How can I import all the references mentioned by a paper into my EndNote library?

I have tried to download the paper, convert it to word document, and then export the references to EndNote ‘Export to Endnote’. But it didn’t work. Apparently there is a way in Scopus where you can bring up the article and select particular references or all the references to import into EndNote, but I also don’t know how to do that. Can anyone help with this problem? Thank you.

Endnote can’t “parse” plain text into records.  If you do have scopus subscription, you can select and import them from there.  

If you have access to a database, it may be far easier to download them than to try to manipulate a plain test set.   You don’t mention your field, but if the sciences, you are best off finding citations you want to use by searches and the connect feature.  No reason to have a library of records that you don’t know what is in them.  

You can read this old thread for some tools, but not sure if they are still around: https://community.endnote.com/t5/EndNote-How-To/can-endnote-scan-an-old-80-page-word-document-and-import-the/m-p/2685#M857 

Hi Leanne, 

Thank you for your reply.

If I want to use Scopus to import all the references mentioned on one paper into EndNote, do you know how exactly I would do it? I cannot find a page where I can select specific references from the paper or all the references. I can only important references one by one by going to the article page and downloading the citation. Thanks.

Make sure (and I recommend that you import into an empty) a library is the only library open in Endnote’s desktop version.  If you open the paper in scopus, you see that you can select the references (see capture.jpg image), and export (selecting RIS L Endnote, etc, see Capture2.jpg) and then open the file (I usually view the folder the downloaded file is in and double click it.)  It should open in endnote and get imported. You can review them to make sure it worked and you can delete any you don’t really want, for example. 

The reason I recommend an new empty"junk/temporary" library is because If you already do (or may) have some of those records in your library, I recommend you then import that library into your main library, with discard duplicates on, which should only import new records.  I then delete them all from the junk library and reuse it for the next time.  


When you see the paper you want the bibliography of in your scopus results, Click on the title to open it in Scopus (not on the publisher site) This should look like Capture1.jpg in attachments.  

Go to the bottom where the references are listed (capture.jpg) and if you are logged into scopus, it should look like Capture.jpg and you can select all.  

Make sure you have a library open in Endnote – I highly recommend an empty library to start with, so you can review and maybe delete those you aren’t interested in.  Open the file that you exported (as a RIS file which is endnote compatible see Capture2.jpg).  Then you open your main library and can import this “temporay” imported library into your main library - with “delete duplicates” option so if it is already in the library, you don’t import the duplicate.  You could import directly into your library and then remove duplicates, if you prefer, but I prefer not to get them in there in first place.



Very helpful answer, thank you.

For a few articles, there is no references section in the scopus document details page (your 3rd capture), so when I select the export button it downloads single article itself instead of the references contained in it. Is there any way to download the references for such articles? Thanks.

Also , how can I create new empty library without losing contents of my old main library ?

If no cited articles are showing in Scopus, I don’t know of any way to import them.  Then you can just search and insert the ones you actually need.  

You just create a new library from the file menu.  and temporarily close your usual library. You can always reopen it then, from file, open recent library.