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EndNote: Information and User Guide

Getting Started

The first time you use EndNote, you will need to create an EndNote library:

  1. Open the EndNote desktop program
  2. Click File > New
  3. Navigate to the location where you will save your library (the best place is your HE drive if you are on a WA Health computer or My Documents on a personal device)
  4. Give your library a unique name e.g. Sue Smith EndNote References (i.e. do not use the default “My EndNote Library”) 
  5. Do not select ‘Save as Package’ as this can cause issues when importing references from databases and recovering a library
  6. Click Save

This will create two files with the same name:

  • An EndNote library file (.enl)
  • A folder of data files (.data)

These two parts must be kept together, both are needed for the library to work correctly. If you move your EndNote library (.enl file) you MUST move the .data file with it.

If you need to rename your EndNote library (the .enl file), you must also rename the .data folder to correspond exactly. Note that changing the name of your EndNote library is not recommended.

It is recommended that you only create one EndNote library and use the groups function to distinguish and manage the different projects or topics you're working on.

It is recommended that you store your EndNote library:

  • on your HE drive on a WA Health Computer
  • in My Documents on a personal device

EndNote is not designed for compatibility with remote drives or cloud storage e.g., USB drive, Dropbox. 

 

Use of EndNote with cloud storage services

EndNote software is not compatible with Dropbox or other cloud storage services. These services can be used to store a backup compressed copy of an EndNote library but users are advised against opening and/or using a Library from a cloud-storage location such as Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, SharePoint, or iCloud.

If you save your EndNote Library to a cloud storage service, it is recommended that you copy the files to another location on your computer before you open them. Using Your EndNote Library from a cloud storage service may corrupt your EndNote Library over time.

How to use EndNote 21 in seven minutes