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EndNote

How to use EndNote to organize references and format papers.

What Is EndNote?

EndNote is a citation manager that enables you to:

  • Create a library of references. You can add references manually or retrieve them from a database or library catalog.
  • Store and organize your references.
  • Insert in-text citations and generate a formatted bibliography as you write your papers in Word.
  • Collaborate with co-authors to compile references and cite them.

Downloading EndNote

To download EndNote, you must be logged in to your NYU Google Apps account.

NYU Med/Langone affiliates: 

Please consult the NYU Health Sciences Library citation management tools guide to download EndNote from the NYU Health Sciences Library.

Creating EndNote libraries

  • How do I create a new EndNote library?
    • Open the EndNote program, choose File and then New. Name your library, choose the location to store your library, and click Save. 
  • How many libraries should you create?
    • Although you can create as many EndNote libraries as you want, you can only sync and share one of them. It is best to use only one library if you want all your references available on all your computers and online, then use groups to organize the library into categories.
  • Where should you store your library/libraries? 
    • A good place to store your libraries is in your documents folder or somewhere else on your hard drive. Do not store your libraries to a network drive or to cloud-syncing folders (Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, OneDrive). If you have a Mac, do not set your Mac to store your documents in iCloud.
  • What can I do in my EndNote library?
    • Below are some specific features and functionality that will be available in your EndNote library: 
      • My Groups shows you both default groups and groups or group sets that you create for your research projects
      • Advanced search is used to find an item in your library or query a remote database for new references to capture
      • Summary displays a detailed overview of a selected reference. You can quickly alter reference metadata from the Edit tab 
      • Initiate an Online Search by selecting a favorite connection file or press more to browse your complete list of databases
      • Reference List shows the individual references stored in your EndNote library (these are also known as library records)
      • Preview shows you how a reference would appear formatted with a specific output style

Screenshot of Endnote library with important features and their functionality called out.