EndNote for Windows

Step by step getting started with EndNote for Windows.

Open EndNote

Go to Start button > Programs > EndNote > EndNote Program .

When working with Word, open EndNote from Word.  Use the EndNote tab and the Go to EndNote option.  
Previous versions of Word have this option on the EndNote toolbar or via the Tools > EndNote > Go to EndNote menu.  Open Office Writer has this option on the EndNote toolbar or via the EndNote > Go to EndNote menu.

Create a library

EndNote will open the previous library you were using.   Use the File > Open menu to select another library, if necessary.

For a new library, select File > New. The program will have the name My EndNote Library.enl in the filename box.  It can be changed to any other name by typing in the file name box.  Choose a location to save the library. ( e.g. My Documents\EndNote\). Click Save .

Manually typing references into the library

  • Select the References > New Reference menu option.
  • Select Reference Type required, using options in the drop-down menu. The default is Journal Article. There are various reference types to choose from ( e.g. Book Section for book chapters, Book, Web Page, Audiovisual Material).
  • Type information into the appropriate boxes, also called fields (e.g. Author, Year, Title, Journal, Volume, Issue, Pages).  A minimal amount of information only needs to be entered to suit the Output Style you are using.  Enter your notes about the item in the Research Notes box.
  • Use capital letters in article, book and journal titles where you would expect to see them, according to style guidelines.
  • Abbreviate journal titles if required for the Output Style.  EndNote has an advanced feature called Term Lists that can automate the abbreviation of journal titles.
  • Don’t format text (e.g. italics or bold). EndNote formats the reference according to the Output Style selected.
  • Use the TAB key or mouse to move from box to box.
  • Once completed, close the Reference Window using File > Close Reference or by clicking the X symbol for the Reference Window in the top right hand corner of the window. The reference is saved into your library.
  • Preview your reference for spelling and capitalisation using the Tab Pane at the bottom of the screen. The Tab Pane can be hidden or shown by clicking the Hide Tab Pane / Show Tab Pane option in the bottom right hand corner of the EndNote window.
  • The reference can be edited by double clicking the reference in the Library Window.
  • The default Output Style may be set to Show All Fields or Annotated. Select an Output Style from the style menu on the main toolbar.

Importing references

References can be imported easily from individual databases and platforms, usually by a Direct Export method.

For step-by-step instructions for each of the major platforms see - EndNote: Direct Export Notes.

TIP: To locate the correct instructions look for the publishers platform name in the Data Provider column. Major platforms that host databases subscribed to at the University of Melbourne include: Clarivate, EBSCO, Elsevier, OVID,  ProQuest etc

Entering author names

Author names should be entered one per line.

The most common mistake when entering author names is to leave out the comma between the last name and first name in the recommended format below.  This causes the author names to display incorrectly in the preview pane and your document.

Do not abbreviate author lists (i.e. use et al.). EndNote will display author lists according to the rules of your selected style.

Examples

  • Sergold, J. H.  -  Family name first, comma, then initials or first name which may be separated by periods and/or spaces. (*recommended format)
  • J M Rosen  - Initials first with spaces and/or periods, then family name.
  • Sean Oldman  - Use the entire name. (This format does not work well with complex names.)
  • de Gaulle, Charles - Use the family name first option for two word surnames.
  • McDonald, James J., Jr  - Put titles after the comma following the family name.
  • United Nations, - For organisations and companies, enter the name with a comma at the end.
  • U.S. Department of Justice„ Bureau of Justice Statistics - When a name contains one or more internal commas, replace the first of the commas with two commas, and don’t put a comma at the end

Zotero stealing your references?

If you are using Firefox, and the Zotero plugin has been installed, you may find that references you download are added to your Zotero Library instead of EndNote.

To prevent this:

  1. Open Zotero in FireFox, by clicking the ‘Z’ icon at the top right of the Firefox window.
  2. Click the cog icon and select: 'Preferences…'
  3. Un-tick the checkbox: ‘Use Zotero for downloaded BibTeX/RIS/Refer files’.
  4. Click the ‘OK’ button.

Zotero preferences