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EndNote

Keywords, Notes, and Labels

EndNote templates contain a lot of unused fields which can be used to add details relevant to a specific task or purpose (they will not appear in the bibliography). Examples of commonly used fields are shown below. 

  • These fields are searchable using the Search panel
  • You can add as much or as little data as you like
  • Be consistent to ensure searches contain all relevant references

Keywords field

  • Use this field to highlight important concepts – single words or phrases – in the reference
  • The database the record came from may suggest possibilities, or you can create entirely new ones
  • Keywords and phrases can be entered on separate lines, or separated by a semi-colon or backslash
     

Notes/Label fields

Use this for details such as:

  • Filing number or location of a hard copy document
  • Thesis chapter or project the reference relates to, e.g., chapter 5, or conference paper
  • A reminder, e.g., Request by interlibrary loan
  • Your reason for importing the reference, e.g., Cited in Smithers, or Recommended by Bloggs
  • A direct quotation you intend to use (include the exact page number/s)
     

Research Notes field

  • Very similar to notes, but it can be helpful to have different information in different fields
  • Consistency is key. Use the same field for the same type of information

How to:

To add a personal keyword:

  • Highlight the record to which you want to add a keyword.
  • In the right-hand panel, choose the Edit tab and scroll down to the Keywords field.
  • Type in your new personal keyword (see tip box).
  • Click the Save button at the top of the screen.

As you add keywords, the keyword index is automatically populated with a list of your chosen keywords.

  • The next time you wish to add the same keyword to a record, simply type your unique keyword prefix and a list of your personal keywords pops-up.
  • Choose the one you want to use from the list.
  • Click the Save button at the top of the screen.

 

To create keywords in advance: 

  • From the Library menu choose Define Terms Lists.
  • In the pop-up menu click the Lists tab and select Keywords.
  • In the Terms tab, you will see a list of the keywords already in use, including those that were automatically imported from databases.
  • Click New Term and type in your chosen personal keyword, remembering to use a unique prefix.
  • Click OK to save the new keyword.

Searching for records in your library that contain your keyword:

  • Click the All References folder at the top of the left-hand panel.
  • Use the Search panel to search for your chosen keyword (select the Keywords field from the first drop-down menu).
  • Click Search and your results will be displayed in the central results panel.