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Referencing at Birmingham Newman

All you need to know about Referencing and where you can get more help

EndNote 21

EndNote 21 is a tool which can help you manage and organise your references. EndNote can: 

  • Insert reference lists and in-text citations in your work.
  • Cite using Newman Harvard, APA, and OSCOLA styles.
  • Store and organise your references.
  • Store, read, and annotate PDFs.

It is recommended for all students and staff carrying out research to use a reference management tool to store and organise your sources. We currently recommend EndNote 21 for postgraduate research students (PhD and research based masters) and for staff researchers. EndNote 21 has more advanced features, making it ideal for managing large quantities of references. 

The library can support you with the use of EndNote 21 on web browsers and Windows devices, including EndNote 21 desktop, EndNote Web, EndNote Click, and Cite While You Write. We are less experienced with the Mac/iOS versions.

Access to EndNote 21 is provided free to all Newman staff and students through Birmingham Newman University. 

This page offers guidance on how to create an EndNote account, how to download and use the EndNote app and its affiliated software.

Creating an EndNote account

To create an account from EndNote 21 (desktop):

  1. Open the 'Edit' meu.
  2. Select Preference > Sync Preferences.
  3. Click 'Enable Sync' to go to the EndNote online login.
  4. Click 'Sign Up' to create an account, and follow the on-screen instructions. 

Alternatively, you can register here, by clicking on the 'Register' button and following the on-screen instructions.

Creating an EndNote account will allow you to: 

  • Access EndNote web.
  • Sync your EndNote 21 desktop library with your EndNote 21 web library.
  • Access Cite While You Write for Word Online and Google Docs.
  • Recover your references.
  • Access Retraction Alerts.

Free access to EndNote 21 for all staff and students is provided through Birmingham Newman University.

EndNote 21 Training videos

The following videos demonstrate how to use the desktop version of EndNote 21, the Microsoft Word add-on, and the web browser extension. 

You can also use Clarivate's training videos, accessible from their YouTube channel.

Downloading EndNote 21

If you are using a Newman device, EndNote 21 is available to download from the Company Portal.

  • Search 'Company Portal' in the Windows search bar.
  • Search for 'EndNote 21' within the Company Portal.
  • Install it onto your device.

To install EndNote 21 on your personal device:

  1. Click here to go to the download page.
  2. Under 'EndNote 21' select either 'Windows' or 'Mac', depending on your device.
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions, entering the Product Key when prompted.

Please email library-enquiries@newman.ac.uk to receive the Product Key. Do not share this Product Key with anyone outside of Newman.

EndNote 21 can be used and downloaded at no cost by Newman staff or students.

EndNote Web can be accessed in your browser on any supported device. From here, you will be able to view your saved library.

As EndNote Web is slightly more limited in comparison to EndNote 21 desktop, it is recommended to use the desktop application to access the full range of features.

To ensure that your records sync between EndNote 21 desktop and EndNote web, please make sure that you are signed in to your EndNote account.

To sign in on EndNote web:

  • Open the EndNote Web login page.
  • Enter your login details (these are the same details you used when creating your EndNote account).
  • Click 'Sign In'.

To sign in on EndNote 21 desktop:

  • Open EndNote 21 desktop.
  • From the Edit menu, select Preferences.
  • Select Sync.
  • Enter your login details under EndNote Account Credentials.
  • Click Apply.

EndNote Click is a browser extension that allows you to access and save PDFs. When visiting an article on an academic website, EndNote Click will automatically search for full-text PDFs and provide one-click access.

You can choose to save the PDF to your Locker which can be accessed from navigating to the EndNote Click extension > 'My Locker'.

Within your Locker, you can view your saved PDFs. For each item, you are able to generate citations, view the PDF within EndNote Click, and send the record to EndNote 21 desktop and/or EndNote web.

You can save your library credentials to your browser (these are not saved on EndNote's servers) to easily access items available through Newman. To do so:

  • Open EndNote Click > Settings > Library Credentials > check 'Save library credentials to browser'.

If an item is unavailable through Newman, EndNote Click will automatically search for an Open Access version of this item.

Cite While You Write is an EndNote tool which can be used to insert citations and reference lists into a document. It can be installed in the Microsoft Word application, as well on web services such as Google Docs and World Online.

Cite While You Write for Microsoft Word

The Cite While You Write plugin automatically downloads in Word with your EndNote 21 installation. It can be accessed under the EndNote 21 tab in the top ribbon of your Word document.

Please make sure that you have closed all instances of Microsoft Word before installing EndNote 21, otherwise the Cite While You Write plugin will not install correctly.

If you have installed EndNote 21 but the EndNote tab is not visible in Word:

  1. Open Microsoft Word.
  2. Select 'File' > 'Options' > 'Add-ins'.
  3. Check the 'COM Add-ins' is selected under the 'Manage' drop down.
  4. Click 'Go'.
  5. Tick the selection for 'EndNote Cite While You Write'.
  6. Click 'Ok'.
  7. If it doesn't appear immediately, close all open documents and restart Microsoft Word.

To install Cite While You Write on Mac devices:

  1. Login to myendnoteweb on your browser.
  2. Click the 'Downloads' tab.
  3. Select 'Download Macintosh'.
  4. Make sure no applications are running.
  5. Double-click the Cite While You Write .dmg file.
  6. Follow the on screen instructions.
  7. Click 'Done'.

Cite While You Write for Google Docs 

To install Cite While You Write for Google Docs, click here, then:

  1. Click 'Install'.
  2. Review T&Cs and privacy policy and click 'Proceed'.
  3. Sign into your Google Account and allow Cite While You Write to access.
  4. Open Google Docs.
  5. Click 'Extensions'.
  6. Select 'EndNote Cite While You Write'.

Using EndNote 21

To use EndNote, you will need to create an EndNote Library. This is where you will save and manage your records. 

The default save location for a library is in 'My Documents' (Windows) or 'Applications' (Mac). 

Do not save your library to cloud storage (Dropbox, OneDrive, etc.). EndNote is not compatible with cloud storage and this will risk your data becoming corrupted.

When you create a new library, it will be saved as a file with the '.enl' suffix. A folder with the same name as the library, ending in 'Data' will also be created - this must be kept in the same location as the library. 

If you do not have an existing EndNote library: 

  1. Open EndNote 21.
  2. Select 'File' > 'New'.
  3. Name your library - making sure to keep the .enl extension.
  4. Click 'Save'.

If you already have an EndNote library:

  1. Open EndNote 21.
  2. Select 'File' > 'Open Library'.
  3. Choose the library you want to open.
  4. Click 'Open'

You can backup your library by selecting 'File' > 'Save a Copy'. 

Creating a reference:

  1. Click 'References' at the top menu and select 'New Reference'.
  2. Choose the correct reference type from the 'Reference Type' dropdown.
  3. Populate the fields with the relevant information. You do not have to complete all fields.
  4. If you want to attach a file, click 'Attach file' from the 'File Attachments' field, select the file, and click 'Open'.
  5. If you want to attach a PDF, select 'PDF' from the top menu, click 'Attach PDF', select the file, and click 'Open'.
  6. Click 'Save' and close the window.

To edit a reference, double click the reference in the library window, and select 'Edit' from the panel that opens to the right.

Importing a reference:

  1. To import a reference, you will need the .ris or .enw file. This is typically found on Library Search or journal databases under the 'Cite' option, where you can choose to 'Download citation'. The format may display as 'ris' 'enw' or 'EndNote'. This may vary depending on the database.
  2. Open EndNote 21, and select 'File' > 'Import' > 'File...'.
  3. Click 'Choose...' and select your downloaded citation.
  4. In the 'Import Option' drop-down, select 'PDF'.
  5. Click 'Import'.
  6. The file will be imported into the 'Imported References' group. You can then drag and drop it into a group of your choice.

Importing a PDF:

  1. Download the PDF file to your PC.
  2. Open EndNote 21, and select 'File' > 'Import' > 'File...'
  3. Click 'Choose...' and select the PDF.
  4. In the 'Import Option' drop-down, select either 'Reference Manager (RIS)' or 'EndNote Import'.
  5. Click 'Import'.
  6. The file will be imported into the 'Imported References' group. You can then drag and drop it into a group of your choice.

Groups in EndNote 21 can help you to organise your references. You may also share groups with your colleagues if you are working collaboratively on a project.

How to create a group:

  1. Select 'Groups' from the top menu > 'Create Group'. Alternatively, you can right click 'My Groups' on the left pane, and select 'Create Group'.
  2. The new group will appear under 'My Groups' in the left hand pane. 
  3. Choose a name for your group. You can double-click the group to rename it.
  4. Add references to your group, right click on the reference, select 'Add References To...' and select your group. Alternatively, you can drag and drop the reference into your group.

How to share a group:

  1. Select 'Groups' from the top menu > 'Share Group'. Alternatively, you can right click 'My Groups' on the left pane, and select 'Share Group'.
  2. Enter the email addresses of the people you would like to share it with in the 'Invite More People' section.
  3. Select the type of access from the 'Permission' drop-down.
  4. Click 'Invite'.

In the library window, each reference is displayed on a line, showing information such as author, year, title, and journal title.

  • These can be customised by hovering over this bar and selecting the cog icon that appears on the write. From here you can select different headings for each column.
  • In the library window, the headings can be dragged and dropped to rearrange the order.
  • Selecting a heading will sort your references by this field.

A paperclip icon next to a reference indicates an attached file, such as a PDF. A 'fig+' indicates an attached graphic or image in the relevant field.

Clicking on any reference will open up a window to the right, with tabs for viewing and editing the citation, and for viewing the PDF.

Customising your library window

Open the 'Edit' window and select 'Preferences'. From here, you can select various options, including:

  • Display fields - choose which headings appear in the Library Window.
  • Libraries - choose which libraries open when EndNote starts.
  • Font - change the size of the text used in EndNote.

Last reviewed: 23 August 2024

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