EndNote for Scientists
EndNote Basics

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EndNote Home Page

EndNote Overview

EndNote is a bibliographic software program that can be used to:

• Search library catalogs and bibliographic databases on the Internet and download search results (i.e., citations, abstracts) to EndNote.
  
• Store and manage bibliographic references.
  
• Organize charts, tables, figures, and equations
• Each image can be assigned its own caption and keywords.
  
• Format bibliographic citations, figures, tables, and more in Microsoft Word with EndNote's Cite While You Write feature.
  
• Create bibliographies.

Versions of EndNote

• EndNote Version X1 is currently the most current version of this software program. If you are familiar with an earlier version of EndNote, you can consult the What's New section in the EndNote web site for a description of new features.

• Note: EndNote databases are not backwardly compatible. For example, databases created in Version X1 cannot be read by earlier versions of EndNote.

Opening and Closing EndNote Libraries

An EndNote library is a collection of references, each containing the information required to create a bibliography. Additional information such as keywords, notes, and abstracts can also be stored in these references.

Each EndNote library is a separate file that can be independently moved, copied, renamed, or deleted using Windows Explorer (or by opening "My Computer"). Images and other significant files are stored in a [library name].DATA folder which is in the same folder as your primary library file. This folder is an extension of the library, so remember to move, copy, rename, or delete the associated DATA folder along with the primary library file.

There is no limit to the number of libraries you can create, assuming that you have the disk space to store them. However, it is recommended that you keep all the references you cite in your papers in one main library.

It should also be noted that libraries created with the Windows version of EndNote can be used by the Macintosh version of EndNote, and vice versa.

Opening an EndNote Library

To open an EndNote library from Windows:

1. Click on: Start >> All Programs >> EndNote >> EndNote Program
   
2. As illustrated in figure 1, a window will appear which will present the following options: (a) Create a new EndNote library; (b) See what's new in EndNote X1, or (c) to Open an existing EndNote library.
   Note: EndNote libraries have the file extension .enl
   

Figure 1. EndNote X1 Library Options



3. If the library you want to open appears at the top of the drop down list, select OK.
   
4. If the library you want to open does not appear at the top of the drop down list, select Browse. Go to the location of the library that you want to open, select the file and click Open.

Once in EndNote you can open a library by going to File >> Open >> Open Library to browse to a file or select from the list of libraries that you have used in the past.

To open an EndNote library from a Macintosh computer:

1. From the startup window, open the Word Processors folder, then double-click on EndNote X1.
   
2. You will be asked to create a new library or open an existing Library.
   
3. Select Open
   
4. Browse to the location of the library that you wish to open, select the file and click on Open.

Closing an EndNote Library

To close an EndNote library, do one of the following:

•  Choose Close Library from the File menu.

•  Type Ctrl+W or Ctrl+F4 when the Library window is active.

•  Click the close button (i.e., the lower "x") in the top right left corner of the Library window.

•  Type Ctrl+Shift+W to close all open libraries.

EndNote automatically saves the information in your library when you close each reference. As a result, closing the library does not invoke the familiar “Save changes?” question. Instead, the Library window simply disappears, as all changes have already been saved.

Note: Closing a library does not quit the EndNote program. If you want to quit from EndNote, choose Exit from the File menu and any open libraries are saved and closed automatically.

Creating New EndNote Libraries

Creating a New EndNote Library

To create a new EndNote library:

1. From EndNote's File menu, choose New. EndNote displays a dialog prompting you to name and save the new library.
   
2. Enter a name for your new library. If you include an extension, use the extension ".ENL” which stands for “EndNote Library.” If you do not include an extension, EndNote will add “.ENL” automatically.
   
3. Using the Save in drop-down list, choose the location where you would like to save the library.
   
4. Click Save. The new library will appear as an empty EndNote library, "Showing 0 out of 0 references.”
   
   After you create a new library, you can begin adding records to it.

