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EndNote: EndNote Web and Sharing Libraries

All your EndNote questions answered

EndNote Web

 

EndNote Web (also called EndNote Online) is a free, cloud-based service that allows you to store an online version of your main EndNote library. It contains all your references, groups, and attached files such as PDFs. It is helpful as a backup to your main EndNote library. It is also useful if you want to use your EndNote library on several different computers or share your library with collaborators.

Creating an account and syncing

Use the registration link below to set up your EndNote Web account. You will need to use your UTS email address when you register, but you can make up any password (within limits). Initially, you may need to register for the "classic" account, but if you have EndNote 21 this will upgrade after you go through the syncing process described below.

Once you have created your account, open your EndNote library and choose
(Windows) Edit > Preferences
(Mac) EndNote 20 > Preferences or EndNote 21 > Settings, then Sync. Add the email address and password you used to create your EndNote Web account. Then click OK.

You can check the Sync Automatically box, but if you have a large number of references or a large number of attached files, the sync process can take some time. Syncing usually works better if you uncheck this box and regularly sync manually instead.

Uncheck sync automatically

To sync manually you can use Library > Sync (EndNote 20 and earlier) or click on the Sync Configuration or Sync Status tab on the left of your Library window.

 

Sync status

 

Accessing your library on other computers

To access your EndNote library on a different computer, first sync it with EndNote Web. Then go to the other computer, open EndNote, and create (and save) a new (empty) library. In this new library, choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or EndNote 20 > Preferences (Mac) or EndNote 21 > Settings (Mac), then Sync as before, adding the email address and password you used to create your EndNote Web account.

When you sync this library, the contents of your EndNote Web library will be downloaded into the empty library, and it can be used just like your original library. Whenever you use EndNote on that computer in the future, you should open and use this library. All the sync preferences will be saved, so you don't need to add them again. When you finish using EndNote on the different computer, remember to do a final sync so that EndNote Web is updated for when you return to your original computer.

Sharing an EndNote Library or Group

 

You can share your groups or your entire EndNote library with anyone using EndNote X8 onward. However, any attached files such as PDFs will not be shared (for copyright reasons). You can share with up to 100 people. When you share, you set permissions for your collaborators to either view or edit the group or library. You and all your collaborators must have EndNote Web accounts for this to work.

Sharing your Library or one of your Groups with others

  • Set up your EndNote Web account and fully sync your library.
  • In EndNote, to share just a group, select that group in your library and use the Share this Group icon (pictured below). You can also right click on a group name and select Share Group. To share your whole library, select File > Share.
  • A window will open, and you can enter the email addresses of the people you want to collaborate with into the Invite More People box. These don't need to be UTS addresses, but they must be the email addresses your collaborators use for their own EndNote Web accounts.
  • You can choose the level of access (read only, edit) for each of your collaborators, and you can add a message for them.
  • Your invitees will each receive an email letting them know that you have shared your group or library with them, with any message you chose to send.
  • Share button

Using a Library someone has shared with you

  • Sync your EndNote library, logging into EndNote Web if necessary.
  • Once connected, select File > Open Shared Library to open a shared library.
  • You'll see any shared groups under your own groups, in a Group Set called Groups Shared By ...
  • As mentioned above, you will see all the references in the shared groups or libraries, but without any attached PDFs or other files.