Building Your EndNote Library

Introduction

This guide discusses the process of building your EndNote library by populating it with references. (For information about creating an EndNote library or the basics of working with your EndNote libraries, see Getting Started with EndNote.)

There are three ways to add references to build your EndNote library:

• Add reference manually
• Use a connection file to search remote databases
• Use a filter to import references from saved database searches

Add References Manually

1. Click on the New Reference button on the main toolbar.
2. In the New Reference dialog box, select the type of reference you are creating from the Reference type pull down menu.
3. Click a field (author, year, title, etc.) and enter the citation information.

Use a Connection File To Search Remote Databases

EndNote allows you to add references to your library by connecting to a database (see note) and searching from within your EndNote software.

1. Click on the Connect button on the main toolbar:

   

2. The Choose a Connection File dialog box will appear with a list of available connection files for databases you can search (see note). Select an appropriate file by clicking on the name once. Click Connect to launch a connection to the selected database.

   

3. A Remote Search dialog box will appear that allows you to search for references in the selected database. The provided pull down menus allow you to change search parameters (keyword, author, journal, etc.) and to limit your search results. Click Search to retrieve results

   

4. The Confirm Remote Search dialog box will appear indicating how many search results match your search criteria. Click OK to retrieve some or all of the references.
5. Your search results page is a temporary holding area for the references. Select the references you want to copy to your EndNote library. (If you don't select any specific references, EndNote will copy all the reference).

   

6. Click the Copy References To button and choose the library you want to send your references.

NOTE: As of September 2003, most connection files no longer work due to the end of the common Melvyl interface to indexes and databases available through the California Digital Library. Currently, connection files will work with the following databases:

• PubMed
• Web of Science (ISI)
• Melvyl Catalog.

Use a Filter to Import References from Saved Database Searches

Start in a database...

1. Select one of the databases available from the UC Davis University Library from the Databases A-Z list.
2. Conduct a search and mark items to be added to an Endnote library.
3. Export marked items to your hard drive as a text (.txt) file.

NOTE: Some databases (ISI Web of Science, ISI Biosis Previews, ...) will allow you to export directly to your EndNote reference software.

Go to EndNote...

From EndNote you can import your search results into your EndNote library.

1. Click on the Import button on the main toolbar.

   

2. Select a database filter from the Import Options pull down menu.

   

   

   The library has prepared an instruction guide for the filter of most of major databases available at UC Davis:

   • Filters for Windows
   • Filters for Macintosh

   In some cases you will need to go to EndNote's website to download a current filter. See the section Installing New Filters and Connection Files in Endnote for more information.

   NOTE: Be sure to select the correct provider of the database you used for your search, as there can sometimes be more than one option. To discover who the provider is for each database, check the Databases A-Z list. The provider of each database is listed in parentheses after the name of the database (e.g. Biosis Previews (via Ovid).

3. Click the Choose File button to select the text file from your hard drive.