EndNote How To

[dinogami]

Hi All! -- I've just converted my old EndNote v7 library to X2 for Windows.  In the old database, I had always entered names into the Author fields as "Last name, first & middle initials" (for example, "Smith, J.D.").  In the Preview Pane at the bottom of the window, they always displayed properly in v7.  However, in X2, single authors and last authors in references with multiple authors, the author name is split up in the Preview pane.  For example, "Smith, J.D." gets listed as "Smith, and J.D."  I tested it and it appears that X2 prefers names to be entered into the Author field as "J.D. Smith" in order to display (and, I presume, export) properly.  Is there a setting I can tweak somewhere that will get X2 to recognize the old acceptable format?  If the only option is to manually change them all (over 16,000 references!), then I'm afraid I'll have to revert back to v7, which I don't want to do.  Please help!  Thanks very much for your time and assistance!

[Leanne]

All my refs are Lastname, F. M. and I don't have that problem... (BTW, there should be a space between the two initials).  There is something else wrong there.  I can't imagine how what you describe is happening... What style is selected? 

[dinogami]

It doesn't matter what style is selected; they all have this same problem.  Very strange!  Oh -- and the problem gets even stranger when I put a space between the initials.  For example, if I change "Smith, J.D." to "Smith, J. D.," the Preview then reads "Smith, and D., J." ...!  I've also just noticed that the problem is identical with references in edited volumes:  not only does it do this to the author's name, but to the name of the volume editor, too.  The rest of the reference is fine, though, so whatever is going on, it's endemic to how X2 is handling names...  I really hope there's a solution out there because I was having issue with v7 and don't want to go back...!

[Leanne]

Just on the off chance.  Check your Author tems list.  (Tools, open terms list) and make sure there isn't a , or other delimiter ticked on the lists tab?  If there is, maybe that is the problem? 

[dinogami]

I did stumble across the option of altering term lists (something I'd never done in v7), and saw the "delimiter" options.  For the Authors list, the comma box is indeed checked, but all the Delimiter options are greyed-out, so I can't un-check the comma one (or check any of the others, for that matter).  I figured that was some sort of default setting...are these options not supposed to be greyed-out for the Authors list...?

[casio24]

I think it is the author format that caused your problem.  Start Endnote X2 and try to edit your output style of bibliograghy and/or citations.

Select menu: Edit--Bibliograghy--Author name, there are several display formats for authors' name and initials. 

At the same time, check the settings of author lists.

[Leanne]

No they shouldn't be greyed out... Perhaps (ON A COPY OF YOUR LIBRARY) you should throw away the Author term list, and create a new authors terms list and make sure the delimiters aren't set and then link that to your authors field.  Then you will need to update the list (to import your authors.    Let us know if works!

[dinogami · Accepted solution]

Hi All! -- Thanks for all your advice on this issue...it was indeed a sticky problem.  But I installed the program on my laptop (the original was on my desktop), and it didn't have the same problem.  So I uninstalled the program from my desktop, and deleted the old v7 files, then reinstalled X2, and now it works fine.  Not sure why any of this happened to begin with, but obviously it was something endemic to my desktop and not a problem with EndNote in general.  I hope this helps anyone else that happens to have a similar glitch!