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The article presents information on database management software EndNote and RefWorks. At first glance, the problem of formatting references may seem trivial and hardly deserving of a new category of software. But footnotes and bibliographies are notoriously time consuming to format by hand because of arcane rules that vary from one journal to another. One journal, for example, might require that journal titles in bibliographies be italicized, while another might require that they not be. That presents a word-processing hassle for professors, especially when a scholar wants to submit a single paper to journals that follow different style rules. It is also a nightmare for undergraduate and graduate students, who wrestle for hours or even days with creating proper citations for term papers and dissertations. The citation software takes care of that. It creates correctly formatted footnotes, endnotes, and bibliographies, frequently using information downloaded from online databases, so the user never has to type in details like the author's name or the title of the book. The library at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology spent about $6,500 for a one-year site license for EndNote, which allowed students and faculty members to download personal copies of the software free.

Evaluates the IBM ThinkPad TransNote laptop computer from IBM, which resembles a leather portfolio rather than using the standard 'clamshell' design. Addition of a pad of paper and pen-stylus, which allows the user to transfer handwritten material directly to the laptop; Ways in which the screen and keyboard differ from traditional laptops; Benefits to corporate users; Problems for home users.

Discusses efforts by ACT Inc. and Electronic Data Systems to offer an electronic alternative to the pencil-and paper- format for examinations. Plan to set up centers equipped with state-of-the-art technology at businesses and on college and university campuses; Learning and training through Internet.