Adding New Records to an EndNote Library

The following section provides instructions for manually entering new records to an EndNote library. For instructions on downloading citations from remote databases, see Searching and Downloading Citations from Remote Databases Using EndNote

EndNote Fields and Reference Types

“EndNote includes 52 fields. The first field contains the name of the reference type, a preset template supplied by EndNote; each of the remaining 51 EndNote data fields is available for use by the different reference types. Initially, only the Generic reference type includes all fields. Few restrictions are placed on the type of text that can be entered. However, there are a few fields that are reserved for specific functions.” For detailed information on specific fields, please see EndNote Field-by-Field Guidelines.

Reference types are templates designed to accommodate the varying information necessary to cite different kinds of sources such as books, journal articles, conference proceedings, and web pages.

Table 1 shows the reference types supplied with EndNote. In some cases, a source may fit into two or more reference types. Selection of the reference type should be guided by the publication guidelines (style guide) and your personal preferences. However, it is important to maintain consistency after you make the initial decision.

Table 1. EndNote XI Reference Types

New EndNote records are usually created using one of the following methods: (1) manually entering bibliographic data; (2) downloading bibliographic data from a remote database. The instructions below are for manually entering bibliographical data. For instructions on downloading bibliographic data from remote databases, see Searching and Downloading Citations from Remote Databases Using EndNote

While there is no limit to the number of references you can create in an EndNote library, in order to maintain efficient performance managing the database, it is recommended that the number of references created not exceed 100,000.

To manually enter a new EndNote record:

1. Under the References menu, select New Reference. A blank record window opens.
   
2. Select the kind of source to be entered (book, journal, etc.) from the Reference Type menu.
   
3. Enter the Author using the format «Last Name, First Name» or «First Name Last Name»
   
4. Press Tab after you finishing entering the author information.
   
5. Next, enter Year, and then press Tab.
   
6. Continue entering all of the necessary information into the record, using the Tab key to jump to the subsequent fields.
   
7. When you are finished entering information in the record, close the window by clicking the X in the upper-right corner of the screen. The just-typed entry will appear in the main library window.
   
8. To add more records, continue to follow Steps #1-6.

Guidelines for Entering Information into EndNote Records

With the exception of the Author, Editor, and Edition fields, special bibliographic formatting and punctuation should not be included when you enter reference data into EndNote.

Author and Editor Names

• Enter one name per line. If a name is too long to fit on a single line, just let it wrap to the next line as you type it.
  
• Names can be entered either with the last name followed by a comma and the first name, or the first name followed by the last name.

Examples:

Hildebrandt, John

John Hildebrandt

Initials

• For maximum flexibility, enter whole names whenever possible.
  
• If you enter initials instead of full names, be sure to type a period or a space between initials.

Examples:

Fisher, J.O.

J O Fisher

Corporate Authors

• Put a comma after the name. Do not place commas within the name.
  
• If the corporate author includes a comma within the name itself, use two commas in place of the first comma.

Examples:

Pennsylvania State University,

The Pennsylvania State University,, Department of Plant Pathology

Multiple-word Last Names

For multiple-word last names, like Charles de Gaulle, enter the name with the last name first.

Example:

de Gaulle, Charles

Authors with Titles, Such as Jr. or III

Enter authors with titles, such as Jr. or III, as <<Last, First, Title>>

Examples:

Smith, Alfred, Jr.

Jones, John, III

Using et al. or Similar Abbreviations

Enter all author names for a particular reference. EndNote will truncate the list of authors with “et al.” or “and others” as required by the bibliographic style. If you do not know all of the authors' names, then the last author should be “et al.” or “and others” followed by a comma.

Anonymous Works

If a reference has no author, you should leave the Author field blank. Do not enter “Anonymous.”

Note: The style that you use to format the bibliography determines how anonymous references are treated. If a work is published with “Anonymous” printed on the title page, most style guides request that “Anonymous” be entered as though it were the author name.

Titles

• Do not enter punctuation at the end of a title.
  
• Let long titles wrap (do not press enter at the end of a line).
  
• Capitalize according to the bibliographic style that you typically use. EndNote will correct capitalization.

Examples:

American Potato Journal

Annual review of Phytopathology

Volume/Issue

Do not include the words volume or number or their abbreviated forms (i.e., v.; vol.) in the volume and issue fields.

