RefDB
Encyclopedia
RefDB is a client/server reference database
and bibliography tool
for markup languages like SGML, XML, and LaTeX. It is suitable for standalone use for the purpose of self-archiving
, but can be used as a institutional repository
as well. Data storage proper is done in one of several supported SQL
database engines. RefDB runs on a variety of Unix-like
operating systems (Linux
, FreeBSD
, NetBSD
, Mac OS X
, Solaris) and on Windows
/Cygwin
. RefDB is licensed under the GPL
.
The data storage is managed by an application server. This server can be accessed in a network-transparent fashion through command-line clients with a powerful query language, a PHP
-based web interface, a SRU
interface, or by custom programs using one of the available client libraries. It supports a variety of bibliographic formats, including BibTeX
, Endnote
, RIS
, ISI
, MODS XML, PubMed
, Medline
, MARC
, and Copac
and can create output in these formats, or as TEI
, DocBook
, HTML
, or XHTML
documents. RefDB can process DocBook, TEI, or LaTeX documents and automatically insert and format bibliographies according to the specifications of a journal or a publisher.
Text editor extensions are provided for Emacs
and for Vim
to integrate editing, searching, and citing references as well as transforming your documents into your familiar XML, SGML, or LaTeX authoring environment.
RefDB ports or packages are available for a variety of operating systems.
Reference management software
Reference management software, citation management software or personal bibliographic management software is software for scholars and authors to use for recording and utilising bibliographic citations . Once a citation has been recorded, it can be used time and again in generating bibliographies,...
and bibliography tool
Citation Creator
Citation creators or citation generators are online tools which facilitate the creation of works cited and bibliographies. Citation creators use web forms to take input and format the output according to guidelines and standards, such as the Modern Language Association's MLA Style Manual, American...
for markup languages like SGML, XML, and LaTeX. It is suitable for standalone use for the purpose of self-archiving
Self-archiving
To self-archive is to deposit a free copy of a digital document on the World Wide Web in order to provide open access to it. The term usually refers to the self-archiving of peer-reviewed research journal and conference articles as well as theses, deposited in the author's own institutional...
, but can be used as a institutional repository
Institutional repository
An Institutional repository is an online locus for collecting, preserving, and disseminating - in digital form - the intellectual output of an institution, particularly a research institution....
as well. Data storage proper is done in one of several supported SQL
SQL
SQL is a programming language designed for managing data in relational database management systems ....
database engines. RefDB runs on a variety of Unix-like
Unix-like
A Unix-like operating system is one that behaves in a manner similar to a Unix system, while not necessarily conforming to or being certified to any version of the Single UNIX Specification....
operating systems (Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
, FreeBSD
FreeBSD
FreeBSD is a free Unix-like operating system descended from AT&T UNIX via BSD UNIX. Although for legal reasons FreeBSD cannot be called “UNIX”, as the direct descendant of BSD UNIX , FreeBSD’s internals and system APIs are UNIX-compliant...
, NetBSD
NetBSD
NetBSD is a freely available open source version of the Berkeley Software Distribution Unix operating system. It was the second open source BSD descendant to be formally released, after 386BSD, and continues to be actively developed. The NetBSD project is primarily focused on high quality design,...
, Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
, Solaris) and on Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
/Cygwin
Cygwin
Cygwin is a Unix-like environment and command-line interface for Microsoft Windows. Cygwin provides native integration of Windows-based applications, data, and other system resources with applications, software tools, and data of the Unix-like environment...
. RefDB is licensed under the GPL
GNU General Public License
The GNU General Public License is the most widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU Project....
.
The data storage is managed by an application server. This server can be accessed in a network-transparent fashion through command-line clients with a powerful query language, a PHP
PHP
PHP is a general-purpose server-side scripting language originally designed for web development to produce dynamic web pages. For this purpose, PHP code is embedded into the HTML source document and interpreted by a web server with a PHP processor module, which generates the web page document...
-based web interface, a SRU
Search/Retrieve via URL
Search/Retrieve via URL is a standard search protocol for Internet search queries, utilizing Contextual Query Language , a standard query syntax for representing queries.-External links:* at Library of Congress...
interface, or by custom programs using one of the available client libraries. It supports a variety of bibliographic formats, including BibTeX
BibTeX
BibTeX is reference management software for formatting lists of references. The BibTeX tool is typically used together with the LaTeX document preparation system...
, Endnote
EndNote
EndNote is a commercial reference management software package, used to manage bibliographies and references when writing essays and articles. It is produced by Thomson Reuters.- Features :...
, RIS
RIS (file format)
RIS is a standardized tag format developed by Research Information Systems, Incorporated to enable citation programs to exchange data.It is supported by a number of reference managers...
, ISI
Information Sciences Institute
The Information Sciences Institute is a research and development unit of the University of Southern California's Viterbi School of Engineering which focuses on computer and communications technology and information processing...
, MODS XML, PubMed
PubMed
PubMed is a free database accessing primarily the MEDLINE database of references and abstracts on life sciences and biomedical topics. The United States National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health maintains the database as part of the Entrez information retrieval system...
, Medline
MEDLINE
MEDLINE is a bibliographic database of life sciences and biomedical information. It includes bibliographic information for articles from academic journals covering medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, and health care...
, MARC
MARC standards
MARC, MAchine-Readable Cataloging, is a data format and set of related standards used by libraries to encode and share information about books and other material they collect...
, and Copac
Copac
Copac is a union catalogue which provides free access to the merged online catalogues of many major university research libraries in the United Kingdom and Ireland, plus an increasing number of specialist libraries and the British Library, the National Library of Scotland and the National Library...
and can create output in these formats, or as TEI
Text Encoding Initiative
The Text Encoding Initiative is a text-centric community of practice in the academic field of digital humanities. The community runs a mailing list, meetings and conference series, and maintains a technical standard, a wiki and a toolset....
, DocBook
DocBook
DocBook is a semantic markup language for technical documentation. It was originally intended for writing technical documents related to computer hardware and software but it can be used for any other sort of documentation....
, HTML
HTML
HyperText Markup Language is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages....
, or XHTML
XHTML
XHTML is a family of XML markup languages that mirror or extend versions of the widely-used Hypertext Markup Language , the language in which web pages are written....
documents. RefDB can process DocBook, TEI, or LaTeX documents and automatically insert and format bibliographies according to the specifications of a journal or a publisher.
Text editor extensions are provided for Emacs
Emacs
Emacs is a class of text editors, usually characterized by their extensibility. GNU Emacs has over 1,000 commands. It also allows the user to combine these commands into macros to automate work.Development began in the mid-1970s and continues actively...
and for Vim
Vim (text editor)
Vim is a text editor written by Bram Moolenaar and first released publicly in 1991. Based on the vi editor common to Unix-like systems, Vim is designed for use both from a command line interface and as a standalone application in a graphical user interface...
to integrate editing, searching, and citing references as well as transforming your documents into your familiar XML, SGML, or LaTeX authoring environment.
RefDB ports or packages are available for a variety of operating systems.