The first step of using EndNote is to create an EndNote Library.
1. Launch EndNote Program
2. Click on Create a new library or alternatively Click on File > New
3. Enter a filename or use the default filename "My EndNote Library.enl" and click Save
4. Two files will be created, a XXX.enl file and a XXX.Data folder. Please keep the file and folder in the same location, if not EndNote will not be able to function properly:
Checking References for Accuracy
Although EndNote captures metadata easily it is always a good idea to check every item's metadata for accuracy; you may need to correct and/or improve it. The quality of the metadata varies with the source of information.
Overview of Adding References into your EndNote Library
Import PDF | Import RIS File | Manual Input | Import File
There are 5 main methods to add references into your EndNote Library. However, we recommend that you use the Import PDF, Import RIS File and Manual Input methods to add references into your EndNote Library.
We do not recommend using the online search function witjin EndNote as it lack many features and incomplete info. Also many subscribed databases do not integrate with Endnote.
EndNote can import your existing PDF files and automatically generate the citation information so that you do not have to key it in manually.
However, the PDF file needs to have:
If the author, title, journal, etc, fields are not auto-populated, the PDF file is of the wrong format and you will have to do manual entry.
Steps to Import PDF
1. In EndNote, go to File > Import > File or Folder
2. Click on Import Options, select PDF, click Import
You can also directly export citation information from the various databases to EndNote directly. However, do note that the full-text will not accompany the citation information.
If you do need the full-text, we recommend that you download the PDF and import the PDF into EndNote directly.
Please also do check the citation information to ensure that it the information is correct and accurate.
Steps to Import RIS File
1. At the database that you are searching, select the records you want to export
2. Go to File -> Import -> File, make sure the Import Option is Reference Manager (RIS) and import the RIS file
3. Import the RIS File and ensure that the Import Option is Reference Manager (RIS)
Example: Import RIS File from Findmore
1. Head to the NUS Library portal to do your search
2. Select the citations that you want to export out into EndNote
3. Export the citation information as a RIS File
4. Import the RIS File and ensure that the Import Option is Reference Manager (RIS)
Importing .enw File from Google Scholar
Google Scholar uses a different file format as compared to the other databases. Instead of .RIS Files, they use .enw Files. Endnote has the ability to import the .enw File. However, unlike the other databases, you can only import 1 reference at any time.
For PC users, you can try double clicking the .enw Files and Endnote should automatically import the references.
1. Head to Google Scholar to do your search
2. Click on Cite on the article you wish to import and then select EndNote in the pop-up window. A .enw File will be created
3. Import the .enw File and ensure the Import Option is EndNote Import
For all the other database, you can look at this guide. Alternatively, you can contact us if you need further assistance.
This method is used when references cannot be exported out directly to EndNote.
Only very few databases require this method. Some examples of this database include Factiva.
This method is also useful for people who are trying to merge EndNote Libraries or Mac Users who have issues opening up .RIS files.
For Factiva
Do note that for Factiva, the citation information that is imported is usually not clean and it requires users to clean the data. We recommend that for Factiva references, manual input would be the most efficient way to input reference information in your EndNote Library.
Once you have collected your references and inserted them into your EndNote Library, it is always useful to organize them so that you can be more efficient in your research and writing workflow.
Creating Group | Creating Smart Group | Removing Duplicates
Groups are folders which you can use to organize your references. The naming of the Groups, the content in the Groups is dependent on your needs. You can choose your own naming convention and decide what references should be in each group.
Creating Groups
1. Right click on My Groups and select Create Group and name your group
2. To move references into your custom groups, first click on All References.
3. Select single/multiple references and drag them into your desired custom groups
4. Alternatively, right-click on the references > Add References To > your desired custom groups
Smart Groups are a special type of groups where a criteria set by you, is used to filter all the references in your EndNote Library. This is often useful for people who are tracking certain authors, titles or topics.
Note that once a Smart Group has been created, any new references added into your EndNote Library will automatically be filtered. It is also important to know that when you delete a reference from a Smart Group, it will also be deleted from your EndNote Library.
