If you download the Cite While You Write plugin, you can insert in-text citations directly from your EndNote Basic account into a Word document. This page gives you a very brief overview of how it works, with instructional videos from Thomson Reuters. For more detailed information, please refer to the EndNote Basic Help Screen.
The plugin has already been installed on many student VDIs (campus computers). If it has been installed, an EndNote or EndNote Web tab will appear in Word. If you need to install the plugin on your own computer, please see the Downloading Installers tab.
The plugin also installs the ResearchSoft Direct Export Helper on your computer. This application allows you to skip the manual import step when collecting references from many databases.
IMPORTANT NOTE: You should ALWAYS check your in-text citations and reference list entries for accuracy (refer to your official style guides). Automatically generated citations frequently contain errors.
Type your document in Word. When you want to insert a citation, click on the EndNote Web tab. You may be prompted to log in to your account. Place your cursor where you want to insert the citation, and click on Insert Citation.
Enter the author's name, or any other keyword(s) and click on Find. Any matching references in your EndNote Basic library will be returned. Select the correct reference and click on the Insert button.
Your in-text citation and reference list entry will be generated in the currently selected style. Reference list entries are automatically alphabetized.
If you would like to change styles, select the desired style from the drop-down list and the citations will change. If the style you need is not listed, go to your EndNote Basic account and add the desired style to your favorites list.
There are additional options for inserting citations (such as excluding author/year and adding a prefix/suffix). Please see the EndNote Basic Help Screen for more information.
IMPORTANT NOTE: AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED CITATIONS FREQUENTLY CONTAIN ERRORS. You should ALWAYS double-check your in-text citations and reference list entries for errors (refer to the official style guides).
Please disregard the portion of the video that covers adding citations by selecting them from your EndNote (Desktop) Library.
If you would like to change the formatting of your bibliography, click on the small button at the bottom right corner next to Bibliography.
In the pop-up box, click on the Layout tab and you may change the font, title, line spacing, and other formatting.
Click on the OK button and your changes will be reflected in your document.
If you want your bibliography to start on a new page, simply add a page break before it.
Please note that when using EndNote Basic, you are unable to add more output styles within Cite While You Write. The styles available correspond to those you set as favorites in your EndNote Basic account.
If you need to edit or delete a citation, you cannot simply change the text; the changes will not "stick." Any text that is shaded when you click on it is automatically generated and must be changed by using the Edit Citation function.
Click on the citation you need to change. It should turn shaded. Then click on the Edit Citation button.
Ensure that the correct citation is selected, and make any changes. You may need to experiment with the suffix and prefix fields to get the citation to appear as desired.
If you want to delete the citation, click on the drop down box next to Edit Reference and select Remove Citation. Note that the reference will NOT be deleted from your EndNote Basic library.
Depending on the type of changes that need to be made, you may find it easier to complete your document, then save a new copy with the formatted fields converted to plain text (which may be easily edited). See the "Removing Formatting" box below for more information.
When you are finished working on your document, you may want to save another copy with the formatted fields converted to regular text. This severs the connection between your document and your EndNote Basic library. Then you will be able to make final corrections to your citations by simply changing the text, and submit this copy as your final document.
Be sure to save your completed document first, then save ANOTHER copy (with a different name) that has the citations converted to plain Word text. Then, if you need to do extensive revisions, you may do so in the original document.
To convert to plain text, click on the drop down for Convert Citations and Bibliography and select Convert to Plain Text.
All of the shaded fields will be removed. Now you will be able to edit all text (including the citations) as you normally would. Note that your citations will NO LONGER be linked to your EndNote Basic account. Save this document under a DIFFERENT NAME, just in case you want to return to the original document containing the formatted fields.
For more options/information about converting citations, please see the EndNote Basic Help Screen.