Importing search results from databases directly and using RIS f

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Importing search results from databases directly and using RIS filter

05/07/2012 16:50

Kerris Cooper

Joined: 05/07/2012

Posts: 1

Importing search results from databases directly and using RIS filter

Hi,

I am currenlty testing the free one month trial of EPPI Reviewer 4 to see if we want to purchase it for our systematic review. Whilst trying to test it out I have become immediately stuck at the first stage of trying to import references and search results. I have read the manual, watched the YouTube videos and checked the forum but am still unable to import references from searches either directly from databases, or using the RIS filter.

When I directly export searches from databases in RIS format and then try to import into EPPI Reviewer no references appear but there is also no error message.

When I try to use the RIS filter and select the tags in line with what is in the document, it says 'no references have been imported. Please check you have used the correct filter.'

I have spent a number of days trying to figure this out and would appreciate some help - from the manual it looks like this software will be invaluable and worth purchasing but if I can't import any references it won't be of any use to us.

Thank you for your help in advance,

Kerris

05/07/2012 17:51

Jeff Brunton

Joined: 17/10/2011

Posts: 594

Re: Importing search results from databases directly and using RIS filter Modified By Jeff Brunton on 05/07/2012 16:52:28

Hello Kerris,

The first thing I would check is whether your search results are in RIS format. An RIS formatted file will look something like this...

TY - JOUR
T1 - Factors related to nurse retention and turnover: an updated study.
JF - Health marketing quarterly
A1 - Cangelosi J D JD Jr
A1 - Markham F S S
A1 - Bounds W T T
Y1 - 1998/-1//
N2 - [full abstract here...]
VL - 15
IS - 3
SP - 25
EP - 43
CY - UNITED STATES
UR - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10181445
SN - ISSN:0735-9683
U1 - 5650
N1 -
ER -

Each piece of data in the file is clearly identified by some type of tag. If your file looks similar to this then you just need to click on the 'Import references' icon (in EPPI-Reviewer, make sure your filter is set for RIS and select your file. Once you have selected your file you can then click 'Upload items' and your references will be uploaded into the program. If your file looks like this and you are unable to import your file, would you be able to email me the file so we can have a look at it?

If you have the file in RIS format but it is in a webpage it will be full of html formatting that will make importing it very difficult. What you could do is save the webpage as text and then place the textual content into a file. In that case you should have just the textual content and be able to import the file.

If you have the references in EndNote you can export the references so they are in an RIS formatted file.

To export your references out of EndNote in RIS format you need to be sure that your output style is set to 'RefMan (RIS) Export'. In EndNote you can do this under 'Edit' -> 'Output styles' and then select the 'RefMan (RIS) Export' style. Once you see this style is selected you should then be able to choose the references to export by selecting 'File' -> 'Export'. A window will appear where you specify where to save your exported file. In this box be sure the output style is still set to 'RefMan (RIS) Export'.
The file that you save should be an RIS formatted text file.

[Note: for those reading this, I have been in direct contact with Kerris and parts of these replies are in response to other questions that were asked in an email]

Best regards,

Jeff

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