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EndNote

EndNote is reference management software that assists with organising references, creating bibliographies and collaborating by sharing libraries.

Key points

Import from various sources 

You can import references into EndNote from various sources, including LibrarySearch, library databases, and Google Scholar.

After importing 

  • Check each reference for missing or incorrect details. 
  • Edit references via the Edit tab in the right panel. 
  • Add personal notes in the Research Notes field. 
  • Use the Rating field to star important references (enable it by selecting the right-control on a column header).

Imported References folder

  • New imports appear here temporarily. 
  • They also stay permanently in All References. 
  • Each new import replaces the previous list in the Imported References folder, but not in the overall library.

Mac users 

When exporting references from LibrarySearch, library databases, or Google Scholar, use the Firefox browser for best performance. There can be issues with exporting references to your EndNote Desktop library on a Mac via the Safari or Chrome browsers.

Exporting references

Exporting references from LibrarySearch 

Make sure that you have your EndNote library open:

  1. Access LibrarySearch and perform a search.
  2. Mark records you want to export from LibrarySearch by selecting the pin next to each record.  
  3. Select the large pin on the top right of the screen to Go to my favourites.  
  4. Select the tickbox at top left-hand side of the list to mark all references. You can also send references to EndNote individually by selecting the EndNote (RIS) Export icon.   
  5. You’ll now see three options next to My Favourites. 
  6. Select the ellipsis (three dots) icon. 
  7. Select EndNote (RIS) Export from the list.  
  8. Ensure UTF-8 Encoding is selected and then Download. 
  9.  Save the Primo_RIS_Export.ris file to your desktop (or another convenient location). 
  10. Open the file from your desktop (or convenient location) and this will send the record(s) to your EndNote library.

Tip: When you open the .ris file, if you are asked what program to open it with, select EndNote (you may need to browse the list of programs) and tick the option to always use this program to open these files.

What are Library databases?

Library databases are online collections of organised information that libraries subscribe to. They provide access to a wide range of academic and professional resources that are often not freely available on the internet.

Types of resources in Library databases

  • Scholarly journals and peer-reviewed articles
  • Newspaper and magazine articles
  • E-books and audiobooks
  • Videos and documentaries
  • Images and artwork
  • Conference papers
  • Theses and dissertations
  • Industry reports and statistics

You can access databases through the Library website → Find books, articles and more → Databases, or check the Subject guides in the relevant subject area for a list of recommended databases.

Exporting citations to EndNote

Most academic databases support direct export to citation managers like EndNote. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Perform your search in the database.
  2. Select the references you want to export.
  3. Look for options like:
    • Export
    • Save
    • Send to
    • Cite
  4. If “EndNote” is not listed, choose RIS format (a standard format EndNote can read).
  5. Download the .ris file to your computer.
  6. Open your EndNote library.
  7. Double-click the .ris file or import it manually into EndNote.
  8. The references will appear in:
    • Imported References (temporary list)
    • All References (permanent list)

Note: Each new import replaces the previous list in Imported References, but all records remain in All References.

Exporting references from Google Scholar

Exporting multiple references to EndNote

  1. Open Google Scholar.
  2. Log in to your personal Google/Gmail account.
  3. Search and select the references that you want to export by selecting Save or the star icon under items you want to export. These references will be saved to My library.
  4. You will be prompted to add a label to the reference. Assign the reference a new or existing Label. This label will be defining the collection of references that you will export as a group.
  5. Open My library from the top right corner.
  6. From the My library menu on the left select the Label that you have assigned to your saved references.
  7. Select Export all → EndNote.
  8. Open the downloaded file with the EndNote application and make any necessary edits to ensure citations are accurate.

Exporting a single reference to EndNote

  1. Search Google Scholar.
  2. Select Cite under a reference that you want to export to EndNote.
  3. In the Cite box, select EndNote.
  4. Open the downloaded file with the EndNote application and make any necessary edits to ensure citations are accurate.

Manual input of references

Manual input of references

Creating a new reference

  1. Go to References →  New Reference.
  2. Select a reference type from the drop-down menu.
  3. Fill in all required fields.
  4. Click Save and exit the window.

Input formatting tips

Authors

  • Format: Last name, First name
    Example: Benton, Tim
  • For organisations: Write the full name, followed by a comma
    Example: RMIT University,
  • Enter each author on a new line (press Enter)
  • For initials: Add a space between initials and a full stop after each
    Example: Smith, J. O.

Titles

  • Use sentence case for titles (capitalise only the first word and proper nouns)
    Example: Nanotechnology: Photons make light work

Keywords

  • Add custom keywords to help with future searches
    Example: specific wavelengths, quantum dots, solar cells

Minimum fields

For references to display correctly in MOST referencing styles, a certain number of bibliographic elements or minimum fields are required.  

Note: Refer to EasyCite for more details.

Webpage Journal article Electronic article Book Electronic book
  • Author or producer of site (personal or corporate) 
  • Title (of site) 
  • URL 
  • Year (date of publication or of last update) 
  • Access Date (date you accessed the site) 
  • Author 
  • Title 
  • Journal 
  • Volume 
  • Issue 
  • Year 
  • Pages 
  • DOI – Digital Object Identifier (if applicable) 
  • Author 
  • Title 
  • Year 
  • Periodical Title (Journal title) 
  • Volume 
  • Issue 
  • Pages 
  • Date accessed 
  • URL (or database name) 
  • DOI – Digital Object Identifier (if applicable) 
  • Author 
  • Title 
  • Year  
  • Publisher 
  • City  
  • Edition (If not the first) 
  • Author 
  • Title 
  • Publisher 
  • Year (copyright date) 
  • Date accessed 
  • URL (or database name) 

Adding full-text and PDFs

Adding a saved PDF to an existing record

Purpose
Use this method when you already have the PDF saved, or when the reference does not have a DOI.

Steps

  1. In your EndNote library, double click a reference that you want to attach the PDF to.
  2. Select the Summary tab (right panel), then select Attach File.
    • Or go to: File Attachments → Attach File, select the PDF, then select Open
  3. Select another reference to trigger the Save changes prompt. Select Yes (on a Mac select Save).
  4. Repeat for each reference as needed.

Using 'Find Full Text' to attach PDFs to existing records

Use this method when you don’t have the PDFs. EndNote will search for and attach available full-text PDFs using DOIs.

Step 1: Configure EndNote preferences

Windows: Edit → Preferences → Find Full Text
Mac: EndNote → Settings → Find Full Text

  • Tick OpenURL
  • In the OpenURL Path text box enter: https://libkey.io/libraries/1057/openurl
  • Leave Authenticate with URL blank
  • Select Apply

Select URLs and Links from the menu:

  • In the ISI Base URL text box enter: https://go.openathens.net/redirector/rmit.edu.au?url=
  • In the OpenURL Arguments textbox replace the first part of the text from ?sid=ISI:WoS to ?sid=ISI:endnote
  • Select Apply, then OK

Step 2: Run “Find Full Text”

  1. Select one or more references in your library.
  2. Use one of the following:
    • References → Find Full Text → Find Full Text
    • Select the Find Full Text icon
    • Then right click the reference and select Find Full Text

Results:

  • Found PDF: PDF attached to reference.
  • Found URL: Only a link found. Manually download and attach using Method 1: Attach a saved PDF.
  • Not Found: No PDF or URL found. Manually download and attach using Method 1: Attach a saved PDF.

​​​​​​​Note: This method only works for journal articles and conference papers with a DOI.

Adding a folder of PDFs to create new records

Purpose:
Use this method to create new references from a folder of saved PDFs. Works only if PDFs contain a DOI.

Steps:

  1. Go to: File →  Import →  Folder.
  2. Select Choose, select your folder, then click OK.
  3. Select Import.

Outcome:

  • EndNote creates new references with attached PDFs.
  • Check each reference for accuracy.
  • If a PDF does not have a DOI, only the file will be added — you must manually enter the citation details.

Automatically import and rename PDFs

Automatic importing

You can set up EndNote to automatically import PDFs from a specific folder (like your Downloads folder). When a new PDF is added to that folder:

  • EndNote will create a new reference and attach the PDF.
  • If the reference already exists, the PDF will be attached to the existing record.
  • If the PDF has a DOI, EndNote will try to fill in the reference details.

To enable this:

  • Windows: Edit → Preferences → PDF Handling
  • Mac: EndNote → Settings → PDF Handling

Then:

  1. Tick Enable automatic importing.
  2. Click Select Folder and choose your PDF folder.
  3. Click OK.

Tip: While researching, save all new PDFs to this folder.

Automatic renaming

EndNote can rename PDFs to something more useful, like: Bendall-2013-The public life of maps.pdf

To set this up:

  • Go to: Edit → Preferences → PDF Handling → PDF Auto Renaming Options.
  • Choose a naming format (e.g., Author + Year).
  • Select OK.

Renaming happens automatically when PDFs are imported. It doesn’t change the original file name on your computer.

Find missing reference information

If a PDF is imported with only a filename or DOI:

  1. Select the reference.
  2. Go to: References → Find Reference Updates.
  3. If EndNote finds more info, copy it into the blank fields and Save, or select Update All Fields.

If the suggested details are incorrect, select Skip.

EndNote Click

What is EndNote Click?

EndNote Click (formerly Kopernio) is a free browser extension by Clarivate that provides quick access to full-text PDFs of academic articles.

Key Features:

  • One-click PDF access from sites like PubMed, JSTOR, and Web of Science.
  • Works off-campus using your institutional login.
  • Syncs with reference managers like EndNote, Zotero, and Mendeley.
  • Cloud Locker stores PDFs across devices.
  • Quick search tool lets you search for articles by title, author, or DOI directly from the browser extension.
  • Supports thousands of academic websites, including Google Scholar and Scopus.

EndNote Click for libraries (3:37 min) by EndNote Training (YouTube)

Set up EndNote Click

  1. Install the extension: Add EndNote Click to your browser (Chrome, Firefox, or Edge) from click.endnote.com.
  2. Create an account: Sign up and link your institution (e.g. university library) to access subscription-based academic content.
  3. Customise settings: Choose your preferred search providers (e.g. PubMed, Web of Science) and your reference manager integrations (e.g. EndNote, Zotero, Mendeley).

How EndNote Click works

  • Automatic PDF detection: When browsing article pages on academic sites, EndNote Click shows a View PDF button (usually bottom-left) - select it to access the full-text PDF.
  • Quick search feature: Use the EndNote button near your browser’s address bar to search for articles by title, author, or DOI. You’ll be redirected to the search provider’s results page.
  • Save and export PDFs: PDFs are saved to your EndNote Click Locker (100MB free storage). You can export them to your reference manager or download them.

A class recording introducing EndNote Click (31:50 min) by EndNote Training (YouTube)