topics for basic and advanced class

Hi,

I have agree to teach an EndNote basic and an advanced class for the Thesis Office at my university. Last semester I taught a single class, and some students said they were hoping for more advanced information, so because of that, I’ve tried to define two classes. I would appreciate any comments or recommendations.

Basic workshop

• Get the EndNote program
• Add citations to EndNote from common databases and websites
• Manage citations; finding, and attaching pdf’s
• Add citations to your Word document
• Create a reference list for your ETD

Advanced workshop

• Troubleshoot common problems when using EndNote in your ETD
• Work with Citation Styles (Checking, adding, and modifying styles)
• Use journal name abbreviations (Terms Lists)
• Use advanced strategies with EndNote

Next I’ve tried to clarify for myself “manage citations”, “advanced functions”, “advanced strategies”, “common problems”, and some things I have questions about for EndNote technical support (that I will ask on the phone). Again, I’d appreciate any comments or recommendations of any kind.

manage citations: grouping, find full text, linking pdf, sorting, searching, adding notes, syncing, EndNote Web, inputting a reference, find duplicates, delete citations

advanced functions: compress a library, collaborating with EndNote Web, moving bibliography, show codes (how many ways? windows, macs), formatting bibliography, convert to plain text, find and replace, change/move/copy fields

advanced strategies: research notes and annotated review style; adding a custom field; changing display fields; using keyword tagging, combining files, change case

help for macs: where are commands in Word?

What are common problems (some are in “advanced functions”)

corporate author
style (not available, not exact–response: add style, style editor, see how defined, edit style; style cannot represent something needed–response:convert to plain text)

Have EndNote stop making URLs hyperlinked.
In Word 2010 go to File menu + Options + Proofing + Autocorrect Options button + AutoFormat tab + uncheck Internet and network paths with hyperlinks
File menu + Options + Proofing + Autocorrect Options button + AutoFormat As You Type + uncheck Internet and network paths with hyperlinks

Track changes

Questions:
status of EndNote X6 and Mac
possible issues with syncing (likely? major issues?)
show codes
what are considered common problems?
Is it safe to add a custom field per reference type, whatever an avaialble custom field is (it won’t conflict with another reference type?) could I define custom field 1 for journal articles as population and custom field 3 on books for population? no conflict?
Advantages to/recommendations for using Charts, Tables, Equations as images from EndNote?

Have a nice day

John

Hi John,

I have been offering advanced EndNote classes for many years now and I have found it very important to manage expectations of participants. We routinely run beginner/basic workshops at our university and cover similar content to what you have listed. I also offer an in-between session called 'What’s New/Refresher" where we go over the material in the basic guide and the only new material covered is that which is new in the latest EndNote release. These sessions are popular with both new and experienced users wanting a refresher and to see new features in the latest version of EndNote. Complex questions that come out at these sessions are parked for the end so as not to confuse those who are inexperienced.

The advanced session is run very differently - not as structured and is focussed on the questions participants bring to the session. This is how I advertise it:

Participants identify areas/topics they want to address in the session, which can include:

  • Managing your EndNote library: e.g. creating groups, changing EndNote preferences, customizing the display, merging libraries

  • The complexities of working with documents: e.g. unformatted citations, merging documents, sharing documents, removing field codes

  • Editing bibliographic styles

  • More on importing references from databases

  • New features in EndNote (latest version)

  • Installation issues  

At the start of the session I spend some time asking participants their level of expertise with EndNote, and ask them to nominate one or two topics/questions that they want to cover, and I write this up on a whiteboard and group them under the topics listed above (participants give feedback that they find it very useful to hear what others are having trouble with so I consider this an important part of the workshop, but I try not to let this take too long!).  I then conduct the workshop based on the the areas identified. Of course I usually add a few things to the list that they “didn’t know they didn’t know” but apart from that the session is very much tailored to their needs. If I find one or two participants who are very new and who might possibly hijack the session with very basic questions I will sweetly suggest that they might benefit from doing a basic workshop but are welcome to stay for now, making it clear that we will be covering some complex topics. When advertising the session I state a prerequisite: “Practical experience with using EndNote. This session is NOT suitable for beginners” - so they were warned.

There are so many topics you could include in an advanced session and my many years of EndNote training has shown that it is better to tailor it to participants needs every time and keep it contained rather than trying to cover too many topics. Also, don’t let the class size be too large - 10 or 12 participants should be the maximum.

I’ll stop there, but am happy to correspond with you privately if you wish.

Regards,

Jenny

I too work alot like Jenny.  Subjects that you put in your advanced, I feel are really important for the novice/causal user to know and understand, particularly Journal name abbreviations (especially since they only have to do it the once, for a library) and finding and adding if not modifying styles, turning off the hyperlinking. 

