Below are pdf training guides and answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about how to install, use and troubleshoot problems with EndNote. The areas covered include:
EndNote is compatible with Mac and Windows, with a free iOS app for iPhones and iPads. For Linux users, the free-to-use reference management system 'Zotero' is recommended. Chromebooks, which operate a Chrome OS system, mostly utilise web apps so therefore EndNote and other reference management systems are not compatible. For Chromebook users you will need to find a web-based alternative, such as EndNote Web or ZoteroBib.
In this instance you've either downloaded EndNote directly from the internet, rather than through the University website, or for Windows users, you haven't downloaded the 'License.dat' file before installing the EndNote program. The License.dat file needs to be downloaded before installation and not deleted or moved from its location on your PC. It also needs to be saved to the same folder location as the EN21Inst.msi installation file.
Alternatively, you may have downloaded multiple versions of the License.dat file and/or given it a different file name. If it's named anything other than License.dat the system won't recognise your subscription. Additionally, if you double click and attempt to open the License.dat file and set the default app to anything other than the default, the system also won't recognise it.
In the Privacy and Security settings on your Mac you may need to give permission for MS Word and Endnote to communicate. Usually you will be prompted to do this; your Mac should ask you for your password to allow this.
For some Mac users you may not be automatically prompted to create or open an existing EndNote library; you may need to do this manually. If your screen is showing an EndNote menu at the top of the page but no library, simply go to the 'File' menu, select 'New' from the drop-down and it will open the option to create a new library.
As part of the EndNote installment process you will be asked to close all MS Office applications on your PC. This includes applications such as Word, Powerpoint and Excel as well as MS Teams and Outlook. Closing the windows of these applications may not be enough; you may need to go to your Task Manager to force quit, as they may still operate in the background even after closing the window.
'ris' and 'enw' files are compatible with Endnote (ris is universal, enw was created for EndNote). BibTex is also compatible with EndNote, and you can pull a reference from an article pdf as long as it has a DOI. You can also import references from .txt files as long as they're formatted in the correct way, and download multiple citations into a single citation file e.g. a ris or enw file from the library catalogue or other journal/database sites. These can all be imported through the usual double-click to open.
If you double click a ris file, as long as you have the EndNote desktop application installed it should open in EndNote automatically. If this isn't working look at the icon on your device for ris files; you may have accidentally set a different application as its default, such as your browser or Word. This can happen for Microsoft Edge browser users who open ris files within the downloads folder of their browser, rather than through the desktop. Re-setting the default application for a file should be relatively easy; simply double click (or right click for some PCs), and under the 'Open with' option select 'Choose another app'; this will give you the option to set which application always opens a particular file type. If you're still experiencing difficulty, get in touch with the Assistant Librarians on your campus, or IT Services.
The paid-for version of Endnote, which you get free through the university, can hold an unlimited number of references and file attachments.
You can only import references via PDF for articles with a DOI/metadata on the document. To import the reference, use the File - Import - File option from the top menu, making sure you select 'PDF' as your import source; the PDF will also automatically attach to the reference record.
Yes, there are occasions when you may need to add a reference manually, for example with webpages or other digital media. To manually add a reference go to References, then select New Reference.
Enter all the information you have for the reference in the relevant fields. You do not need to complete every field, just add the information you need for citing the reference. When you have completed the reference, you can see what the reference will look like in your bibliography by viewing the summary tab at the bottom of the reference pane. You can attach a file to a record, such as a PDF of the full text of the document.
More detailed information about this can be found in the Navigating and using EndNote training pdf guide, below.
Yes; to import a reference into EndNote using a PDF DOI, open your EndNote library and navigate to File > Import > File (or Folder for multiple PDFs). Then choose the PDF (or folder of PDFs), set the Import Option to PDF, and click Import. EndNote will attempt to extract the reference information from the PDF, usually using the DOI (digital object identifier), and create a new reference record.
EndNote libraries can sometimes become corrupted and no longer usable, though fortunately this is an infrequent issue. It is more likely to happen if you save your My EndNote library.enl file in cloud storage, so always ensure you save it on your PC's hard drive when prompted.
If your EndNote library does become corrupted, you will first be prompted to restore data from your EndNote Web library backup; we recommend always setting up an EndNote Web account to sync with your desktop library, which once enabled should backup and sync new references automatically.
If you do not have an EndNote Web account, you can try the database recover tool. Select the Library option from the top menu, then the Recover option. This may help to repair a damaged library, but doesn't always work.
