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EndNote Desktop: Using Cite While You Write

Information on how to use many of the tools and features in EndNote, a tool that can help you store and organize citation information and format bibliographies and papers.

What is Cite While You Write?

Cite While you Write (CWYW) is a tool which connects your EndNote account (Desktop or Online) to Word. You can use CWYW to add in-text citations to essays, assignments and reports. The in-text citations added using CWYW link to references in your EndNote account. As you add in-text citations with CWYW a reference list will be automatically created. 

In-text citations can be created in many different styles including Harvard Strathclyde, IEEE and APA 7. 

This guide describes how to install CWYW; how to add in-text citations to a document; how to edit CWYW citations and provide answers to some frequently asked questions.  

Installing Cite While You Write

If you have the full version of Endnote (including Endnote Desktop), the plugin will be automatically downloaded and installed on your computer along with the Desktop program. If you have Endnote Basic, you'll have to download the plugin separately.

To download Cite While You Write, click on Downloads. You will see links to download plugins for Windows and Macintosh. Select the correct link for your computer and follow the directions to install.

Changing Output Style

What is an Output Style?

  • Templates that control appearance of in-text citations, footnotes and bibliographies.
  • Styles defined by journal, such as Nature, or publisher, such as American Psychological Association (APA).

How to Change Output Style in Word Document

  1. Click on the EndNote menu tab in Word toolbar.
  2. Click on the Styles menu.  Select the desired style.  Your citations, footnotes and bibliography will now appear in this style.  

Adding Citations to a Document

   Note that before you can insert a citation into a Word document, you must have the document and the desired EndNote library open on your computer. You can then insert the citation from the Word or EndNote interfaces.     

To insert a citation from within Word:

  1. Click on the EndNote menu tab in the Word toolbar.
  2. Click Insert Citation and choose Insert Citation... from the drop-down menu

         

 

   3.  The EndNote Find & Insert My References dialog box will appear.  In the text box at the top of the dialog box, enter text (author's last name, year, title, keyword) to search for the reference in your library. Or if you want to search through all articles in your library, insert an asterisk (*). Click the Find button.

   4.   In the results of your search, click on the reference that you want to cite to highlight it. To highlight multiple references, hold down the Ctrl key while you click on references.

   5.  Once you have selected your references, click on the Insert button.  The selected references will be inserted into your Word document and displayed as defined by the current Output Style.

 

Cite While You Write in Google Docs

With EndNote 21, CWYW is compatible with Google Docs, making it easier to write your next paper and to collaborate on documents with colleagues.

Using Cite While You Write