Combining Results from Separate Searches

By default, EndNote searches the current group and then displays only the results of the search in the Library window. To search only a subset of references, or to combine your search results with other references, select one of the following options from the Search Set list on the Search tab.

Search Whole Library/Search Whole Group

If All References or one of the automatic temporary groups are displayed in the reference list, the first item in the search set list (and the default setting) is Search Whole Library. The tab itself is titled “Search.” Use the Search Whole Library setting to make sure you are searching every reference in your library.

If the reference list displays a custom group, smart group, or Online Search group, the first search set item is Search Whole Group. Use this setting to limit your search to a specific group of references. The title of the Search panel changes to Search plus the name of the group, such as “Search-Literature.”

Add Search Results to Currently Showing References

Select "Add to showing references" if you want to search the whole library and add the results of your search to a subset of showing references. For example, if you have already found a group of references written by Komar in 2000, and now you want to add all references written by Billoski in 1997:

  1. From the Tools menu, select Search Library (CtrlCommand Key+F).
  2. Enter "Billoski" in Author and "1997" in Year.

  3. From the Search Set list, select Add to showing references.

  4. Click Search and you should see the combined results of the two searches.

Search Only the "Showing" References

Select the "Search showing references" option in the Search dialog to restrict a search to only those references that are currently displayed in the Library window.

This is useful to narrow the results of a previous search, to search a saved group of references, or to search a set of references that you have just imported from another library or online database.

Omit Search Results from Showing References

Select the "Omit from showing references" option to hide the results of a search from the references that are showing in the Library window. This is a convenient way to locate all references that do not include a particular term or to narrow the results of a previous search. For example, to find all references not about extinction:

  1. With all of the references showing in the Library window, select Search Library from the Tools menu.

  2. Select Omit from Showing References from the Search Set list on the Search panel.

  3. Type "extinction" into the first search line, leaving the Field list set to Any Field.

  4. Click Search.

EndNote displays every reference except those that contain the word "extinction."

Related Topics

Combining Search Lines with And, Or, and Not

Saving Search Strategies

Search Command Tips

Searching for References

Simple Searches

The Search Window

Using Comparison Operators