Endnote

Introduction

This guide will enable you to create an Endnote 'library' and to use the basic facilities of the software. The guide is based on Endnote version 5 for Windows. If you would like further help please contact the library. Also see the Frequently Asked Questions section at the end of this page.

What is Endnote? - Endnote is a software package that will help you to collect and manage citation information and to generate formatted bibliographies in a range of styles (there are about 4,500 styles packaged with the software, including classic styles like Harvard & Vancouver). The software is available to download onto UCL-owned computers, or can be purchased (with an educational discount) for home-use (see more details). Versions are available for both Windows and Macs. The Endnote website offers advice about the compatabililty of different version of Word with Endnote (www.endnote.com/enword2k7.asp).

Are there any alternatives - what about Reference Manager? UCL also has access to Reference Manager - another bibliographic management tool. The two products are very similar but Reference Manager is sometimes favoured by research groups who wish to collaborate on developing a database. More information about using Reference Manager is available in our Reference Manager guide. Other web-based tools, for example as zotero and mendeley are also available but are not officially supported at UCL.

Getting started: creating a new Endnote library

  • Open the Endnote software (using the Start menu > Program files)
  • Choose to create a new library (New from the File menu)
  • Choose a name for your file and a location in which to save it, and click Save
  • Note: this process creates a file with the extension .enl as well as a folder with the extension .Data. You need both of these - remember to copy them both if you are moving your Endnote library into a different folder or if you are copying it to a memory stick.
  • Importing journal names - it is a good idea to pre-populate your new Endnote library with a list of journal names & their known abbreviations. To do this: choose Open Term Lists from the Tools menu and then choose the Journals Term List. Select the Lists tab and click Import List. Locate the required files, which are usually stored in: Program Files folder > Endnote folder > Terms Lists folder. Choose the appropriate subject - e.g. medical.txt.

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Add references to your library

There are 4 ways to add references to your library. You can type in the details, you can perform an Internet search from inside Endnote, you can import a set of results that you have previously saved (e.g. from PubMed or Web of Science), or you can import a PDF file (only available from version 4 onwards). Each method is described below.

Each time you import some new references, it is a good idea to make a backup copy of your library. You can do this by choosing Save a Copy... from the File menu. When you have imported new references they will be classed as Unfiled, unless you have chosen to copy them into a group. See below for more information about groups.

Add a reference manually

  • From the References menu, select New Reference and a blank form opens.
  • At the top, select the appropriate Reference Type from the drop-down menu (e.g. Journal, Book Section, etc.)
  • Enter information into each field, using the tab key to move to the next field
  • When entering authors, remember to enter the last name first - e.g. Smith, John or Smith, J. and remember to include a fullstop after any initials. For coroprate authors, enter a comma at the end so that Endnote understands there is no surname or initials - e.g. Association of British Neurologists,
  • When you have finished entering information, choose Save from the File menu and close down the reference you have entered, to reuturn to your database.

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Importing references from databases

The process of importing will vary from database to database. Some have a built-in export option while others may require you to save the references into a text file and then import it into Endnote later. Below we have included instructions for some key databases, but please ask if you need help importing from another source.

Importing references into Endnote from Web of Science

  • Login into Web of Science, via the Web of Knowledge, at wok.mimas.ac.uk (you will need to use your UCL Athens username and password if you are working off-site). Remember to select the Web of Science tab.
  • Do a search as usual and mark the references you would like to add to your Endnote library.
  • Click the Endnote button (at the top or the bottom of the screen) to export your selections. The export application should launch automatically but, if it doesn't, click the Export button.
  • The references will be imported into the Endnote library that is currently open. If none is open you will be promted to select the Endnote library you want to use
  • The references are automatically added to your library and also appear in the Imported References group on the left-hand panel.

Importing references into Endnote from PubMed

  • Go to PubMed at www.pubmed.org and run a search as usual, marking the references you want to import (you might want to add selected items to the Clipboard first).
  • To save your selected items to a file, use the Send to drop-down menu on the right. Choose Citation manager from the menu to save the references into a file which can then be imported to Reference Manager. The default filename will be citations.nbib.
  • Go back to Endnote and select Import from the File menu. A dialog box will appear and you need to check the options before importing:
    import data file    : click Choose File to locate & select the file you have saved
    import option    : open the drop-down menu and choose Other filters... browse through the list until you find PubMed (NLM) and click Choose. (The software includes filters for many databases. Please contact the Library for help if you cannot find the filter you require or if the filter does not seem to work.)
    duplicates    : choose which method of dealing with duplicates you would like to use.
    text translation    : usually this will be left as the default No Translation
  • Click the Import button
  • When the import is complete the references will have been added to your library and can also be viewed in the Imported References group in the left-hand panel
  • Remember to check the quality of the data you have imported and check for duplicates.

Importing references into Endnote from OvidSP (includes Embase, PsycInfo, Medline) 

  • Open your chosen OvidSP database via the UCL databases page and run a search as usual, marking the references you would like to add to your Endnote library.
  • At the top of the results list click Export. From the dialog box, choose Endnote from the Export to menu, choose which fields you want to export and then click Export Citation(s). The reference will be added to your library and can also be viewed in the Imported References group in the left-hand panel.

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Searching internet sources from within Endnote

You can import references from some internet sources directly from within Endnote - e.g. PubMed, Web of Science & some library catalogues.

  • First, choose an internet source from the Online Search area, in the left-hand panel.
  • Enter your search details & click Search
    Note: your searching will need to conform to the 'rules' of the source you are searching - e.g. for PubMed do not use a comma between the author's surname and the initials.
  • The references you retrieve are added to your library, and can also be viewed in the Online Search area in the left-hand panel.
  • Click more... in the Online Search area to view a full list of the internet sources available. Note: that not all of the sources will be available to you as some may require a subscription. You can delete sources from the Online Search area so that you only see the sources you use regularly. Note: the Web of Science Online Search option will not work properly if you are working outside the UCL network & you should use the instructions above instead.

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Importing from a PDF file

From version X4 onwards it is possible to create references from existing PDFs that you may have stored on your computer. To do this:

  • Choose Import from the File menu
  • Click Choose to locate the PDF file you have stored on your computer
  • Set the Import Option to PDF and click Import.

Note that the data quality will vary when using this method; some PDF files do not work as well as others and it is a good idea to check the quality of the imported record carefully.

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Searching your own library & using groups

Searching: You can search within your own Endnote library to locate specific references (e.g. if you want to edit them, or use them within a bibliography).

  • click All References at the top of thet left-hand panel & make sure you are viewing the Search tab in the right-hand panel.
  • Type in your search details and click Search.
  • The references you retrieve can be viewed in the Search Results group in the left-hand panel.
  • If you think you may want to repeat a search later, click Options and choose Save Search. You will be prompted to save the search file (with the file extension .enq). Remember where you have stored it so that you can return to it later by choosing Load Search from this menu.

Groups: You can selectively add items from your Endnote Library into 'batches' by using the My Groups area of the left-hand panel, e.g. to batch them up for use in a particular chapter or article that you are writing. NB: items in groups are also listed in All References, if you choose to delete an item from a group, it will not delete it from your Endnote library; however, if you choose to delete an item from All References, it will also be removed from your groups. You can create up to 500 groups, and there are three types available:

  • Normal groups: highlight the reference(s) you want to add to a new group, right-click and, from the pop-up menu, choose Add References To and then Create Custom Group. type in a name for the group and hit the Enter key to save it. The references you have selected will be in the new group. You can add more references to a group using drag-and-drop. 
  • Smart Groups: Smart Group allow Endnote to automatically add references to the group as long as they match your chosen criteria. Right-click My Groups in the left-hand panel and choose Create Smart Group. The search window will appear and you can specify the criteria to be used for the group.
  • Group Sets: Group Sets enable Endnote to display all the references from different groups in one 'master' group. Right-click My Groups in the left-hand panel and choose Create Group Set. Type in a name for the set and hit the Enter key to save it. You can then drag-and-drop existing groups in the new set.

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Dealing with duplicates 

Endnote can help you to identify & remove duplicates within your library. It is important to remove them, so that you do not accidentally refer to the same reference twice within your documents. To identify duplicates:

  • first make sure that you have selected All References in the left-hand panel
  • from the References menu, select Find Duplicates
  • a window will appear, showing two duplicate items alongside each other. From here you can choose to keep one of the items (the other will be removed from your library). If you are undecided about which one to keep, choose Skip and both items will be retained.

