EndNote User's Guide: Basic (Online)

Collecting your references

The first step is to create your EndNote library. Your library is a collection of citations to books, articles, and other research materials.

In general, there are three ways to add references to your library:

1. Direct export
2. Import using EndNote filters
3. Manual entry

Direct Export

The EBSCO databases (e.g., Academic Search Premier and PsycINFO) allow you to directly export references into EndNote.

Generally, direct export involves the following steps. Be sure to have EndNote open prior to exporting references.

• Run your search in the database
• Mark the desired items in your Results list
• Access the folder or page containing the saved/marked items
• Export these items to "EndNote Online"

You may see a pop-up window that will require you to press Open or OK to initiate the export. The references will automatically appear in your open EndNote library.

Import using EndNote filters

Most databases such as ProQuest require you to save references to a text file and then import them into EndNote using filters. The filter parses the citation information into the appropriate EndNote fields. This process generally involves the following steps:

• Run your search in the database
• Mark the desired items in your Results list
• Access the folder or page containing the saved/marked items
• Save or export these items to a text file, saving it to your computer
• Go to EndNote Online
• Click on the Collect tab; click on Import References
• Click on Browse and find the file you just saved
• Select the Import Option (RIS for ProQuest)
• Import to the desired group in your Library

Manual Entry

This method may be necessary for specialized sources like letters, archival materials, personal interviews, and television shows whose citations won't appear in a research database.

• Select New Reference under the Collect tab
• Choose a Reference Type corresponding to the type of material represented by the citation
• Enter the citation information for your item into the fields needed to create a complete citation in the desired format.  For items with multiple authors, enter their names on separate lines under the Author heading
• Close the New Reference window to automatically save the new citation to your active library

Import into EndNote Online

1. Open EndNote Online
2. Under the Collect tab, select Import References
3. Browse to find downloaded file that was generated from below and click on it
4. Select file type (based on instructions for specific databases included below)
5. Select a group in which to save the references
6. Click on the Import button
7. Records will be added to the group you selected. Click the group name to view them. They will also appear in All My References group
8. Import filters are available for most, but not all databases. For these, one must cut & paste or type in data.

EBSCO Databases

(E.g. Academic Search Premier, America: History & Life, Business Source Premier, CINAHL, SocIndex, and ERIC etc.)

1. You can import directly from EBSCO-hosted databases
2. Search the database and select the desired records
3. Click "Export," then "Direct Export to EndNote Web (Please Note: This is not the default)
4. If you are already logged into Endnote Web, the records will export there. If not already logged in, you will be prompted to do so
5. The records will appear in All My References; move them to the group where you want them

Proquest Databases

(E.g. ProQuest Science, Worldwide Political Science Abstracts, Computer & Information Systems Abstracts, and others)

1. Search database and mark desired records
2. Click & Export/Save
3. Choose document format "EndNote, Reference Manager or ProCite"
4. Click the Continue button and save the file as a download
5. Follow the instructions "to import a saved text file" above
6. Use RefMan RIS as the import option (Find it in Select Favorites)

Library Catalog

1. Click on Export into EndNote (look to the right of the full record display).
2. Save the file.
3. Use RefMan RIS as the import option (Find it in Select Favorites).

Google Scholar

1. Click on Settings
2. Under "Bibliography Manager" change the setting to “Show links to import citations into EndNote”
3. Click Save (you have to do this once per computer per browser)
4. Search Google Scholar
5. Each citation will now have the option “Import into EndNote”
6. Click “Import into EndNote” and then Save File (will be .enw file)
7. Follow the directions “to import a saved text file” above using Import Option: Endnote Import

JSTOR

1. Search JSTOR and select records
2. Click “Export Citation”
3. Click “RIS file” and then Save File
4. Follow the directions “to import a saved text file” above using Import Option: JSTOR

WorldCat

1. Search database and select records
2. Click on Export Icon
3. Export to: EndNote
4. Click on Export button and then Save File
5. Follow the directions “to import a saved text file” above using Import Option: WorldCat (OCLC)

PubMed

1. Select database and select records
2. From the Send To menu, select file
3. From the format menu, select MEDLINE
4. Click the “Create File” button and then Save File
5. Follow the directions Import to EndNote Online” above using Import Option: PubMed (NLM)

These instructions were adapted from the Ingram Library at the University of West Georgia.

Cite While You Write (CWYW) allows you to add citations in the style of your choosing as you compose a paper. This includes footnotes, in-text citations, and entries in your bibliography or works cited list.

You can download the CWYW plug-in for Word by clicking on Download Installers in EndNote Online.

For styles that involve in-text citations 

(e.g. MLA and APA) Do the following:

• As you type your paper in Word, when you wish to insert a citation to an EndNote reference, click on the EndNote tab and select "Insert Citation / Find Citation"
• In the Find box, enter a search term (such as the author's last name or a word from the title) that will locate the reference you wish to cite, and press the Search button
• Select the desired reference and press the Insert button
• Make sure that the correct citation style is selected in the Style drop-down box in the EndNote tab
• If you need to cite a specific page number, put your cursor on the in-text citation and press "Edit & Manage Citation(s)" in the EndNote tab in Word.  Enter the page number in the Pages box and press OK

For styles that involve footnotes

(e.g. Chicago and Turabian) Do the following:

• As you type your paper in Word, when you wish to insert a footnote to an EndNote reference, click the References tab and press "Insert Footnote" (as you normally do in Word)
• With your cursor in the footnote at the bottom of the page, click on the EndNote tab and select "Insert Citation / Find Citation"
• In the Find box, enter a search term (such as the author's last name or a word from the title) that will locate the reference you wish to cite, and press the Search button
• Select the desired reference and press the Insert button
• Make sure that the correct citation style is selected in the Style drop-down box in the EndNote tab
• If you need to cite a specific page number, put your cursor on the footnote and press "Edit & Manage Citation(s)" in the EndNote tab in Word.  Enter the page number in the Pages box and press OK.
• Note that if the reference has previously been cited in your document, the footnote will use the "short form" of the citation. If the reference was also the previous item cited, the footnote will use "Ibid" as appropriate.

Create Groups

One of the biggest advantages of EndNote Online is the ability to share groups of citations with other colleagues.

To accomplish this, you will need to organize your citations into one or more groups. You may choose to group your citations according to topic, material type, pro/con, empirical/theoretical, or some other dimension.

To get started, click the Organize tab and choose Manage My Groups. Use the New Group button to create groups. Type the group name and click OK.

Share Groups

In order to share a group with another researcher, return to the Organize tab and click Manage My Groups. For the group you want to share, click the Manage Sharing radio button and then click Start Sharing This Group. In the window that pops up, enter the email address(es) of the people with whom you intend to share the group, choose whether these people will have "Read and Write" or "Read Only" privileges, and click Apply. As long as these collaborators have an EndNote Online account, they will now be able to view and/or edit the citations in the chosen group.

You can attach many file types to a Reference. The most common type to attach is a PDF.

Click the RED paperclip/ file attachment button to open the File Attachments window. In the pop-up box click Attach Files. The Upload Files window allows you to upload up to five files at a time. Click Browse to find the file you want to upload on your computer. When you have selected the file(s), click Upload.

Note: If a file is no longer attached to a reference, this dialog will prompt you to reattach the file.