, and being able to list your own publications on your profile (though I do wonder if there are any checks on these or if anyone could lay claim to articles without challenge) would be useful for Ref work.  In fact, I find it hard to find a problem with this - appealing in every way.  I have had training in Ref Manager, though not in Endnote, and I am wondering if these services which we pay for actually are worth it if Mendely can do so much for no cost.  I know that there are obviously some features, as Michael has pointed out, that Mendely cannot do, but how many people currently using Endnote would necessarily want these anyway?  And what about the time/cost spent training in Endnote which, talking to colleagues, seems very complicated and involved?  If students were instead directed to Mendely with its brief training videos, this would surely be more efficient for all concerned?  I await the storm from Endnote advocates.................



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