The Import Dialog is accessed in EndNote by selecting Import > File from the File menu. Use this dialog to import references from various bibliographic systems and in various file types into the currently open EndNote library. You can also import references from a different EndNote library.
To Import references:
Click the Choose button Use the options in the left-hand column of the dialog to locate and open the file you want to import. All files can be plain text or PDF files. Select the file and click OK.
Next to Import Options, use the list to select the file type. The default value is PDF File or Folder.
Note: Most likely, the first time you import a file, you won't see the import filter that you need in this list. Select Other Filters to find the filter that matches the source of the data you want to import. Once you have used an import filter, or marked it as a Favorite, it will appear in this list.
PDF: Use to import references from a PDF file that has been downloaded to your hard drive. This option allows you to convert existing collections of PDF files into EndNote records with minimal typing and copying by extracting Digital Object identifiers (DOI) from PDF files. The system matches the content against the existing API services by capturing bibliographic content and creating new EndNote records. See Importing PDF Files to Create New Records for specific instructions.
EndNote Library: Use to import references from one EndNote library into another. If the library you are importing from is locked or opened as read-only, all references will be copied. If the library is open and has read/write access, only the showing references will be copied. See Importing EndNote Libraries for specific instructions.
EndNote Import: Use to import text files that have been downloaded from online databases or exported from EndNote using the EndNote format.
Refer/BibIX: Use to import text files exported from the Refer or BibIX programs.
Tab Delimited: Use to import text files in which the fields within a single reference are separated by tabs.
Reference Manager (RIS): Use to import text files exported from Reference Manager, Reference Update, Reference Web Poster, or any other source that uses the RIS format. Reference Manager databases can also be opened directly using EndNote's Open command.
ISI-CE: Use to import text files downloaded from the Web of Science™ Core Collection and other ISI sources.
Multi-filter (Special): Use to import files that include references from multiple sources.
EndNote generated XML: Use to import files that were exported from EndNote in XML format.
Other Filters: EndNote includes hundreds of import filters configured to import data from a variety of online databases. Select this item to locate the appropriate filter.
Use Connection File: You can use a connection file as an import filter. This is useful if you need to import the Connect.log file generated by using EndNote's Online Search command to search an online database. The Connect.log file should include all references from your previous session.
Select an option from the Duplicates list:
Import All: Imports all references, including duplicates.
Discard Duplicates: Imports all references except duplicates.
Import into Duplicates Library Duplicate references are imported into a library called File-Dupl.enl, where ”r;File is the name of the library into which you are importing.
By default, a reference is considered a duplicate when the Author, Year, Title, and Reference Type match a reference already in the library. See Duplicates Preferences if you would like to change the duplicates criteria.
Select a Text Translation option.
This option allows you to specify the text character encoding of the file you import, so that extended characters transfer correctly. You should verify the setting with your database provider. Some U.S. databases that contain extended characters require ANSI-Latin1 or UTF8. MARC format files may require ANSEL translation. You might be able to use No Translation for text files that do not contain any extended characters. Select No Translation to import an EndNote library; extended Unicode characters will transfer correctly.
Click Import to begin importing references into the current library.
Note: The time required to import a file, including an EndNote library, is proportionate to the size of the library. Refer to the progress indicator to determine when EndNote has completed the task.
When the import is complete, only newly imported references display in the Library window. This is a perfect time to add a keyword to each imported reference with the Change Field command or to peruse the imported data to make sure it imported as expected. Make sure to check references that contain extended characters.
To return all of your references to the library display (including the newly imported ones), select Show All References from the References menu.
Note: When you import an EndNote library, images are not included. References that contain images do remember the link to the Figure field. After importing, you can copy figure files from the original library’s .DATA folder to the destination library’s .DATA folder so the images will link and appear correctly in the destination library. See Storing and Sharing Figure Files for more information about the .DATA folder.