EndNote: Using EndNote with Microsoft Word (Cite While You Write)

Inserting Citations

• In Word, place the cursor where you want to insert a citation
• Go to the EndNote tab and click on Insert Citation  
• In the search box enter a term to find a reference, for example, the author's name and click on Find 
• Select the reference and click on Insert

Inserting Multiple Citations 

• Highlight the reference in the word document 
• Go to the EndNote tab and click on Insert Citation 
• In the search box enter a term to find a reference, for example, the author's name and click on Find 
• Select the reference and click on Insert

Editing Citations

Microsoft Word uses code to communicate with EndNote.  When you click on an in-text citation, it will be highlighted in grey. This indicates that code is present and cannot be edited in the document by typing over it.  Instead, click on the reference and select Edit & Manage Citation(s) from the EndNote tab.  This will allow you to make changes such as removing a citation, change the order of multiple citations and edit how the citation is displayed.

Removing a citation

• Highlight the reference in the word document
• Go to the EndNote tab and click on Edit & Manage Citation(s)
• Click on the Edit Reference drop-down menu to the left of the chosen citation
• Select Remove Citation
• Click Ok

Changing the order of multiple citations

• Highlight the reference in the word document 
• Go to the EndNote tab and click on Edit & Manage Citation(s) 
• Use the arrows next to the author to change the order on how they are displayed
• When finished, click OK

Editing how the citation is displayed 

• Highlight the reference in the word document 
• Go to the EndNote tab and click on Edit & Manage Citation(s) 
• In the pop-up window, select the Edit Citation tab in the box below the citations 
• In the Formatting drop-down menu select the citation display format 
• Click OK

Reference Lists

When you insert citations into Word from your EndNote library, a reference list will automatically generate at the end of the document. In EndNote the reference list is called a bibliography. 

Selecting a reference style 

EndNote has many different referencing styles and you can select the style you want to use.

• In Word, click on the EndNote tab
• Click on the Style drop-down menu 
• Select the reference style, for example, Cite Them Right-Harvard
• If the preferred style is not listed, click on Select Another Style 
• Locate the style you require
• Click OK

Editing reference details 

As Word and EndNote use code to communicate with each other, you cannot type over a reference in the Word document to make changes.  To edit a reference this needs to be done in EndNote first.

• Go to EndNote 
• Select the reference 
• Edit/make changes to the reference and save 
• Return to Word  
• Click on Update Citations and Bibliography in the EndNote toolbar

Removing code within a Word document 

When using EndNote to create references and citations in Word, code will be hidden in the document.  You may be required to remove this code, for example, when submitting a paper to a publisher for publication.  You can make a copy of this Word document that does not contain EndNote code.

• Save your Word document 
• In Word, click on the EndNote tab
• Click on Convert Citations and Bibliography  
• Select Convert to Plain Text. This creates a copy of your document, with the citations and reference list, but without the code, i.e. the links to EndNote. 
• Save this copy specifying it has no code 

***Important - Do not delete your original document with the field codes***  

If you want to make changes to your references, you must edit the original copy of the document as the new plain text version will not contain code, therefore, unable to communicate with Endnote.