How to set up a web-based group bibliography

February 1, 2006 8:13 AM

Help me figure out how to set up a web-based bibliography for an academic group...

I want to set up something for an interdisciplinary academic group that has overlapping interests but is likely not to know about works not directly in their field. The goal is to set up a website that can provide a bibliography for people to go to that they can search for publications that may help them. The bibliography must be created by the group because new works are published frequently and I have neither the time nor expertise to manage it myself.

I want something like a wiki where anyone can contribute bibliographic information. But, it also has to be searchable by author, keyword, title, etc. and to display those search results in a reasonably useful way. Having all the books on one page is not an acceptable solution--I expect there to be hundreds of entries. I do not control the web server but I can probably get things on it. I know basic HTML but I am not familiar with javascript, php, or other website programming stuff. The people in the group have to be able to add to the database without knowing ANY html or web stuff. This must be a Windows-based solution. I can't purchase any software for this.

Can anyone out there suggest something?

posted by underwater to computers & internet (5 comments total)

You mention that this is an academic group. Is it affiliated with a university that might subscribe to a bibliographic management software like Endnote or Refworks? I'm mostly familiar with Refworks, and it definitely gives you the ability to share a bibliography in this way (I assume that Endnote does as well). Refworks here.
posted by unknowncommand at 8:17 AM on February 1, 2006

This is an international group. We would be dealing with 50+ institutional licenses. Refworks is $100/individual user/year. I don't have any budget. Thanks for the suggestion though.
posted by underwater at 8:25 AM on February 1, 2006

Could you set up a group tag on a service like CiteULike?
posted by gnat at 8:34 AM on February 1, 2006

I was just exploring this idea earlier today. Check out Bibliograph, RefBase, and Indiana University's PubsOnline. I have not actually used any of these products and have no idea of they fit your criteria, but this can at least give you an idea of what's out there.
posted by arco at 8:40 AM on February 1, 2006

Further to the last two suggestions, check out Connotea as well.
posted by sennoma at 8:48 AM on February 3, 2006