Import Google Scholar searches into EndNote

Google Scholar is yet another great addition to the high-tech arsenal of the modern researcher. One of its fine features is the ability to look up references and then import them into EndNote.

Go to Google Scholar and click on the Scholar Preferences option next to the Search button.. (screenshot)

Under the Bibliography Manager section at the bottom, click on the radio button next to Show links to import citations into.. and click on the drop down box to select EndNote. Finally click the Save Preferences button.. (screenshot)

The web browser settings are saved. Future searches will include an option to Import into EndNote. Click on this link and select the EndNote program to open this file with. EndNote must be installed for this to work.. (screenshot)

Clicking on OK opens the EndNote program and requests the EndNote library file to add the reference to. This file ends in the .enl extenstion. Select the EndNote library file and click on the Open button (screenshot)

(Aside) Finding the .enl file may be a bit of a challenge. By default it is located within the directory structure of where EndNote was originally installed, which by default is something like C:\Program Files\Endnote. I like to keep my EndNote library files close at hand on a USB drive so I can use it at work and at home. The main .enl file is very small which makes it eminently portable.. (screenshot)

The article reference is imported to your EndNote library into a new section called Imported References. Finally drag the reference to a custom category.. (screenshot)

Note that if this drag and drop is not done, the imported reference will disappear the next time EndNote is opened as EndNote seems to forget about it. A bit weird, but a small price to pay for not having to manually type out all those soporific reference lists..