Downloading EndNote

Downloading EndNote

EndNote can be tricky to download correctly.  Please read the instructions below carefully. 

Before you download:

For Macs (in particular Macbook Airs), please have your computer and Microsoft Word completely up to date with all software updates prior to attempting to download EndNote. Be sure to also have your Microsoft Word completely closed before starting the download process. If you do not follow these steps and perform the updates in advance of download, your installation may not succeed.

For PCs, the same general recommendations apply, and the most common error is having EndNote ask for a license key. Troubleshooting License Key Error. 

If you plan to integrate Endnote with Microsoft Word:

  • note that the Microsoft Word plugin only works with the desktop version of Microsoft Word, not Word 365
  • you must install Microsoft Word before installing Endnote (if you do not already have Microsoft Word on your computer) 
  • ensure Microsoft Office programs, including Word, are completely closed before installing Endnote.

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. 

 

Steps to Downloading EndNote 20:

Please review the above information before starting the following steps.

  1. Run any updates on your computer, including updates for Microsoft Office.
  2. If you wish to integrate Endnote with Microsoft Word, ensure you have already installed and updated Microsoft Word, and that it is completely closed. On a Mac, be sure to close it completely by going to the Word menu and clicking Quit Word, or using the keyboard shortcut 'command' + 'Q'. 
  3. Login to the Northeastern faculty/staff or student hub at me.northeastern.edu(Opens in new window).
  4.  Click Resources--> 'Software & IT Support'--> 'Software Downloads'.
  5. Select EndNote 20 for either Mac or PC. 
  6.  Follow the prompts to complete download. For PCs, you must Extract/Unzip all files before selecting and installing. If not, EndNote will ask you for a license key. If you receive that error message, please see Troubleshooting License Key Error instructions.

Creating a New Library in EndNote

Creating a New Library in EndNote

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.

How to create a New Library in EndNote X9 (Mac). Navigate to File then New

Creating a New Library in EndNote

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.

Getting Organized in EndNote: Creating Groups

Getting organized: Creating Groups

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'. 

Creating a new group on a Mac in EndNote. Navigate to the Group menu and choose 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.  

Location of New Group under 'My Groups' in left hand portion of EndNote screen

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. 

New Group created underneath the 'My Groups' header on the left hand menu

 

Importing and Attaching PDFs in EndNote

How do I import a PDF into EndNote?

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. 

Can I attach a PDF to an already existing citation?

Yes! Watch the video below for more step by step instructions.

Adding a Citation Style to EndNote

What if the citation style I want to use is not in EndNote?

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:

  1. Find the EndNote link for the citation style. Often this can be done by googling 'journal name + EndNote'. 
  2. Download the style
  3. Double click the style file – it should open in EndNote
  4. With the style open, go to the File Menu and choose ‘Save As’.
  5. Close the style.
  6. In your MS Word plugin, you should now be able to select the style after clicking ‘Select Another Style’. Sometimes you may have to restart Microsoft Word for it to appear. 

Importing PubMed References into EndNote

Importing PubMed References into EndNote

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):

Adding the EndNote Toolbar into Microsoft Word

If you do not have the EndNote menu in Microsoft Word:

For a Mac, follow the instructions in the video below. The video below demonstrates this using EndNote 20.

If you do not have the EndNote menu in Microsoft Word:

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.

  1. In Word, click the File tab and choose Options.
  2. Select Add-Ins from the left hand menu.
  3. Under the heading Active Application Add-ins, check whether you have the EndNote Cite While You Write COM Add-in (see the Type column).
  4. If it is not listed, then go down to the bottom of the window to the Manage drop-down list.
  5. With COM Add-ins showing, click Go...
  6. If CWYW is installed, then EndNote Cite While You Write will appear as one of the add-ins available. Make sure the box beside it is ticked, then click OK.
  7. The EndNote ribbon should appear immediately in 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.  

Did EndNote correctly integrate into Microsoft Word?

How do I know if it downloaded correctly?

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. 

Box and arrow pointing to EndNote 20 menu in the Microsoft Word Toolbar

How do I know if it downloaded correctly?

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 Citations in Microsoft Word Using EndNote

Create In-Text Citations and Bibliography Entries

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.  

Changing a Paper's Citation Style using EndNote

Changing your Paper's Citation Style

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. 

Need More Help?

Need More Help?

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: