Hi, Help! I’m losing references. This happens mostly with larger groups of refs but also with some groups of 2 or 3. The citation is there in the text but the the corresponding entry in the bibliography has disappeared. Also, if I try to edit the citation, it is nowhere to be found in the edit citation box. I noticed this for first time yesterday and thought it was due to something I had done and I reloaded them all. Today, again they are gone. I’m using Mac OSx10.5.8 & Word Mac 2008. Thanks Don
What’s the EndNote version and style that you’re using? Also did you happen to install a trial version of EndNote and did not remove it prior to installing the non-trial version?
Hi crazgecko,
Thanks for the prompt reply. I’m using Endnote X3 for Mac. It just came out in August 2009 and no, I did not have a previous version on m computer. I did a bit of searching last night and found the following quite unbelievable info in the help section. Can this be right The cannot seriously be suggesting that Word is basically incompatible with Endnote? It appears I can suspend the computer without any problem as long as I do not close and reopen the document.
From Endnote help:
EndNote uses Word’s hidden field codes when formatting citations, and inserts all the reference information for all of the grouped citations in these codes. However, there is a limit to the amount of text that Microsoft allows in a single set of field codes. You may reach the maximum limit when you attempt to insert 20 or more citations for references that have extensive information in them (such as large abstracts).
To avoid this issue, try not to insert a large group of citations all at once. Instead, insert a small group of references, then a space, and then insert another small group of references. This avoids having a single group of formatted citations that would exceed Word’s field code limitations.
When you use Insert Selected Citations, or highlight multiple citations to insert from the Find Citations dialog, EndNote limits you to 250 citations in a single group.
Thanks for your help
Unless there’s something unique going on with Macs, EndNote, and MS Word, I think the compatibility issue is unlikely - moreso as if it were the case, other users would be protesting loudly. I use a PC but have not experienced limitations with the number of in-text citations and just did a test using 160 cites without any problem. (I didn’t check the 250 limit but since 160 exceeds the 20 mentioned in your message, the results are sufficient.)
What output style are you using (e.g., Chicago, APA, etc.)? Also, are you entering the citations using Cite While You Write or as temporary cites (shows up as curley brackets)? If you’re using CWYW, does the problem still occur when it’s turned off? In the event your document or library is corrupted, have you tried inserting citations in a new document from a different EndNote libary?