HealthLinks | Health Sciences Libraries | How-To

EndNote FAQs

  1. How do I create a new EndNote Library?
  2. Can I change the layout of my EndNote library fields? For instance, I want the title to be in the first column I see.
  3. How can I get agency names to display correctly? I entered "Social Security Administration" in the author field and the in-text citation comes out as "Administration, SS"
  4. How can I get agency names and corporate authors to correctly display?
  5. I bought EndNote 5 last summer right before the latest APA style revision. Do I have to buy EndNote 6 to get that update?
  6. I downloaded the latest style file (or connection file or filter) but it doesn't appear on my list of options in EndNote?
  7. I have no trouble connecting with the PubMed MEDLINE connection file, but when I try to get into CINAHL or PsycInfo via EndNote I get asked for a username and password. Why?
  1. How do I create a new EndNote library?
    • Select "New" from the File menu and a new window will pop up with a default file name of "Untitled.enl"
    • Enter a new file name and click on "Save"
    • An empty library window will appear awaiting your input (see "Entering Data" below)
  2. Can I change the layout of my EndNote library fields? For instance, I want the title to be in the first column I see.
    • Select "Preferences" from the Edit menu. A new window will pop up with a list of items you can set preferences for.
    • Select "Display Fields". You may choose the fields (up to 5) and the order you wish them to be displayed in your library window.
  3. Can I do a global find and replace on text in a library field?
    • Yes. Use the "Change Text" command under the References menu.
  4. How can I get agency names to display correctly? I entered "Social Security Administration" in the author field and the in-text citation comes out as "Administration, SS".
    • When entering an agency name or corporation name in the author field, put a comma at the end of the name. For example, if you enter "Social Security Administration," then your in-text citation will appear as "Social Security Administration".
  5. I bought EndNote 5 last summer right before the latest APA style revision. Do I have to wait until EndNote 6 before I get that update?
    • No. EndNote's website (www.endnote.com) has the latest styles available for download.
    • IMPORTANT: when downloading, save the file to the Endnote "Styles" folder on your computer. For example, in a Windows-based PC, the EndNote program is usually found within the "Program Files" folder on your hard drive. Once inside "Program Files", go into the folder named "Endnote" and within that you will find another subfolder called "Styles". This is where the file you are downloading should be saved.
  6. I downloaded the latest style file (or connection file or filter) but it doesn't appear on my list of options in EndNote?
    • When downloading a new style, connection or filter file, you must save the file into the corresponding Endnote program folder on your computer for EndNote to be able to access it (see #5 above). If the file was saved somewhere else, just move it to the appropriate folder as follows:
    • Style files (with the extension .ens after the file name) must be saved in the "Styles" subfolder.
    • Connection files (having .enz after the file name) must be saved in the "Connections" subfolder
    • Filters (with the extension .enf) must be saved in the "Filters" subfolder.
  7. I have no trouble connecting with the PubMed connection file, but when I try to get into CINAHL or PsycInfo via EndNote I get asked for a username and password. Why?
    • PubMed is a freely available resource (courtesy of the National Library of Medicine), but most of our other databases, including CINAHL and PsycInfo, are not. EndNote's connection files are generic and will not contain connection information specific to UW. We would generally recommend searching these databases the normal way (via the link from HealthLinks), then saving your records and importing them using the correct filter. If you are not sure which filter you should be using, contact the library for assistance.
    • If you really feel you need to use the connection file it is possible to edit them, but this is probably something you should not attempt on your own unless you are an advanced EndNote user. Please contact the library for more help on this.