Importing PDFs as aliases (not duplicating) / changing from Papers to Endnote

EndNote EndNote How To
1

Hi,

I’m trying to import PDFs (already on my hard drive) into Endnote, however, I do not wish to duplicate all these PDFs. I just want to link to them (aliases, I think is the correct terminology).

I have been using Papers software, and had linked to all the PDFs via aliases (without duplicating or moving the PDFs). Maybe I can export (aliases) from Papers and import (aliases) into Endnote?

Please can anyone suggest the best way to begin? I’m worried about wasting loads of time, making mistakes, duplicating hundreds of files, and generally getting confused! So it would be good to know what is possible and what my options are, so I can choose the right method and not make mistakes.

Thank you!

3

Thanks for your help. Please can you explain what you mean by “manually attach”? I also don’t understand “you have to drag and drop or browse to each PDF from the record to which you want it attached” ? Sorry, I’m not yet familiar with the different ways of importing PDFs and data into Endnote. Thinking of following this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GsB-OFR1Qw - but I just hope I can copy what I have in Papers but keep the actual PDF files in their folders (which existed before I started using Papers). Or do I have to go to the folders and then drag each PDF file into Endnote?

Thank you!

5

Thanks again Leanne,

I’m not sure if you meant Papers tech support or Endnote tech support. Anyway, an email from the Papers people stated:

“I believe the location of the PDFs should be properly exported as well when you use the export functionality (menu File > Export). The Export will create an XML file that you can then add to an existing library in EndNote, by using their File > Import menu item.”

Does this make sense, or am I am about to duplicate a few hundred files and then get confused as to what links to what?

I really hope this looks feasible, and that it will work…

Plan B could be to use Papers for organising articles and book references etc. (I like how this all works in Papers) and use Endnote for references in my written work (obviously, I would need far fewer references listed in Endnote. I liked Papers, but doing simple things like omitting the authors name within the brackets in a reference was a headache in Papers).

Or Plan B could be to forget about Papers after all, but link the original folder of PDFs to Endnote (if it’s possible to this in the same way I did with Papers; i.e. as aliases) and then start again manually in Endnote (without any export from Papers).

I keep procrastinating because I fear this is all going to be a headache, but I hope to make a start at the beginning of next week.

Any advice on the above would be much appreciated.

Thank you!

7

Thanks. I’ll contact Endnote tech support and reply here if I manage to solve the problem etc.