EndNote

EndNote is a commercial reference‐management software package used to collect, organise, annotate, cite and share bibliographic references. It is designed to sit on your desktop (Windows or Mac) as well as feature cloud-syncing and an “online” version. 

Who it serves & how

EndNote is aimed at academic researchers, graduate students, faculty and libraries who need to manage large libraries of references, support writing papers or theses, and output bibliographies in correct formats. It supports importing references from databases, organising them into groups/folders, attaching PDFs/notes, and inserting citations directly while writing in word-processors. Library+1

Key features & value

• Library of references: You can build your own “library” of references, import them from catalogues, databases or manually. 
• Cite-While-You-Write (CWYW): Works with Microsoft Word (and other word-processors) to insert citations and automatically format bibliographies in hundreds or thousands of styles. 
• PDF/full-text management: EndNote lets users attach PDFs, annotate them and manage full-text alongside metadata. 
• Syncing & sharing: The software offers cloud synchronisation of libraries and sharing of groups of references with collaborators. 
• Institutional licence options: Libraries or universities can license EndNote site-wide or provide access for their users. 

Considerations

• Cost: Unlike many free / open-source reference managers, EndNote is proprietary and requires a paid licence for full functionality. 
• Learning curve: While powerful, leveraging its full potential (custom styles, library management, sharing) may require time and training.
• Platform dependency: Most features centre around desktop software plus cloud sync, purely web-based alternatives may offer lighter workflows.
• Metadata/quality: As with all reference managers, the output is only as good as the input (metadata accuracy, correct attachment of PDFs, consistent tagging).