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Creating bibliographies

The most powerful feature of Endnote is its ability to automatically generate formatted bibliographies in a range of output styles (e.g. Harvarad). It is possible to create a simple bibliography manually, which can pasted into a Word document. Or, it is possible to use the Cite While You Write tools to create a bibliography dynamically while you are creating a document using MS Word.

Manual bibliographies

  • first select the references you require within your Endnote library & make sure that you have sorted them in the correct order (click on the Author column heading)
  • select the style you want to use from the toolbar at the top
  • from the File menu choose Export
  • a dialog box appears which allows you to choose a location for the file you are about to make, you can save the reference in text (.txt) format, Word (.rtf) format, web (.html) format, or .xml format.

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Cite While You Write 

When the Endnote software is installed into a computer, a toolbar is automatically added to Word. This allows you to search your Endnote library directly from your Word document & to insert citations as you are writing. To do this, make sure that your Endnote database is open.

  • In your Word document, begin to type a document and, when you reach a point where you want to cite a particular article, click the Insert Citation button on the Endnote toolbar (the first icon on the left)
  • A search box appears where you can search for an author or keyword to find the reference you want to cite - NB: the search is referring to the contents of your Endnote library, so it is important that the reference is already contained within that library.
  • When you have identified the reference you want, click the Insert button to insert a 'place-holder' in the appropriate place within your Word document.
  • This causes two pieces of formatting to be generated
    [1] the in-text citation is added & formatted
    [2] the citation is added to the reference list at the bottom of your document.
  • If you wish to add a batch of references together in the same place within your Word document, first mark the items you want within your Endnote library and then return to your Word document & choose Insert Selected Citations from the toolbar.
  • As you enter citations, a bibliography/reference list is automatically generated at the bottom of the document. You can change the formatting by selecting a different Style from the Endnote toolbar. The style you choose will determines the format of the in-text citations, as well as the format of the bibliography at the end of the document.

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Extra tips & Frequently Asked Questions

  • Dealing with full & abbreviated journal names - when you import records from some sources (e.g. Pubmed), the Endnote record contains only the abbreviated journal name; for other sources (e.g. Web of Science) the imported record contains the full journal name. Unfortunately, this leads to inconsistency within your bibliographies. In order to 'normalise' the way journal names are displayed in your bibliography, you can either edit your Endnote records by hand, or you could try importing journal name directories. These contain the journal names for various disciplines along with their associated abbreviations. To import a directory:
  • - choose Open Term Lists from the Tools menu
    - choose the Journals Term List
    - select the Lists tab
    - click Import List and choose a journal directory (e.g. medical.txt) and select to import it.
  • Find Full Text - this feature (located in the left-hand toolbar) allows you to search for the full text articles for references that you have added to your library. For the best results, you can configure Endnote to recognise the UCL ejournals collection. To do this, use the settings described here: https://wiki.ucl.ac.uk/display/LibraryServices/EndNote+and+UCL+Library+resources.
    To use the feature:
    - first select the references for which you want to find full text
    - right-click, choose Find Full Text and then Find Full Text...
    - read, and click through the copyright statement
    - wait while Endnote searches (note that this can take some time if you are searching for a large number of items). You can view progress in the left-hand panel. If a PDf cannot be downloaded because it requires payment, a URL link will be added to the Endnote record instead.
  • Endnote Web - this is a web-based, cut-down version of the software, available to UCL users as part of the College's subscription to Web of Knowledge. This version allows you to work on the web, rather than only on a UCL desktop computer. It is limited to only 10,000 references & the bibliography features are very limited. However, it is possible to 'sync' this version with your desktop installation of Endnote. Please view our Endnote Web guide for more information.
  • Using Endnote X4 in UCL Myriad cluster - Myriad cluster PCs offer access to Endnote X4 and Word 2010. If you cannot see the Endnote toolbar in Word, you can activate it by using the following steps: close Endnote and, in Word open the File menu > click Options > click Add-Ins and, in the Inactive Application Add-ins section highlight EndNote Cite While You Write > make sure the Manage section at the bottom of the screen shows COM Add-Ins > click Go and tick the Endnote CWYW option > click OK. The EndNote toolbar should now be displayed (if not, close & then reopen Word).

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Getting further help

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