Click on the links below for solutions to the most commonly asked questions by students, faculty, and staff:
Please read the instructions below carefully..
For both Macs (in particular Macbook Airs) and Windows computers:
If you do not follow these steps and perform the updates in advance of download, your installation may not succeed.
For PCs,
The most common error is having EndNote ask for a license key. To avoid this, be sure to right-click and EXTRACT/UNZIP the download file before installing. Troubleshooting License Key Error.
If you plan to integrate Endnote with Microsoft Word:
Current Northeastern affiliates have access to Microsoft Office for free through Northeastern. Follow the MS Office download instructions for Windows or for Mac to first sign into Office 365 and then Install Office. See also How do I log in to Microsoft 365? in the Northeastern Knowledge Base. For any questions, please contact ITS.
Please review the above information before starting the following steps.
In EndNote, you'll arrange your references within 'libraries'. You can think of libraries as the equivalent to Word Documents. You can have multiple word documents for different assignments, projects, and purposes. EndNote is much the same way. You can create different libraries for different projects, classes, or content areas.
I recommend starting with one library, and focusing on organization within the library.
Open EndNote.
On a Mac, it will ask you to create and save a library when you first open the program. If not, you can go to File → New to create a new library (see photo below). While the interface will look different depending on the version of EndNote you use, the steps are the same to create a new library.
In EndNote, you'll arrange your references within 'libraries'. You can think of libraries as the equivalent to Word Documents. You can have multiple word documents for different assignments, projects, and purposes. EndNote is much the same way. You can create different libraries for different projects, classes, or content areas.
I recommend starting with one library, and focusing on organization within the library.
Open EndNote.
When you first open EndNote on a PC, you may only see a blank gray screen to start with. Go to File -> New to create a library and then get started with your project.
Groups can help you organize your references. You can create groups to organize your references by topic, by class, by project, or any other preference you may have. See below for instructions on how to create groups.
Mac: In your EndNote library, go to the menu Groups and select 'Create Group'.
A new group will be created in the 'My Group's section on the left hand side of the library. Name the group, and then you can drag and drop references into it for organization.
Groups can help you organize your references. You can create groups to organize your references by topic, by class, by project, or any other preference you may have. See below for instructions on how to create groups.
PC: In your EndNote library, go to the menu Groups and select 'Create Group'.
A new group will be created in the 'My Group's section on the left hand side of the library. Name the group, and then you can drag and drop references into it for organization.
You can find step by step instructions and screenshots for both Macs and PCs in this PDF tutorial. If you import a PDF into EndNote, it will create a new citation. If you already have a citation in EndNote and wish to attach a PDF, please watch the video below.
Yes! Watch the video below for more step by step instructions.
EndNote 20 includes only 500 citation styles by default, which means you may want to add an additional style in at some point. An example of this is the Journal of Bacteriology style, which isn't included by default, but can be added in.
Steps to install additional styles in EndNote 20:
One of the key components to using EndNote successfully is to be able to download citations from a database, such as PubMed, into EndNote. Watch the video below to see how to export a citation from PubMed into EndNote on either a Mac or a PC.
EndNote 20 (Mac & PC):
For a Mac, follow the instructions in the video below. The video below demonstrates this using EndNote 20.
For a PC, see the steps below. These should be the same for both EndNote X9 and EndNote 20:
Follow these steps to add in the EndNote plug-in (Cite While You Write) in Microsoft Word.
If you're having trouble, please reach out to either ITS or EndNote support directly. This article on adding the Cite While You Write plug-in into different versions of Microsoft Word may also be useful.
The main trouble spot for most students is that the EndNote menu doesn't show up in your Microsoft Word. When you open up Microsoft Word, you should see an EndNote menu. It may look different depending on which version of Microsoft Word you have.
The main trouble spot for most students is that the EndNote menu doesn't show up in your Microsoft Word. When you open up Microsoft Word, you should see an EndNote menu. It may look different depending on which version of Microsoft Word you have.
Creating in-text citations and bibliographies using EndNote will save you time. Watch the video below for a quick introduction to creating in-text citations and bibliographies.
As shown in the video above, your paper's citation style will be set to Annotated by default the first time you use the Cite While You Write tool in EndNote. Watch the video below to learn more about changing citation styles using EndNote.
In addition to support from ITS and the library, EndNote Support is also available to you.
There are also recorded webinars and short tutorials available that will take you through the essentials of using EndNote, and other commonly asked questions:
A summary of a research article that appears at the beginning of the document. Reading the abstract may help you decide if you want to read the full article.
A note, comment, or explanation. Can be added to citations to create annotated bibliographies.
A geographic information system (GIS) software developed by Esri. ArcGIS enables you to analyze, visualize, and interpret spatial data for better decision-making.
Written content on a narrow subject and published in a periodical or website. In some contexts, academics may use article as a shortened form of journal article.
A detailed list of resources cited in an article, book, or other publication. Also called a List of References.
A group of libraries in New England that work together to share resources with students, faculty, and staff of member libraries. Northeastern University is a member of this group. Requesting a consortium library card is free to Northeastern students.
A free library available to people who work, live or attend school in Massachusetts. Boston Public Library's collection includes physical and digital access to books, journals, and films.
A label of letters and/or numbers that tell you where the resource can be found in the library. Call numbers are displayed on print books and physical resources and correspond with a topic or subject area.
A list of all the items in a library's physical collection. Modern catalogs are searchable databases. Catalogs include information about the item's:
Also called a catalogue, OPAC. Historically a card catalog.
Software that can help you collect, organize, and cite sources. The library provides training on five specific citation managers: BibTeX, EndNote, Mendeley, RefWorks, and Zotero. Also called citation management software, citation management tool or reference manager.
