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Understanding Temporary Citations in EndNote and How to Address Them

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Temporary citations in EndNote are placeholder codes that represent in-text citations before they are formatted according to a specific referencing style. They appear when you use the Cite While You Write (CWYW) tool and typically look like {Author, Year #RecordNumber}. While useful during drafting, these placeholders must be replaced with properly formatted citations for your final document.

Why Temporary Citations Occur

  1. Manual unformatting of citations: Using the "unformat" function in the EndNote toolbar will unformat the citations and turn the "Instant Formatting" off.
  2. No Output Style Selected: EndNote uses output styles to determine how citations should appear. If no style is selected, citations remain unformatted.
  3. Disconnected Library: If EndNote cannot locate the library containing the references, it cannot format citations.
  4. CWYW Disabled: The Cite While You Write plugin may be turned off, preventing automatic formatting.
  5. Manual Edits: Editing citations directly in the Word document can disrupt the link between EndNote and your references.

How to Resolve Temporary Citations

  1. Enable CWYW:

    • Open Word and navigate to the EndNote tab.
    • Ensure that the "Instant Formatting" feature is enabled. If not, click "Enable Instant Formatting."

  2. Select an Output Style:

    • In Word, under the EndNote tab, choose "Style" and select the desired citation style (e.g., APA, MLA, or Chicago). This ensures that temporary citations are replaced with properly formatted ones.

  3. Update Citations and Bibliography:

    • In the EndNote tab in Word, click "Update Citations and Bibliography." This action reformats all temporary citations based on the selected style. This is a manual start of the "Instant Formatting" process.

  4. Re-link the Library:

    • Ensure the EndNote library used for the citations is open and linked to your Word document. If necessary, reselect the library by opening it in EndNote and attempting the update again.

  5. Avoid Manual Edits:

    • Do not edit citations directly in the Word document. Always use the EndNote tools to make changes to avoid breaking the connection between the citation and the library.

Preventive Tips

  • Regular Backups: Save copies of your EndNote library and Word documents to avoid losing links or data.
  • Sync Libraries: Use EndNote’s Sync feature to ensure your library is backed up online, minimizing issues with disconnected references​​.

By addressing these common causes, you can seamlessly convert temporary citations into professionally formatted references, ensuring your academic and professional documents meet citation standards.

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