Why is EndNote so bad at finding the full text of references?

December 14, 2009 12:45 PM

When I click on "Find Full Text" in EndNote, it only finds about 1/4 of the references. Is there a way to increase the number of journals it can find? Unfortunately it doesn't seem to know of Science, or Ecology, or Evolution. Is this just a Thomson-Reuters contractual thing?
posted by one_bean to Education (7 answers total)

Mendeley might be more to your liking.
posted by benzenedream at 1:34 PM on December 14, 2009

By default, Endnote can only locate the full text of publications available freely online.

If you have access to full text databases via a public or academic library, though, there are ways to program it with the proxy server information if you can get that info from your library.
posted by Anephim at 1:34 PM on December 14, 2009

For example.
posted by Anephim at 1:36 PM on December 14, 2009

I used JabRef when writing my thesis, and was pleased with how it managed my references. The most foolproof way to find links to full-text references is to use the DOI, which you can save in the reference file even if you don't want to include it in your sources list. The DOI uses a lookup service that will usually reroute you to the publisher's portal for full-text or pdf access. On most university networks, this should work without a hitch.
posted by yukonho at 1:46 PM on December 14, 2009

If you have access to full text databases via a public or academic library, though, there are ways to program it with the proxy server information if you can get that info from your library.

I'm not finding anything clear in your link. Is this something that you've succeeded in doing? I'm not looking to get more results in my basic searches, but I'm looking for EndNote to find more of the full text of the references already imported.
posted by one_bean at 3:53 PM on December 14, 2009

I think Anephim has it right - you need to let EndNote talk to whatever it is your university uses to provide access to full-text subscriptions. Otherwise, EndNote assumes you have no affiliations and just shows you the freebie stuff, rather than the freebie stuff PLUS the stuff your library pays millions of dollars to acquire access to.

Your profile says Berkeley - if you're at UC Berkeley, here are instructions for setting up EndNote to talk to the UC-elinks server. If you have trouble, go to the library and ask at the reference desk. Say "I need help configuring my EndNote to work with UCe-links". Someone there will walk you through it.
posted by donnagirl at 6:08 PM on December 14, 2009

P.S. If you're not at Berkeley, you can likely find instructions on your library's website or ask for help at the reference desk.
posted by donnagirl at 6:10 PM on December 14, 2009