EndNote essentials

Direct export

Most databases provide options to export citation information to automatically create references in EndNote. When searching in the databases, look for terms such as Export, Direct export, Export to reference manager, Send to Citation Manager, Export to RIS or similar terms, as this indicates the direct export functionality is available. Each database differs so check the Help menu in the database for instructions on how to export your references.



It is important to preview your references to ensure they are correctly formatted in your chosen style. EndNote is not able to recognise if there is incorrect or missing data so you should compare your references against the relevant referencing guide or style manual to ensure your references are correct.

Manual entry

You will need to manually create references for sources where reference information cannot be exported from a database, e.g. print materials, reports, webpages etc.



  1. Click on the New Reference icon or select the References menu and New Reference
  2. Select a Reference Type from the drop down menu (Journal article is the default - see PDF guides below for which reference types to select when using the Curtin EndNote styles)
  3. Enter the item details into the relevant fields. You only need to fill in the fields required for your selected referencing style
  4. Once all relevant information has been entered, click Save (Windows) or click the red cross in the top left corner of the New Reference window (Mac)
  5. The reference will then be added to your library.

Populating the author field:

  • Use the format Last Name, First Name e.g. Smith, John J.
  • Enter each new author on a new line
  • For corporate authors enter a comma at the end of the organisation name e.g. Department of Health,
  • Use the correct capitalisation when entering author names.

The following documents outline which reference types to select and which fields to populate when using the Curtin EndNote styles:

Organise references into groups

As you add references to your library, they will show in the default Unfiled group in the Groups panel. You can create your own groups to help organise your research for different assignments and projects.

  1. Click Groups in the menu bar and choose Create Group or right mouse click on My Groups in the Groups panel and choose Create Group
  2. Type in a name for your group and hit Enter
  3. Highlight the references you wish to add and drag and drop them onto the group or right click on the reference, select Add References To and select the relevant group.

Creating a Group Set allows you to organise related groups within your EndNote library.

  1. Click Groups in the menu bar or right mouse click on My Groups in the Groups panel and choose Create Group Set
  2. Enter a name for the Group Set and hit Enter
  3. You can add a new group by right clicking on the group set and choosing Create Group
  4. You can also drag and drop existing groups onto a group set.