Keywords

Separate multiple keywords with either a semicolon (;) or backslash (\)

Examples:

viruses; potato; United States

viruses\potato\United States

Additional input guidelines for EndNote fields are provided in EndNote Field-by-Field Guidelines.  

Figure 2 below shows the CAT record for Crop Tree Field Guide: Selecting and Managing Crop Trees in the Central Appalachians, a 97 page work published by the USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry. Figure 3 below shows the EndNote record for the same publication. Note: In EndNote, the Government Document or Book reference type can be used for this publication.

Figure 2. CAT Record for Crop Tree Field Guide

Figure 3. EndNote Record for Crop Tree Field Guide

Managing and Editing EndNote Libraries

Sorting EndNote Records

By default, records within an EndNote Library are sorted alphabetically by Author. However, the records can alternately be sorted by year, title, and by other criteria.

To sort:

• Chronologically by year, click on Year in the top bar.
  
• By title, click on Title in the top bar.
  
• On more than one category, go to the References menu and select Sort References. This will open a new sort window.
  • Select primary, secondary and additional sort categories as appropriate, then press OK. Make sure that the Ascending Sort graphic (A-Z) or Descending Sort graphic (Z-A) is selected. Ascending Sort is alphabetical or numeric; Descending Sort is the reverse.

Opening an EndNote Record

To view all of the bibliographic data in a specific EndNote record:

1. Find and highlight the row of the record you want to edit.
   
2. Double-click your left mouse button. A new window will open which displays the entire entry.

Once the entire entry appears, you can:

• Edit the record (see below).
  
• Click on the left arrow on the top left corner of the reference window to see the previous record in the library.
  
• Click on the right arrow on the top left corner of the reference window to see the next record in the library.

Searching for an EndNote Record within an EndNote Library

To search for a record in an EndNote library:

• Go to the References, and select Search References.
  A new search window will open.
  
• Fill in search fields as appropriate.
  Search results appear in the main library window.
  
• To see the entire library again, go to the References and select Show All References.
  
• To find if there are duplicate records, go to References and select Find Duplicates.

Editing an EndNote Record

To edit an EndNote record:

1. Find and highlight the row of the record you want to edit; double-click your left mouse button. This opens the record window.
   
2. Scroll to the field that you want to change; alternately, place your mouse cursor in the field that you want to change and left click the mouse.
   
3. Make the desired changes to the data.
   
4. Close the window to make the change permanent.

Deleting an EndNote Record

To delete an EndNote record:

1. Highlight the row of the record you wish to delete.
   
2. Under the References menu, select Delete Reference. A pop-up window will appear asking you if you want to delete the record. Click Delete to delete the record; otherwise click Cancel.
   
   The record will disappear from the list.
   NOTE: You cannot use an Undo to recover a deleted record.

Changing the Default Reference Type

1. Go to the Edit menu, and select Preferences. This opens the Preferences window.
   
2. Select Reference Types from the left menu.
   
3. Select your preferred Default Reference Type from the pull-down menu.
   
4. Click the OK button (Windows) or Save button (Mac), then close the window.
   
5. When you enter a new record, the default Reference Type shown should be changed.

Deleting EndNote Libraries

You can delete an EndNote library in one of two ways--

Method 1: Deleting a Library from Within EndNote

1. Close the library, but keep EndNote open
   
2. From the File menu, select Open and then Open Library.
   
3. In the file dialog box, highlight the libraryname.enl file, right click your mouse, and click Delete.
   
4. Next, highlight the libraryname.DATA folder, right click your mouse, and click Delete.
   
5. Click Cancel to close the file dialog box.

Method 2: Deleting a Library from Outside EndNote

1. Exit EndNote
   
2. Delete the EndNote library file and its associated .DATA folder by dragging the icons to the Recycle Bin on the Windows desktop.

This handout has been adapted, with permission, from the Pennsylvania State University Libraries handout EndNote 8 & Penn State Library Resources, http://www.libraries.psu.edu/itech/endnote/default.htm

If you have any additional questions about using EndNote for Plant Pathology-related research, please contact:

Marsha Ann Tate, Librarian
Hildebrandt Library
222 Buckhout Laboratory
Phone: 814-865-7736
Email: mat1@psu.edu