Leiden University staff can use EndNote on their University issued device by installing it via the Company Portal. This ensures the software is installed with the correct license that provides unlimited storage.

It is not possible to install the programme on your personal device. To use EndNote on your other devices, you can use EndNote Web.

For Leiden University students, EndNote is available on the computers at all library locations. 

It is not possible to install EndNote on your personal device. On personal devices, you can use EndNote Web. You can also use the free online version with limited functionality, EndNote Online.

Install EndNote on your LUMC computer via the LUMC Software Center.

LUMC students and staff can also install EndNote on personal devices. To do so, install the software via LUMC Software for home use using your LUMC account. If your LUMC login credentials are not accepted, add "lumcnet\" to your username.

RIS files are bibliographic files containing all the information needed to cite a source, such as the title, author, and publisher.

1. Select File > Import > File and choose the .ris file.
2. Under Import Option, select Reference Manager (RIS).
3. Under Duplicates, choose whether duplicate records should be imported.
4. Click Import.

The RIS file is now added to your library as a reference.

After finding a relevant source in Google Scholar, you can import it into EndNote.

1. Click the quotation mark (") below the search result you want to import.
2. In the pop-up window, click EndNote to download the file.
3. Go to EndNote and select File > Import > File. Choose the .enw file.
4. Under Import Option, select EndNote Import.
5. Under Duplicates, choose whether duplicate records should be imported.
6. Click Import.

The Google Scholar source is now added to your library.

EndNote does not provide a way to import a reference directly via a DOI. However, there is a convenient alternative:

1. Click the clipboard icon in the top right of EndNote to manually add a reference (Ctrl+N).
2. Paste the DOI into the designated field and save the reference.
3. In the editing screen, click Tools > Find Reference Updates in the top right.
   Alternatively, right-click the empty reference in your EndNote library and select Find Reference Updates. The reference will now be updated automatically.

EndNote can also extract bibliographic information from PDFs.

1. To import a PDF, click File > Import > File and select the .pdf file.
2. Under Import Option, select PDF.
3. Under Duplicates, choose whether duplicate records should be imported.
4. Click Import to add the PDF, including all available metadata, to your library.

Please note: EndNote is not always able to correctly read and convert information from a PDF into an accurate reference. Always check whether all required fields are filled in correctly.

To manually add references to your library, click the clipboard icon in the top right of EndNote. A pop-up will appear in which you can manually enter all information about your reference.

By double-clicking on a source in your library, you can perform the following actions:

• Summary: View an overview of the source’s metadata.
• Edit: Edit the source. You can modify imported information or add additional information.
• PDF: View or attach a PDF.

Creating Groups helps you structure your library. There are several options:

Manual Groups

Create a group by clicking Groups > Create Group. It will appear under My Groups in the left sidebar. Drag references into the group to add them.

Smart Groups

Smart Groups are automatically updated when you add references that meet the group’s criteria. For example, you can automatically group references on a specific topic, by a certain author, or from a particular journal.

To create a Smart Group, click Groups > Create Smart Group, set the criteria, and click Create to save the Smart Group.

Group Sets

A Group Set allows you to combine multiple groups into a larger collection. Create a Group Set by clicking Groups > Create Group Set, then drag groups into the Group Set.

If you have duplicate references in your EndNote library, you can find and remove them using Library > Find Duplicates.

EndNote uses the Cite While You Write plug-in for Microsoft Word. This plug-in is automatically installed during the EndNote installation. You can find it in Word’s menu bar under EndNote.

To insert a citation, place your cursor at the desired location in your document, open the Cite While You Write menu, and click Insert Citation. Select the title you want to cite and click Insert. The citation will appear in the correct place in the text, and the bibliography will appear at the bottom of the document. As you add more references, the bibliography is updated automatically.

If the Cite While You Write menu does not appear in Word, restart the application or consult the solutions provided by EndNote Support.

EndNote offers more than 7,000 citation styles. You can easily change the style via the Cite While You Write menu by selecting the appropriate style under Bibliography > Style. All references are automatically formatted according to the selected citation style.

If you find a mistake in a reference, do not correct it manually in Word. Instead, fix the error in your EndNote library by editing the metadata via Edit. Then return to Word and click Update Citations and Bibliography. The changes will now also appear in your document.

To create an EndNote Web account, open the desktop version of EndNote and select
Edit > Preferences > Sync > Enable Sync > Sign Up.

After creating an account, you will have access to EndNote Web. You can add new references using the plus button in the top right corner.

Citing

To cite using EndNote Web, you must adjust your preferences in Microsoft Word. In the Cite While You Write menu, click Preferences > Application and select EndNote Online. You can now create references in Word via EndNote Web, instead of via the desktop version. 

To synchronize your library, click Sync Now in the left sidebar in EndNote.

Note that in EndNote Web, only one EndNote library can be synchronized at a time.

EndNote is available in different versions. The two main ones are the desktop version and the web version.

The desktop version is EndNote 2025, for which the university holds a license. This provides unlimited storage and full functionality on university computers.

There are two web versions:

• EndNote Web: This is the web version linked to your paid EndNote 2025 account. By synchronizing, you gain access to your library with unlimited storage and many functionalities. This is useful if you need to work on a computer where EndNote 2025 is not installed.

• EndNote Online: The free version of EndNote, offering 2 GB of storage and limited functionality. If you are no longer affiliated with the university but wish to continue using EndNote, you can switch to EndNote Online.

For a comparison table of these versions, see the EndNote website: EndNote Comparison.

If you are looking for full-text versions of sources in your EndNote library, use the Find Full Text function. Before using it for the first time, configure it via Preferences > Find Full Text and enter the following information:

OpenUrl Path
https://catalogue.leidenuniv.nl/openurl/31UKB_LEU/31UKB_LEU:UBL_NDE?

Authenticate with https://leidenuniv.idm.oclc.org/login?url=

After setup, search for full texts via References > Find Full Text > Find Full Text. Results appear in the left-hand menu under Find Full Text.

You can share groups with others by selecting a group, right-clicking, and choosing Share Group. Enter the email addresses of the recipients in the pop-up window. Groups shared with you appear under Groups Shared by Others.

EndNote includes an AI-powered Research Assistant that helps you quickly extract key points from an attached PDF. You can also ask questions about the source via chat. Note that chat history is not saved when EndNote is restarted.

To access the Research Assistant, open a reference with an attached PDF and click the three stars in the top bar. 

More information

This tool works in a similar way to the ProQuest Research Assistant, as both are developed by Clarivate. For more information, see: EndNote 2025: AI Key Takeaway.