January has come and gone and we at the library are in full swing getting ready for the academic year. Part of that preparation involves preparing our clients for the use of the newly acquired EndNote 21 reference management software. For new clients, or for those who are embarking on a new degree, journal article or research paper, switching from Mendeley to EndNote will be fairly easy. However, if you are mid-way through writing up your degree or other academic work, then it can become more complicated to switch to an entirely new programme.

In fact, we strongly recommend that those who are already working on documents using Mendeley Cite (the MS Word add-on for Mendeley Reference Manager), should stick with Mendeley until they are finished with their current research. There is currently no way to convert a document formatted with Mendeley Cite to EndNote. If, however, you are still using the original version of Mendeley, called Mendeley Desktop, then it would be possible to convert your document. Along with the document conversion, you will also have to transfer your Mendeley references or library to EndNote. This is an easy process, but if you have multiple PDF articles attached to your references, then these will not be transferred along with the Mendeley records. To clarify everything that’s been said above, we recommend following the below steps in the order:

  1. Move all of your PDF articles to EndNote.
  2. It’s only then that you can convert your Mendeley library to an EndNote library.
    • Take note that if you have organised your Mendeley library into multiple folders, there is unfortunately no way to copy the folders to EndNote. You will either have to create new folders (called Groups in EndNote) in EndNote and export the contents of each folder separately.
  3. If you have a Word document (formatted with Mendeley Cite-o-matic), then you can convert it to an EndNote formatted document.
  4. If you are using the new version of Mendeley (Mendeley Reference Manager), then you won’t be able to convert your document.

Instructions on how to do all of the above are available on our EndNote Library Guide under the Moving your Mendeley Library to EndNote tab.

Remember, if you struggle at any stage with switching to EndNote, do not hesitate to contact Kirchner van Deventer and we will gladly assist you!

If you would like to schedule and appointment regarding EndNote, please fill out the form below: