How Do I Use EndNote and EndNote Online

EndNote helps you keep track of your citations and format them properly as you write your manuscript.

Harrell Health Sciences Library: Research and Learning Commons provides access to EndNote Desktop on several labeled workstations on the main floor of library. EndNote X9 is currently installed.

Be sure to save your EndNote Library on your flash drive or on your personal M drive.

EndNote Desktop can be purchased from the Penn State Computer Store. You can also use EndNote Online which is FREE and recommended. 

Now it's time to build your EndNote library with all of the references that you want to use when writing. Three ways of doing that are described below.

This recommended method allows you to use all of the powerful search features of the PubMed interface. 

• Search PubMed as you normally would.   
• Select the citations you wish to import.
• Click "Send to" in the upper right, select "File" and change the format to "MEDLINE". Click "Create File."
• Save the file.
• Open EndNote.
• Select from the menu, File>Import>File
• Choose the PubMed file that you saved.
• Select PubMed(NLM) as the import option.
• Click "Import."

This method is the best method to use if you already have a list of citations to add to your library, or if you have PubMed ID numbers for the articles.  If you have not yet collected any references, doing a topical search within a specific database (i.e. PubMed, Web of Knowledge) is a better way of searching the literature.  Databases such as PubMed offer search functionality that is superior to EndNote's "online search" function.

• On the EndNote menu, click Tools / Online Search ...
• The "Choose a connection" box will open.
• Choose the database to search, then enter your search terms.
• You will receive a message with the number of results found.
• You can choose whether to load all or some of the references (as long as you have the "online search mode" icon clicked in the upper left) . They will be downloaded into your Endnote library.

The most basic way to enter a reference is by typing it in, but this method is discouraged since it increases likelihood of errors. 

• Click References menu / New.  
• Select the document type, such as "journal article."
• Input the citation information.  
• Save the reference by closing the record and returning to the reference list.