LibGuides: EndNote 2025: Creating Your Library

Page Contents

Save your PDF files to one file on your computer.
Make sure your computer is connected to the internet.
In EndNote, click on the File menu and choose Import then Folder.
Navigate to your PDF folder.
- You can choose to import files in subfolders under your main folder.
- You can put all the articles you import into a separate group during the import process.
Import Options should be "PDF."
Duplicates can be set to your preference
- Import All ignores any duplicates and imports all the records in your folder.
- Discard Duplicates does not import any files that already exist in your library.
- Import into Duplicates Library imports any duplicates into a separate library.
Click on Import.
- Articles with no DOI listed in the article:
  - No information on the article will be imported - the Title will be listed as the name of the PDF file itself.
  - Edit the record by copying and pasting from the PDF or by typing the relevant information.
- Articles with a DOI listed in the article:
  - Citation information should be imported from the internet.

Choose the records you want by clicking in the box next to the record numbers.
- Alternatively, choose the three dots to the right of a single record.
Choose the cite icon (the quotation mark).
Click the Export citation tab.
Choose Export in RIS format.
Name the file and choose where it will be saved then click Save.
Double click the saved file to upload records into EndNote.
- PDF files are not automatically uploaded so you need to manually add them from Ebsco databases.

For multiple records, choose the records you want by clicking in the box next to the record numbers.
For multiple records, choose the cite icon () above the list of records or, for an individual record, choose the same icon to the right of the record.
Then choose the EndNote button ()
Make sure Output is the RIS format and choose the content you would like to download and click Continue.
- Many ProQuest databases will attach the PDF if it is available and you choose that content format.
Choose where to save the file and name it then click Save.
Double click the saved file to upload records into EndNote.

Choose the records you want by clicking in the box next to the record numbers.
Click the down button by the Export button above the search results and choose the EndNote desktop option.
Choose which records you wish to download and the content you want included and click Export.
- The Web of Science Core Collection are not full-text databases so PDFs are not an option.
Choose where to save the file and name it then click on Save.
Double click the saved file to upload records into EndNote.

For multiple records, choose the records you want by clicking in the box next to the record numbers.
Click the down arrow by the Cite button above the search results for multiple citations or to the right of an individual citation
Choose the Export a RIS file option.
Choose where to save the file and name it then click on Save.
Double click the saved file to upload records into EndNote.

For multiple records, choose the records you want by clicking in the box next to the record numbers.
Look for the "Send to" button above the search results .
Choose Citation Manager.
Choose which records to save.
Click "Create file" and choose where to save the file (.nbib file).
Choose where to save the file and name it then click on Save.
Double click the saved file to upload records into EndNote.

For individual records, use the "Cite" link below the record.
- Click EndNote.
- Choose where to save the file and name it then click on Save.
- Double click the saved file to upload records into EndNote.
For groups of records, save each record you want in a new group.
- Click on My Library in the top right corner.
- Choose the group that you saved the records to.
- Click the "Export all" link above the list of records.
- Choose EndNote.
- Choose where to save the file and name it then click on Save.
- Double click the saved file to upload records into EndNote.

With your EndNote library open, click the clipboard icon.
Choose the reference type (type of document). This is important because citations are formatted differently depending on the type of document. EndNote gives you lots of choices but if you need something special, you can create your own format as well.
Enter the information that you have about your document.
Save the record with the Save button at the top right of the record. You can add PDF or other files to the record.
Close the record.
You can see the record in your references list.

In EndNote, make sure you have set the Find Full Text preferences (see the preferences tab in this guide).
Highlight the records you want EndNote to look for.
Click on the References menu, mouse over Find Full Text and click on Find Full Text....
EndNote will try to find full text in our databases, download the PDF files and attach them to the records.
Note that this procedure does not find all the full text articles we have access to.
- It might also find some URLs for articles which do not necessarily lead to the full text.

In EndNote, click on the record you want to add an attachment to.
Click on the References menu, mouse of File Attachments and click on Attach File (or right click on the record, mouse over File Attachments and click on Attach File).
Find the PDF or other document on your computer and click Open.
Click on another record to prompt EndNote to save your changes.
Note that you can attach any type of file to a record in EndNote.