EndNoteX2: Single authors identified as multiple due to full first name vs initial imports

Hi,

When importing references, I notice that sometimes the author is imported by his/her full first name, but other times only the initials are available. I have now ended up with a number of papers by John George and a few by J. George. It seems that Endnote is not able to detect that these people are in fact one and the same. This leads to in-text references that are not correct (APA): the initials or full name is mentioned to distinguish between the two authors with similar names (which are in fact the same person).

I can manually delete all first names and change them into initials, but it is a lot of work. I wonder if there is a way to change batches of references, or to let EndNote automatically delete all first names and change them into initials.

I am using EndNote X2 on a MacOSX 10.5.6 system.

I hope someone can help.

Thanks,

Hendrik 

You can batch change George, John to George, J. using the Edit>Change Text option, but not change all first names to initials. BTW, it would be a bit dangerous to change all John to J. as John could also be a surname.  I guess this is another place where a Next vs replace facility would be useful. 

Thanks for the quick reply. The solution you suggested would be a lot quicker than doing it manually, as I am now. I still think it is quite cumbersome, because now I would have to check all the authors in my library for duplicates and spelling of the first name.

I guess I will just have to double-check each reference I insert into my thesis and use your suggestion when I find one that has gone wrong.

Many thanks,

Hendrik

PS: I am not labelling this post as solved, because I am hoping someone has an even better solution :wink:

see this thread (just posted)  and the thread at this older thread.  Be absolutely sure that you are not trying to point your folders to the Program Folder versions. 

Keep the styles down to <100 and it is much faster.

Message Edited by Leanne on 04-26-2009 08:49 AM