Introduction to EndNote
Learning objectives
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
-
explain the importance of EndNote to your research
- optain a copy of EndNote
-
create an EndNote library.
Why use EndNote?
EndNote allows you to create your own reference library. This library can be used to store the bibiographical details relating to the articles and books that you use. When it comes time to write your thesis, you can employ the library to insert references into your text and produce your bibliography. EndNote will save you hundreds of hours over the course of your research.
EndNote allows you to:
- master a range of referencing styles
- manage references and footnotes
- create perfectly formated bibliographies.
EndNote works in concert with Microsoft Word, greatly simplifying the process of producing long documents, such as an academic journal article or thesis.
Obtaining EndNote
Postgraduates at UNE can obtain a copy of EndNote from the IT-Service Desk at no charge.
The software is available for both Windows and Macintosh machines. The staff at the IT-Service Desk will provide you with an installation CD-ROM and instructions on installing EndNote on your machine.
To arrange for your copy of EndNote, please contact the IT-Service Desk on (02) 6773 5000 for telephone support or email the Service Desk using the online form.
Opening EndNote
To start EndNote, click on the EndNote icon on your desktop. The first thing that should appear is the dialogue box in Figure 1.
Click on the Cancel button or click on Create a new library and
then click on OK.
 |
Figure 1: Initial dialogue box
What is an "EndNote Library"?
Library is the term used by EndNote to describe the file you create to hold your set of references.
Multiple libraries can be maintained, but this is not recommended as this can create problems later on.
Creating your first Library
Choose New from the File menu or click on
the New Library icon 
on
the EndNote toolbar to begin the process of creating your first library.
You will see the following dialogue box (Figure 2), with Untitled.enl as the name of the new library.
 |
Figure 2: New Library dialogue box
To save your new library, follow these steps.
- Choose a location for your new EndNote libary.
- In the File name box, type a name for your library.
- Click on the Save button.
You should now see Figure 3.
 |
Figure 3: New Library window
The Preview Pane at the bottom of the library window will show you how your formatted references will appear. To close the Preview Pane, click on Hide Preview.
More about EndNote libraries
The file extension .enl stands for EndNote Library. A library is just a file on your computer, like any other file. It can be copied, renamed, deleted, moved to another folder or compressed.
Make back-up copies of your library regularly and store them on another drive.
An easy way to do this is to choose the Save A Copy command from the File menu. This will create a copy of your library in the same folder. If something happens to your original library, you can open the copy and continue working.
When EndNote creates the library, it will also create a .DATA folder which contains different files used when managing figures, tables and images. When you copy the library, a copy of the DATA file should be made automatically.
Inputting references manually
Find a journal article which is relevant to your research and use this article to create the first record in your new library.
Click on the New Reference icon 
on the main toolbar. You should now see Figure 4.
 |
Figure 4: New Reference Window
Note that Journal Article is the default Reference Type. Click on the down arrow at the right of the Reference Type box to see the other reference types (eg Book, Computer Program, Electronic Source, Artwork)
With Journal Article as the option in the Reference Type box, input the details for the article. You do not have to add information in every field. However, it is essential that you include all the information that you will need for your bibliography.
Use the Tab key on your keyboard to go from one field to the next, or click in the field you require.
When you have finished typing the data for your reference, it should look something like Figure 5.
 |
Figure 5: Journal Article Reference
Close the reference by clicking on the Close button at the top of the window.
Now find, a book that is relevant to your study and practice inputting the details relating to this item.
Click again on the New Reference icon 
on the main toolbar, select the appropriate Reference Type from the pull-down menu (eg Edited Book or Book), and input the data.
A reference for an edited book should look something like Figure 6. In this case, the book is one with a number of editors.
 |
Figure 6: Edited Book Reference
When you are finished, close the reference by clicking on the Close button at the top of the data entry window. You should now be looking at the Library window and there should be two completed references.
You are now ready to proceed to the next part of the module: Importing and copying references into EndNote