Creating a Smart Group
1. Right click on My Groups and select Create Smart Group
2. Key in your criteria in the pop-up window and the click on Create. Your Smart Group will be created and references filtered:
To ensure that your EndNote Library stays lean and as error-free as possible, we recommend that you remove duplicates every time you have finished using EndNote to add reference. Having duplicates will only confuse EndNote when you Cite While You Write when writing your paper or project.
Setting Criteria for Detecting Duplicates
You can set the criteria in which EndNote will detect duplicates in your EndNote Library. To do so:
In the top menu bar, click on Edit --> Preferences --> Duplicates
You can then specify your criteria.
Removing Duplicates in Your EndNote Library
To remove duplicates:
First make sure you click on All References.
In the top menu bar, click on References -->Find Duplicates
If there are no duplicates, there will not be any pop-up. If EndNote does detect any duplicates, a popup will appear asking you to choose which reference to keep:
EndNote can help you create footnotes, endnotes, in-text citations, and bibliographies in Microsoft Word.
Do not edit the references in your word processor! Always go back to EndNote to edit the references if there are any mistakes.
Inserting Citations into MS Word | Edit & Manage Citation(s) | Change Citation Style
Method 1 : Insert Citation
a. At EndNote tab, click on Insert Citation > Insert Citation
b. Search for a word in any field (e.g. title, author)
c. Select the references that you want to insert into your paper
Method 2 : Insert Selected Citation(s)
a. In EndNote library, select a reference
b. Go to Word and place cursor at insertion point
c. click on Insert Citation > Insert Selected Citation(s)
Method 3 : From EndNote Library
a. In EndNote library, select a reference
b. Click on the "Insert Citation" icon
Please note that EndNote will automatically insert the bibliography as you insert citations and will continuously update the bibliography as you add more citations.
1. At EndNote tab, click on Edit & Manage Citation(s)
2. To delete a citation, select the citation to be removed, click on Edit Reference > Remove Citation
1. At EndNote tab, click on Style > Select Another Style
2. Select desired citation style, then click OK
Here is a list of EndNote Output Style created by our own NUS Librarians which you can download for free. Please contact us via email if you have any other queries about EndNote Output Styles.
NUS Geography Department Honors Thesis Harvard Style This EndNote Output Style is based on the Honors Thesis style guide provided by the NUS Geography Department.
Here are the installation steps for the EndNote Output Style files that you have downloaded from NUS LIbraries or from the EndNote Repository
In addition to the EndNote Output styles that you can download from us, you can also download other EndNote Output styles and submit a request for the creation of a new output style at the Official EndNote Style Repository that is managed by the Clarivate Analytics.
This method compresses the xxx.enl File and xxx.Data Folder into a single compressed xxx.enlx File.
You can then save the file in a thumb-drive or portable hard-disk (highly recommended) or even email it to yourself.
To Compress Your EndNote Library
1. Click on File on the top menu bar and select Compressed Library (.enlx)
2. Select Create or Create & E-mail, and select With File Attachments then select All References in Library, click Next
3. You can then save the xxx.enlx file
4. To open up the EndNote Library, double-click the xxx.enlx file and it will unzip itself and open the library
Please refer and follow step-by-step instructions @ https://support.clarivate.com/Endnote/s/article/Google-Docs-CWYW?language=en_US
Note: You will require to add EndNote Cite While You Write add-on in Google Docs (see https://workspace.google.com/marketplace/app/endnote_cite_while_you_write/948545547135)
To export Mendeley citations into a .RIS file, first select the citations that you want to be exported.
Next, click on File and select Export.
Next, make sure that the Save as Type is in a .RIS file format. Once that has been done, click on save and your citations will be exported.
To import .RIS file into EndNote, first click on File followed by Import --> File.
Make sure that the Import Option is Reference Manager (.RIS). Choose the .RIS file that you want to import and the citations will be imported into EndNote.
To export your Zotero citation library into a .RIS file, first click on File followed by Export Library.
Next, in Format, choose RIS. With Zotero, you have options to export your notes and the files associated with the citation. All you have to do is ensure that you check the Export Note and Export File options.
To import .RIS file into EndNote, first click on File followed by Import --> File.
Make sure that the Import Option is Reference Manager (.RIS). Choose the .RIS file that you want to import and the citations will be imported into EndNote.