I go thru all the endnote preferences with the users, then we retrieve a new record via pubmed, find full text, add it to an existing “documents” I precreated, change the style (on the ribbon), go over the “format bibliography” options expecially for Mac and word 2003 users), tweak the style,  tweak the citation to get, for example, (for review, see Author, YEAR).  A recent “beginners” class (which was X4 for Mac) is attached and I also attach an older X2 class handout I have used for the advanced class. I still go thru all the preferences for advanced (as many are self taught, and I think those essentials get overlooked).   But since I include “other topics” in the beginner handhout, it often leads to covering specifics for those that are interested at the end of the class. 

And I make sure they have access to the relavent “shortcuts poster” such at the 3rd attached pdf. 

Hands on Mac EndnoteX4(Beginner10-2012).doc (68 KB)
Hands on Demo of EndnoteX2(advanced).doc (84 KB)
ENX4- Shortcuts poster.pdf (1.47 MB)

Hi John,

The agenda for your basic workshop is a solid introduction to EndNote, and if you’re under time constraints those topics are what most beginning users of EndNote will need to know. The only thing I would add is the journals terms list feature. I usually don’t have time to demo it in my basic classes, but a brief mention of the feature and a link to the FAQ page that takes you through the steps is sufficient:

endnote.com/support/faqs

Output Styles FAQ #5

I use an open Q&A format for my advanced classes, but I might start off with a demo of the journals terms list. Lately I’ve been talking about EndNote Sync. Then I’ll open it to questions…if there are none, then I’ll show a list of possible topics: all the topics you and others listed are a good springboard for discussion.

Jenny, Leanne, and Doug,

Thank you for the very helpful notes!

Have a nice day
John

@jfullert wrote:

Hi,

 

I have agree to teach an EndNote basic and an advanced class for the Thesis Office at my university. Last semester I taught a single class, and some students said they were hoping for more advanced information, so because of that, I’ve tried to define two classes. I would appreciate any comments or recommendations.

 

Basic workshop

• Get the EndNote program
• Add citations to EndNote from common databases and websites
• Manage citations; finding, and attaching pdf’s
• Add citations to your Word document
• Create a reference list for your ETD

Advanced workshop

• Troubleshoot common problems when using EndNote in your ETD
• Work with Citation Styles (Checking, adding, and modifying styles)
• Use journal name abbreviations (Terms Lists)
• Use advanced strategies with EndNote

 

Next I’ve tried to clarify for myself “manage citations”, “advanced functions”, “advanced strategies”, “common problems”, and some things I have questions about for EndNote technical support (that I will ask on the phone). Again, I’d appreciate any comments or recommendations of any kind.

 

manage citations: grouping, find full text, linking pdf, sorting, searching, adding notes, syncing, EndNote Web, inputting a reference, find duplicates, delete citations

advanced functions: compress a library, collaborating with EndNote Web, moving bibliography, show codes (how many ways? windows, macs), formatting bibliography, convert to plain text, find and replace, change/move/copy fields

advanced strategies: research notes and annotated review style; adding a custom field; changing display fields; using keyword tagging, combining files, change case

help for macs: where are commands in Word?

What are common problems (some are in “advanced functions”)

corporate author
style (not available, not exact–response: add style, style editor, see how defined, edit style; style cannot represent something needed–response:convert to plain text)

Have EndNote stop making URLs hyperlinked.
In Word 2010 go to File menu + Options + Proofing + Autocorrect Options button + AutoFormat tab + uncheck Internet and network paths with hyperlinks
File menu + Options + Proofing + Autocorrect Options button + AutoFormat As You Type + uncheck Internet and network paths with hyperlinks

Track changes

Questions:
status of EndNote X6 and Mac
possible issues with syncing (likely? major issues?)
show codes
what are considered common problems?
Is it safe to add a custom field per reference type, whatever an avaialble custom field is (it won’t conflict with another reference type?) could I define custom field 1 for journal articles as population and custom field 3 on books for population? no conflict?
Advantages to/recommendations for using Charts, Tables, Equations as images from EndNote?

Have a nice day

John

 

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Tips on writing here.

Start by expanding the term so as to clarify its nature and meaning.docx (12.2 KB)

If you are nearing the end of your academic semester then you are probably feeling the burden of writing and submitting a term paper that will shape your grade in a particular course. Some educational institutes lay extra emphasis on a term paper as they feel that it is the accumulation of the student’s total learning throughout a course and is the best test of his or her ability.

Start by expanding the term so as to clarify its nature and meaning.docx (12.2 KB)
Start by expanding the term so as to clarify its nature and meaning.docx (12.2 KB)