EndNote Tutorials

If you are looking for a particular reference, you may search for it in a remote database directly from EndNote. This is particularly easy when the database is publicly accessible, for example: PubMed,  so that you do not need to authenticate your access. However, I would not recommend using this search function if you are performing a topic search, which should be conducted in a relevant database. 

To search PubMed from EndNote:

• First, you need to have an internet connection.

• Open EndNote 20, on the left pane, there is a category called ONLINE SEARCH. PubMed is listed below that. (Note: in EndNote X9 and earlier, there are three icons: Local Library Mode, Online Search Mode (Temporary Library), and Integrated Library & Online Search Mode on the upper left corner. Users need to choose the Online Search Mode to avoid putting irrelevant references in their libraries).

• Click on PubMed (NLM) under ONLINE SEARCG on the left navigation pane.

• The Search interface on the right will reflect PubMed search boxes. Enter the terms to search. In this search mode, I usually search by title in order to increase the likelihood to get a matching item.

• If too many items were retrieved, you may either refine your search by adding more search terms or click Clear search and rerun the search with a refined search strategy. 

• If you find the desired reference(s), simply highlight the reference(s) you would like to keep. Then click the + sign in a circle on the upper right above the references. The reference(s) will be added into your library. 

Note: The online search feature in EndNote 20 has been much improved. Users are recommended to use EndNote 20 for this feature.

If what you want to search for is a book reference, you may search for it in the Library of Congress (LC) online catalog. To search the LC catalog from EndNote, here are the steps:

• First, you need to have an internet connection.
• Open EndNote 20, on the left pane, there is a category called ONLINE SEARCH. Library of Congress is listed below that. (Note: in EndNote X9 and earlier, there are three icons: Local Library Mode, Online Search Mode (Temporary Library), and Integrated Library & Online Search Mode on the upper left corner. Users need to choose the Online Search Mode to avoid putting irrelevant references in their libraries).
• Click on Library of Congress under ONLINE SEARCH on the left navigation pane.
• The Search interface on the right will reflect Searching Library of Congress. Enter the terms to search. In this search mode, I usually search by title in order to increase the likelihood to get a matching item.
• If too many items were retrieved, you may either refine your search by adding more search terms or click Clear search and rerun the search with a refined search strategy. 
• If you find the desired reference(s), simply highlight the reference(s) you would like to keep. Then click the + sign in a circle on the upper right above the references. The reference(s) will be added into your library. 

Note: The online search feature in EndNote 20 has been much improved. Users are recommended to use EndNote 20 for this feature.