A system for storage of references. A method of storage and retrieval of references on a personal microcomputer

A computer program, written in BBC BASIC, for storage and retrieval of literature references on a personal microcomputer fitted with floppy disc drives is described. The storage capacity is 425 references per 100K disc. A versatile search function allows ready access to references by matching any number of combinations of the following 10 items: authors, name, year and volume of journal, pages, reference number, and up to four key words. The resulting bibliographic list can be formatted to any desired house style. There is a facility for sorting the list into alphabetical order of the authors and the use of a wordprocessor for special print styles on any BBC compatible printer. These two features make retyping the list unnecessary. A search can be done manually, while browsing through the references. Advantages of this system over the existing packages are discussed. The program is totally run by on-screen menus, and it is easy to use, even by a novice.