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EndNote 101

Everything you need to get started with EndNote.

FAQs

What is the product key for EndNote?

If you are asked for a product code, it generally means that you haven't extracted the files from the ZIP folder correctly.

Delete or Uninstall the EndNote application from your PC. Go back to MyNDPortal Downloads and open the README.TXT file. Follow the instructions to install EndNote. 

Check your compatibility and system requirements here: https://endnote.com/product-details/compatibility 

  1. Click on the Downloads 'tile' and accept the terms and conditions
  2. In the new window, double click the EndNote folder to open
  3. Select the EndNote Installer folder > Choose MacOS or Windows
  4. Click the file under the File Name column
  5. Follow the installation instructions below for your device.

For Windows:

  1. Save the EndNote20.zip folder to your desktop. Then right click on the zip folder to choose the Extract all option (do not just click Open)
  2. In this folder, find the Deploy-Application.exe file, and double click to run the program. Follow the prompts
  3. A dialogue box "Installation in progress" will appear on your screen. It will close when the installation is complete
  4. Delete the zip folder you created in step 1 from your desktop
  5. You can now access EndNote 20 from your Start Menu applications list

For Mac:

  1. Run EndNote20SiteInstaller.dmg and follow the prompts
  2. You can now access EndNote 20 from your Application menu 

 

Who can I contact if the library is closed?

You may contact EndNote's help desk 24 hours a day, Monday-Friday. There are two options via email endnote.support@clarivate.com or call them toll-free at 855-258-5858 then select option 2. 

 

What is the best browser to use for EndNote?

EndNote recommends Mozilla Firefox for the best use of the software.

 

Can I save my EndNote library to OneDrive, Dropbox, iCloud or a similar service?

You can archive a compressed EndNote library to a cloud storage service. If you need to use this archived file in the future you should move it to your hard drive before decompressing it. You should not store your working library to any online synchronization service as this may result in corruption of your library.

 

How do I back up my library?

EndNote automatically saves changes to your library, so there is no Save or Save As command. You can back up your library by using the 'Save a Copy' command to create an exact copy of your library. To create a copy of your library:

  • With a library open, select 'Save a Copy' from the File menu.
  • Name the new library and choose where to save it.
  • Click Save

The new library is saved to disk, where you can then open it with EndNote. This command creates a .ENL file as well as a .DATA folder for the new library, and copies all necessary files and figures to it.

You can also create a compressed copy of a library and later restore the compressed library with EndNote. To create a compressed copy of your library:

  • Open the library in EndNote.
  • From the File menu, select 'Compressed Library (.enlx)' to display a Compressed Library dialog.
  • Use the radio buttons to select whether you want to Create a compressed library or to Create & Email the library, save file attachments, save all or selected references, etc.
  • Click 'OK' and save the compressed library to a folder on your hard drive.

 

I accidentally deleted my EndNote library, is there any way I can get it back?

A: If you accidentally delete your EndNote library (the .enl file) but still have the associated .Data folder, you may recover your deleted library from the Data folder by using Notepad:

  1. Open Notepad from your PC
  2. Save an empty file under the same name of the deleted EndNote Library (.enl) in the same location as the .Data folder.
    • Note: the two files (the .enl file and the .Data folder) must be under the same name and in the same folder.
  3. Open the EndNote library and you should see the library recovered

EndNote Terminology

Library: A database of literature references. Each reference in an EndNote library is stored as an individual record with different data fields for the the author, title, etc. References can contain more than just citation information (e.g abstracts).

Reference type: Templates for the individual records in an EndNote library (e.g. journals, books, newspaper articles, conference proceedings).

Field: Each Reference Type contains a variety of Fields, depending on the Reference Type. Examples of Fields include author, title, year, etc.

Import filter: Files that provide a match between references downloaded from databases and the data fields in EndNote records. Import filters are designed to work with specific information providers (such as Ovid) and specific databases (such as PubMed)

Output style: Files used to control the appearance of in-text citations and references in a bibliography.