Skip to Main Content

EndNote 21 for Windows

Sharing EndNote References

EndNote 21 is a desktop application and it is not recommended to share an active Desktop Library via email or cloud transfer. If you wish to share your Library by electronic transfer, you should first save the Library as a compressed library or .enlx file. Th receiver should then import this file into an existing EndNote Library.

Options for safely sharing EndNote references are detailed below. 

Options for sharing EndNote References

Step 1: Create a Compressed Library

  1. Go to the File Menu:
    • Click on File in the top menu bar.
  2. Select Compressed Library:
    • In the dropdown menu File, select Compressed Library (.enlx)

  1. Choose Compression Options:
    • A dialog box will appear with several options for creating the compressed library:
      • Create: Choose whether to create a new compressed library or update an existing one.
      • With File Attachments: Include file attachments if you want to share PDFs and other files linked to your references.
      • Without File Attachments: Exclude file attachments to reduce the file size if attachments are not needed.
      • All References in Library: Include all references in your library.
      • All References in Group: Include references from a specific group.
      • Selected References: Include only the references you have selected in the library.

  1. Select Your Preferences:
    • Choose the appropriate options based on what you want to include in the compressed file. For most cases, "All References in Library" with "With File Attachments" is preferred if you want to share everything.
  2. Save the Compressed File:
    • Click Next or Save (depending on your version)
    • Choose a location to save the compressed library (.enlx file) and give it a name.
    • Click Save.

  3. Step 2: Share the Compressed File

  4. Once the compressed library is created and saved, you can share it with others by:
    • Email: Attach the .enlx file to an email.

  5. Step 3: Opening the Compressed Library (Recipient)

  6. Receive the File:
    • Ensure the recipient has EndNote installed on their computer.
  1. Create an EndNote Online Account:
    • Open EndNote on your computer.
    • Go to the Edit tab and select Preferences.
    • Select Sync from the list on the left.
    • Click on Enable Sync and either log in with your EndNote Online account or create a new account by clicking Sign Up.

  1. Set Up Sync Preferences:
    • In the Preferences window under Sync, enter your EndNote online account credentials.
    • Click OK to close the Preferences window.

  1. Sync Your Library:
    • Click on the Sync button ( It looks like a circle with arrows) in the toolbar, or go to Tools > Sync.
    • EndNote will begin syncing your library with your EndNote online account. This may take some time depending on the size of your library.

Step 2: Share Your library or Groups in EndNote Online

  1. Log in to EndNote Online:
  2. Go to the Organize Tab:
    • Click on the Organize tab at the top of the page.
  3. Manage Sharing:
    • To share your entire library, Click on Manage My Groups under the Organize tab.

  1. Find the group you want to share and click on the Manage Sharing button next to it. If you want to share the entire library, create a new group containing all references.
  2. Invite People:
    • In the Manage Sharing window, click on Start Sharing this Group.
    • Enter the email addresses of the people you want to share the group with. You can enter multiple addresses separated by commas.

  1. Select the permissions you want to grant: Read Only or Read & Write.
  2. Send Invitations:
    • Click on Apply to send the invitations.
    • Your collaborators will receive an email invitation to access the shared group.

Step 3: Access Shared References

  1. Log in to EndNote Online:
    • Your collaborators should log in to their EndNote online accounts to access the shared references.
  2. View Shared Groups:
    • Shared groups will appear in the Groups Shared by others section under the Groups tab.
  3. Sync with Desktop:
    • If your collaborators use EndNote Desktop, they can sync their EndNote online account with their desktop application to access the shared references locally.

Exporting your EndNote Library as an XML file:

  1. Select the citations that you want to export. If you wish to export your entire library, select all your references by pressing Ctrl+A.
  2. In the top menu, go to File > Export.
  3. In the pop-up window, go to "Save as type" and click "XML (*.xml)". Name your file and select a save location on your computer.

© 2024 Libguides. Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Medical University of Bahrain.