Physical materials assigned by an instructor and held at the library. These materials are generally restricted to in-building use for a limited period. At faculty discretion, some materials may be checked out overnight or for a few days.
A searchable collection of similar items. Library databases include resources for research. Examples include: a newspaper database, such as Access World News, or a humanities scholarly journal database, such as JSTOR.
A searchable online storage space for video files, images, and documents. Specialized digital repositories collect materials related to a theme or institution.
Northeastern University Library manages the Digital Repository Service (DRS). The DRS collects digital material related to Northeastern University's history and academic work.
The conversion of print or analog material to a digital format. Examples of digitization include:
A paper written to fulfill requirements for a degree containing original research on a narrow topic. Also called a thesis.
A unique number assigned to some digital content. DOIs do not change even if the online location or ownership of the resource changes.
A digital version of a thesis or dissertation produced by a master's or Ph.D. student. Most theses and dissertations written by Northeastern University students are ETDs. Interested researchers can find Northeastern ETDs in the Digital Repository Service. Theses and dissertations written before 2007 are only available in print format in the Northeastern University Archives.
A broad category of research in which existing research is reviewed to clarify what is known. Evidence synthesis uses explicit and reproducible methods. Common types of evidence synthesis include systematic reviews, scoping reviews, integrative reviews, and umbrella reviews.
A computer-based means of storing, analyzing, and displaying geographic data. Researchers use Geographic Information Systems to create maps and charts.
A way of examining and interpreting data about geographic locations, or spatial data. Geospatial analysis examines spatial data to gain insights and identify patterns or trends. Also called geospacial analysis.
A government document shared to inform and start discussion about proposed policy.
Research or reports circulated outside of a traditional publication process. Types of grey literature include:
Also called gray literature.
The system Northeastern’s library uses for interlibrary loan requests. The first time you request materials, you’ll need to set up your account.
A library service that allows you to request resources your library does not have. At Northeastern University, this service is free. Materials are delivered electronically when possible.
A unique number used to identify books. Many databases and search engines allow you to search for a book using an ISBN.
An ongoing publication focused on current developments in a field. Journal issues are released on a regular schedule.
A unit of Northeastern’s library with responsibility for services or systems. Some departments are referred to by their acronyms:
A search setting that removes search results based on source attributes. Limiters vary by database but often include publication date, material type, and language. Also called: filter or facet.
Notes, comments, annotations, sketches, added to the margins of a text. These can be typed or hand-written. Marginalia can include headers, footnotes, and sidenotes. In some cases, marginalia are written by the author of a text, but is often notes made by a reader.
Information associated with a resource, usually organized in a specific way. The word metadata means "data about data".
Metadata varies but often includes title, creator, and format. Descriptive metadata makes it possible to find and identify resources in a collection. When the metadata in a collection is standardized, the predefined structure is called a metadata schema.
Research or data available for free. Open access resources are sometimes labeled with an unlocked padlock symbol. These resources often have permissive licenses that support re-use and sharing.
What is Open Access?
Words used to connect multiple search terms to bring back targeted results. Operators can be used to reduce or expand the number of search results. Operators include:
Also called: Boolean Operator.
Well-regarded review process used by some academic journals. Relevant experts review articles for quality and originality before publication. Articles reviewed using this process are called peer reviewed articles. Less often, these articles are called refereed articles.
A newspaper, magazine or journal that is published on a regular schedule.
A free and open-source Geographic Information System (GIS) application. This tool set enables you to capture, analyze, visualize, and share geographic data. QGIS is a Mac-friendly alternative to ArcGIS.
Data defined by a grid of equally sized cells, akin to pixels.
To transfer information from one format to another. Example: Scanning a paper newspaper to create an online or PDF version. Reformatting includes digitization.
A webpage or pages created by librarians to guide your research in a field or course. Research guides include links to resources, tutorials, and other information.
The removal of a published article from a journal. A journal’s editors or editorial board can decide to retract an article when it has serious errors. Errors that can result in retraction include:
A book or article written by academic researchers and published by an academic press or journal. Scholarly sources contain original research and commentary.
Common filetype (.shp) for points, lines, or polygons. This filetype is widely used in Geographic Information Systems, specifically ArcGIS. Various free shapefiles are available online.
A library database that searches a broad range of resources. Material in Scholar OneSearch includes:
Scholar OneSearch also includes information about material held at Northeastern’s libraries. Researchers can use ScholarOne Search to organize their research and manage borrowed items. To best serve Northeastern University's widespread community, ScholarOne Search has different views:
Appropriate views for each global campus are included on their Global Campus Portal.
Information tied to specific geographic locations or positions on the Earth's surface. Also known as “geospatial data”, GeoData, or spacial data.
Library staff who have expertise in an academic subject. A subject librarian can offer advice on:
Subject librarians are available to work with individuals and small groups. They create guides and tutorials and teach workshops.
A source focused on sharing news and information of interest to an industry. Trade publications are often published by industry associations. Periodicals related to an industry are called trade journals.
An unrepeated string of numbers and letters used to recognize and differentiate material. Also called an identification number. Examples include American citizen's’ social security numbers or published books' ISBNs. A persistent identifier (PID) is a long-lasting type of unique identifier. Persistent identifiers allow you to locate a resource with a URL. Examples include electronic articles' Digital Object Identifiers (DOI) and digital materials' handles.
The precise address for a webpage. URL stands for the words uniform resource locator.
A spatial model using coordinates for representing points, lines, and polygons.
A concise, researched report about a complex issue. Readers should gain enough understanding to solve a related problem or make a choice.
An article or conference proposal draft shared to invite feedback.