Use the Library's How to Cite - Citation Software - Compare & Choose guide to select one of the top 4 citation management tools (EndNote desktop, EndNote web, Mendeley, or Zotero) to use for organizing your references, and creating bibliographies (lists of references in properly formatted styles).
The EndNote desktop program is currently one of the most popular citation management programs at UCSD. The Web version of EndNote is available freely, with a slightly upgraded version also available at no cost to UC students, faculty & staff, due to our subscription to Web of Science. EndNote web/online version can be used alone or as a compliment to the desktop EndNote X-20, or higher.
Accessing EndNote (Web)
The easiest way to access it is to go directly to the EndNote website at: endnote.com - and use the "EndNote Online Login" link, in the upper right side of the screen, then click on Register.
Sign up for an account while on campus, or via the virtual private network (VPN) access from off campus (use the "EndNote online login" link, then the Register button to get started).
Chrome or Firefox browsers work best for all EndNote features.
There are several ways to get references into EndNote, the 4 main ones are:
1. Type references in using the New Reference template (very time consuming).
2. Direct export is available from some databases, such as Web of Science, BIOSIS, and Zoological Record. This enables the saving of records directly into EndNote rather than having to save to a file on the desktop and then importing them into EndNote. It saves time, a few clicks!
3. Online Search feature to search article databases or library catalogs from within EndNote (not recommended).
4. Search for your desired references in an article database such as ASFA, Earth Aquatic & Atmospheric Sciences, PubMed, or even Google Scholar, then Download selected references to your computer (be sure to select "EndNote" or "RIS" options if available) and Import them into EndNote.
Which of the above is best to use?
· For a complex or comprehensive search, options 2 or 4 are the preferred ones because they use the database's features, more powerful search engines, and provide more ways to refine your search and get better, more accurate results (references, abstracts & keywords) into your EndNote.
· Typing in references is easy but time consuming and potentially error prone.
· The online search works for a few databases and is great for known items, i.e., author(s) and a specific article, or for a book in the library’s catalog, but not recommended for comprehensive or complex topic searches.
Once you have collected citations, EndNote can help you easily insert a citation in the text of your Word document, generate a bibliography, list of references, automatically, and also put the references in the correct format based on the citation style you select.