If you're experiencing an issue with a deleted Endnote library, or other syncing problems, refer to the FAQ section for backing up, syncing and sharing EndNote libraries.
This can happen sometimes if you save your EndNote library to cloud storage or your OneDrive. When first setting up and installing EndNote always make sure to save your My EndNote Library.enl file and the My EndNote Library.Data folder to your computer's hard drive (for example your Documents folder, as prompted to do so on Windows PCs) and backup your EndNote library automatically by setting up an EndNote Web account.
Go to the Trash icon in the left side panel. Highlight the references you wish to restore, and then from References in the top menu select the option for Restore to Library.
To delete duplicate references, go to Library in the top menu, then select the option for Find Duplicates. This will identify potential duplicates, allowing you to review and delete them either individually or in bulk.
To perform bulk edits of EndNote references, first ensure you have the list of references you wish to edit displayed on your screen, not highlighted. You can do this by moving all the references you wish to mass edit to a Group created for this purpose, e.g. 'References to be Edited'.
Then from the top Library menu select Change/Move/Copy fields. Then select the appropriate field from the drop-down menu and type into the right hand box the text you want to appear in the field for those records, e.g. adding in a personalised keyword to help with categorising references. You can then choose to delete the new group, as these changes will be retained.
To find and replace data for multiple references in your library, first ensure all references you want to edit data for are displayed together in your EndNote library, not highlighted. You can always create a new Group to display these references together.
Then from the Library top menu, select the Find and Replace option. From the In drop-down menu, select the field to be searched. In the Find box, type the text you want to be changed, and in the Replace box, the text to replace it. You can then choose to delete the new group, as the changes will be retained.
Yes, as long as you have setup your Endnote citing and reference lists properly in the separate documents, this process will work.
To do this you will need to firstly create a new word document where you will place all your text. Next, open the documents you wish to merge. Copy and paste the text including the embedded citations into the newly created document. DO NOT COPY THE REFERENCE LIST. You may also wish to create sections breaks if you plan to set up page numbering and an automated table of contents hereafter.
Once you have all your text in a single document go to the Endnote 21 tab and click Update bibliography and citation. This should prompt the creation of a single reference list at the end of your document.
This may mean that your in-text citations have not been formatted correctly. Go to the Instant Formatting option in the EndNote toolbar in Word and check that the Instant Formatting option is ‘on’.
You can add any extra information, including page numbers, to an in-text citation by using the prefix and suffix fields in the ‘Edit & manage citations’ tab.
To add a page number, click on the relevant in-text citation in your Word document; the text will show a grey background. Click on the EndNote tab, befores selecting Edit and Manage Citations in the tool bar; a pop-up box will appear. Ensure the Edit citation tab is in bold, before adding the page number to the Suffix box (e.g. p.56).
If you wish to delete a citation imported from EndNote it is NOT advisable to simply use the delete button on your keyboard as it can corrupt the document. Instead, click on the relevant in-text citation in your Word document; the text will show a grey background. Click on the EndNote tab, before clicking on Edit and Manage Citations in the tool bar; a pop-up box will appear. Ensure the Edit citation tab is in bold, then use the Edit reference drop down menu, selecting Remove citation.
From the options in your EndNote tool bar, click on the arrow in the bottom right-hand corner of the middle section:
This opens a box enabling the format or layout to be modified.
If you want to check when you last synced your library, click on Sync Status (at the top of the left-hand panel) and it will show a report, as below:
Unfortunately, if you use EndNote Web as your reference management tool (as opposed to the desktop application) you cannot use the UoG Harvard or UoG MHRA referencing style for formatting citations. You can compare the stylistic differences of the different styles and edit them manually by using our Quick Referencing guides, link below:
If you make any changes to references or file attachments, when you sync libraries these changes will be carried across so that each library matches the other. This includes updates and additions to groups in both libraries. This also means that if you delete a reference from either your desktop or online library and then sync your libraries, the reference will be deleted in both places.
If the training guides and FAQs on this page aren't helping with your IT problem, feel free to create an appointment with the Assistant Librarians at the Oxstalls and FCH campuses to get one-on-one support, contact details here: https://sites.glos.ac.uk/library/referencing-and-study-skills/endnote/
For problems with your PC that are affecting the functionality of EndNote, you may also want get in touch with our IT Technicians at itservices@glos.ac.uk.
You can also refer to the support pages on the Clarivate EndNote website: