Skip to Main Content

EndNote Desktop guide

How to use the EndNote Desktop program to add and manage references, and format citations and bibliographies.

How to use this guide

Use the navigation menu to browse pages by topic and access detailed instructions on using EndNote Desktop.

You can also use the search feature within this guide to quickly locate information in this guide. Simply type a search word to find what you need.

search box to search within this guide
Image: Copyright © Springshare. Used under licence.

The quick links in the tabs within this box provide a guide to the most relevant sections for beginners and advanced users, as well as for troubleshooting common EndNote issues.

Getting started with EndNote Desktop

Advanced features of EndNote Desktop

Troubleshooting  

What is EndNote?

EndNote is a tool that creates, stores and manages references and bibliographies. Depending on your needs, you can either use EndNote Desktop or EndNote Online.

EndNote Desktop is the comprehensive, full version software that is installed on a computer (Windows or Mac).

EndNote Online is the simplified, condensed online version of the EndNote Desktop program. EndNote Online is not installed on a computer; you can sign up and log into it from anywhere using your EndNote Online account.

EndNote Desktop and EndNote Online allow you to:

  • Import selected references to your EndNote library from various online search tools (e.g. LibrarySearch, library databases and Google Scholar).
  • Manually create references in your EndNote library.
  • Insert references from your EndNote library into your Microsoft Word document (Cite While You Write (CWYW)).
  • Attach full-text PDFs to your references.
  • Organise references into groups.
  • Share your EndNote library/groups with other EndNote users.

This guide includes instructions for EndNote Desktop.

The Library also has a guide for EndNote Online.

Video: What's New in EndNote Desktop 21? [3:00] by EndNote Training.

Downloading and installing

Downloading and installing EndNote Desktop

  • EndNote Desktop is already installed on all RMIT student computers (Windows and Mac), and is available for staff optional self-installation via the Company Portal on all RMIT staff Windows computers. EndNote Desktop is also available on myDesktop.
     
  • If staff or students are using their own personal device, or staff are using an RMIT staff Mac computer, please download and install EndNote Desktop from the Library's EndNote Desktop page.
     
  • If you are a Masters by Research or PhD student, you can install EndNote Desktop yourself on your RMIT-loaned laptop if you have admin rights. If you do not have these admin rights, please contact RMIT's IT Service Connect and ask them to install for you.
     
  • Help with downloading or installing EndNote Desktop is available from RMIT's IT Service Connect.

Checking for EndNote Desktop software updates on your personal computer

  • Windows: go to EndNote Desktop, then Help > Check for Updates within the top toolbar.
  • Mac: go to EndNote Desktop, then EndNote 21 > Check for Updates within the top toolbar.

Check the list of available updates for EndNote Desktop.

Downloading and installing RMIT Harvard referencing style

  • If you use RMIT Harvard, download the 'RMIT Harvard' referencing style from the Library's EndNote Desktop page (scroll down to Reference Styles sub-heading). Clear step-by-step instructions on how to download and install the style are provided on that page.
     
  • Please note that you must download and install BOTH the output style file (ENS file) and the XML file for the RMIT Harvard EndNote style to work properly.
     
  • You will need to download and install the RMIT Harvard reference style on your own personal computer and, if using, on the RMIT computer you are working on.

Downloading and installing RMIT Connection File

  • The RMIT Connection File is used if you want to search in LibrarySearch directly from EndNote.
     
  • This method is limited as it does not allow you to further narrow your search results using filters/limiters, nor can you access the abstract of each search result to assess their relevancy.
     
  • It is therefore recommended you search directly from LibrarySearch instead, then import the references you want into your EndNote library.
     
  • For how to add references from LibrarySearch to your EndNote library, please see: Adding references.
     

For RMIT computers

The RMIT Connection File is already available within the EndNote Desktop software installed on all RMIT student computers on campus (Windows and Macs), within myDesktop, and within Company Portal on RMIT staff Windows computers. You do not need to separately download and install it.
 

For personal computers

If you have installed EndNote Desktop on your own personal computer or an RMIT staff Mac computer, you will need to download the RMIT Connection File from the Library's EndNote Desktop page. You only need to do this if you need to use the RMIT Connection File.

To install your downloaded connection file, save it to its corresponding sub-folder:

  • Windows: save the file to C:\Program Files (x86)\EndNote 21\Connections
  • Mac: save the file to Applications > EndNote 21 > Connections

Creating and opening a new EndNote Desktop library

Creating a new EndNote Desktop library

  1. Open the EndNote Desktop program. EndNote is already installed on all RMIT Library computers.

    - Windows: go to Start > All apps > EndNote.
    - Mac: go to Open Finder > Applications > EndNote 21 > EndNote 21.
     

  2. Create a new EndNote Desktop library (File > New) and save it to your preferred location:

    - on the local hard drive (C:) of your own personal computer or laptop
    - on the desktop or within your H: drive of an RMIT computer
    - on a USB (be careful of this option - if you lose your USB, you will lose your EndNote library, too)

    It is best to save your EndNote Desktop library in the same location as your assignment, thesis or dissertation documents.

    Mac users will also see an option to Save as Package. This creates a single document that contains both the .enl file and the .data folder. It is best practice to know the exact location of your EndNote library and where backups are stored.

    IMPORTANT: Do NOT save your EndNote Desktop library to a cloud environment (e.g. OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.) since it can cause your EndNote Desktop library to become corrupt or damaged.
     

  3. This will create an .enl file and a .data folder -- both MUST be KEPT TOGETHER in the SAME location for your EndNote Library to work properly. If you move the .enl file to a different location, you MUST move the .data folder with it.

    endnote desktop enl and dot data folder icons
    Image: Copyright © Clarivate. Used under licence.

Tips:

  • It is recommended that you create only ONE EndNote Desktop library throughout your studies or for your research.
  • Creating multiple EndNote Desktop libraries can cause problems with duplication of records and PDFs between documents, and can be difficult to search. It is confusing and complicates things.
  • By using groups, you can still use the one EndNote Desktop library for different courses/subjects, different chapters in a thesis/dissertation, or different sub-topics for an assignment or literature review topic. Please see: Groups, tags, sorting, locating.

Opening your EndNote Desktop library

Click on the .enl file only -- this is your actual EndNote Desktop library.

The .data folder is used only by the EndNote Desktop program. You do not need to open this. NEVER delete the .data folder, otherwise your EndNote Desktop library will not work.