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EndNote: Adding References

Adding References Manually

The most basic way to enter a reference is by typing it in.  Click References-->New Reference. 

Here are some tips to keep in mind when manually entering a reference:

  • Make sure you have the appropriate Reference Type selected. 
  • Multiple authors need to be listed on separate lines.
  • You can enter author names either last name first with a comma ("Smith, Jane") or first name first ("Jane Smith").
  • When entering a corporate or institutional author name like "Georgia State University" or "Centers for Disease Control", enter a comma after the name. This will prevent EndNote from inverting or abbreviating the name as it would for an individual author's.

Creating References from PDFs

You can import PDFs into your EndNote library. Not only that, but EndNote can create a reference using the PDF's Digital Object Identifier (DOI). If the DOI is not present the PDF will be imported, but you will need to do manually enter the reference information into EndNote.

  • Open your EndNote library and click File--> Import
  • At this point you can opt to import a single PDF (choose File) or a folder of PDFs (choose Folder)
  • From the ensuing Import File box choose the PDF (or folder of PDFs) you wish to import an use PDF as the Import Option:

Exporting References from Databases

Most of the Georgia State University Library's databases, including GIL-Find, the catalog, support the direct export function. This is the easiest and most efficient way of adding references to your EndNote library.  Every database works a little differently, but most databases can export to EndNote with these general steps:

  1. Run your search as you ordinarily would.
  2. Select the citations you want to save with an Add button or check box.
  3. Look for a Save/Export/Download option.
  4. Choose "Save to EndNote" or "Export to your bibliographic software" or a similar option. If you don't see an EndNote option look for an option to save/open the reference in RIS (or .ris) format. EndNote will work with RIS files. 
  5. If EndNote is open, it will recognize that your browser is sending citation data the references will automatically to save it to your library. If EndNote is not open, you will be prompted to select the library in which you want the references saved.

Direct Export Example