EndNote is a powerful reference management tool that helps you collect, organize, and cite sources for your academic writing and research projects. Whether you're working on a paper, thesis, or publication, EndNote can streamline the process of managing your citations and bibliographies. This guide is designed to support McGill students, faculty, and researchers in getting started with EndNote and using it effectively.
EndNote is available to the McGill community through our institutional license. The program is also installed on all McGill library computers and other computers around campus. Please see the "Download and Installation" section below for details on downloading the software to your own device. For help, feel free to check out our Citation Management FAQ or contact us directly.
If you run into an operating system, compatibility, or updating issue with any version of EndNote please contact EndNote Support at 1-800-336-4474, email, or via their Chat.
McGill students and staff may download EndNote free of charge onto their personal computers at home or at the university. Please make sure you have deleted previous versions of EndNote before downloading and installing EndNote 21.
For Windows Users: You will download a zip file that contains a word document with a product key. You will be prompted to enter this product key when installing the software.
For Mac Users: If you click on the EndNote icon on your dashboard and nothing pops up, please see the top navigation menu. You should see EndNote next to the apple icon. Click on File > New to start a new library.
Please note: When exporting references from any citation manager (EndNote, Zotero, etc.), errors can occur such as missing information, incorrect formatting, or extra characters. It's essential to review and edit each reference to ensure accuracy before using them in your paper or bibliography. This helps avoid issues with citation formatting and ensures your work meets academic standards. Please refer to the citation style you are required to use to verify if the citations are correct.
The EndNote plug-ins for Microsoft 365 and Google Docs allow you to insert in-text citations and build bibliographies directly within your Word Online or Google Docs document using your EndNote Online (EndNote Web) library. These tools are ideal for collaborative writing and cloud-based workflows. Once installed, you can access your references, format citations in a variety of styles (e.g., APA, MLA, Vancouver), and automatically generate a reference list. To use the plug-in, you'll need an EndNote Online account and to grant permission to link it with your Microsoft or Google account.
Note: These features only work with EndNote Online - not the desktop version.
EndNote Plugin for Microsoft 365
EndNote Plugin for Google Docs
McGill Libraries • Questions? Ask us!
Privacy notice
