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EndNote @ Pitt

Learn how to use EndNote Desktop and EndNote Online for their most common functions.

Web Capture

You can save references directly from your browser into EndNote Online or EndNote Desktop through the Capture Reference bookmarklet. The Download Installers link from the EndNote Online page gives full details.

The Capture Reference bookmarklet scans the bibliographic information presented on a Web page and create a reference that you can save to a new or existing group. If no group is specified, the reference is saved to Unfiled.

For the Capture buttons to work best, you must be in a Capture compatible resource and at the individual item level (not in a list of citations). List of Capture Compatible Sources

Capture Instructions

To capture a reference:

  1. Navigate to the Web page that presents bibliographic data. (Refer to the list of Capture Compatible Sources)
  2. Click the Capture button in the EndNote Online toolbar or the Capture References bookmarklet button.
  3. Complete or modify any of the reference fields.
  4. Click the Save to button and select EndNote Online. Alternately, select EndNote to save the reference to your library in EndNote Desktop.
  5. Select the ResearchSoft Direct Export Helper to open the file if prompted.
  6. Select the EndNote Library if prompted. (only when capturing to EndNote Desktop)

Note: Be aware that some Web sites alter the URL during your session. Changing the record view can have this effect.

If you are viewing an abstract version of a record, make sure to determine the abstract's origin before saving to your library. Abstracts are sometimes provided by publishers or other resources and can be inaccurate. Only cite from an abstract if it was written by the same author(s) of the full-text version.

Important Notes about Capturing

  • You have to install the EndNote Online plug-in for Internet Explorer or Firefox to use this feature.
  • If you have the EndNote Online plug-in for Internet Explorer installed, you can choose to download references to EndNote Online or another Thomson Reuters research software application if one is also installed.
  • At this time, EndNote Online is not able to import records from resources that do not have an identifiable mimetype defined in the export file. This limitation only applies to the Firefox plug-in.
  • For Firefox users, if you have installed Zotero, you may need to unselect Zotero's handling of RIS files in Zotero preferences.

A default reference type, the type most commonly used, is assigned to each Resource. After saving the reference with Capture, confirm that the reference type is correct and all fields indicated with asterisks are complete.