EndNote 20: Adding references

• To create a library open EndNote and choose Create a new library
• A blank library will then open up and you will be prompted to give it a name and save it to a specific location
• The default name will appear as 'My EndNote Library' and it is recommended to change this to something more meaningful
• Save the library to a local drive 
• You will see that 2 files are created: .enl file and .data folder. These are equally important and if you are moving the library to another location you must move both the .enl and .data folder together. 

It is recommended that you have only one EndNote library where you store all your references. References can be organised into groups within the library instead of creating multiple libraries for different projects etc. You can learn more about organising your references in the Organising references tab.

The library must be saved on a local drive (e.g. Desktop/Documents/C Drive) in a non cloud syncing folder and not a networked drive such as Dropbox or Google Drive as active libraries can become corrupted over time on these drives and there may be performance issues.

It is recommended to regularly save a backup of your EndNote library. Compressed backup libraries can be saved on cloud drives or external hard drives. 

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• Choose References > New Reference or the quick link New reference button (highlighted)
• This will open up a New Reference window where the details of the item can be entered manually
• Remember to choose the correct reference type from the dropdown menu in Reference Type at the top
• It is not necessary to fill in all the available fields but just those needed to create the reference
• There is no need to format the information you enter as EndNote does this for yo

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• Search the relevant database and select records you wish to export into EndNote
• Look for an 'Export', 'Send to' or 'Save' button. You may then see an Endnote option and if not look for the RIS option to send the references to Endnote
• The Direct export process is performed slightly differently depending on the browsers but all browsers are compatible with EndNote
• EndNote will export the references into either the EndNote library you have open or the last library you were using on your computer

Sometimes a database will create a text (.txt) file which will have to be imported into Endnote:

• Download the text file from the database and save onto your desktop
• Go to EndNote and choose File>Import>File
• This will open up the Import File box
• Choose the text file
• For the Import Option select Reference Manager (RIS)
• Choose Import and the reference will be imported into your library

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EndNote Click is a free browser plugin that allows you to send a reference and the corresponding PDF (if available) to EndNote. It connects with open access journals and also journals subscribed to by SETU.  

The plugin is available on Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge and Opera. 

For more information on EndNote Click see the official EndNote guide link:

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