Implement better sharing capabilities

Great that Endnote X8 contains sharing a user’s reference database online.

Alas, this function is way too blunt for me (and others) as to make good use in typical academic settings. Here is why: I have a big Endnote database that holds all of my references. There is not any project where I would wish to share my complete master database with other scholars that can edit (and mess up) my curated data (which also contain field data that only pertain to personal use).

Ideally, one would use a separate database file for sharing, or maybe just a group set in one file. => feature request

The current sync capabilities do not allow the coexistence of a one-user synced Endnote environment with a multi-user shared project. It is either or. And that is a MAJOR shortcoming of Endnote. Myself, I cannot sacrifice my synchronized desktop-laptop-iPad database for the sake of having some group share with colleagues.

Compare how easy this is with Zotero, a free product. I am getting laughed at when I try to convince my colleagues to pay for an Endnote license so we can co-author and work on shared references, when at the same time they cannot use the product’s syncing features for themselves.

Thanks for improving Endnote here. Maybe a workaround could be to offer additional web account logins, and store sync credentials per file not per app. But that wouldn’t work with the iOS apps.

OK, I see that sharing per single groups is possible via Endnote Online. That’s something.

So there is differences between the desktop sharing and the online sharing:

a) number of users

b) granularity of what is shared

c) participants in an online shared group are ok with a mere online account, whereas desktop shares require product purchase

Documentation could be improved here. The evolution of Endnote versions desktop vs. online is not obvious to users that started with X8.  

I would like to second the recommendation to improve the sharing functions with EndNote desktop libraries. Syncing my entire web library to another person’s desktop when sharing from the desktop is disruptive. My colleague does not need to see 1,000 unrelated citations when I sync and share. I realize that I can share a single group from my EndNote Online account most of my colleagues prefer the added functionality of the desktop.

I would like the ability to share a single desktop group to the web or a single web group to the desktop. You used to have this function in EndNote X2. Currently, the sharing function is completely useless to me as I have dozens of EndNote Libraries and a large EndNote Online collection. Mixing these groups up everytime I sync is messy and impossible to use. I’ve stopped using the web for this reason. EndNote, please improve the sharing functionality in the future! All we need is the ability to share a single group instead of an entire library.

helps alot