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Summary

EndNote output styles define how citations and bibliographies are formatted in a document. If no existing style matches the required format, an existing one can be edited and saved as a new style. This allows users to meet specific academic or publisher requirements without manual formatting. The ability to edit output styles is an important function in any reference management tool.

Benefits

• Align references with journal or institutional guidelines
• Reduce manual editing in Word
• Reuse customised styles across documents

Step-by-step instructions

1. Open the Style Manager

The Style Manager allows you to view, select, and edit available output styles.

Steps

1. Open EndNote.
2. Go to Tools in the top menu.
3. Select Output Styles.
4. Click Open Style Manager.

What to expect

• A list of all installed styles will appear.
• Styles with a tick are available in EndNote and Word.
• The window may take a few seconds to load if many styles are installed.

Tip

If you cannot find a suitable style, you may need to install additional styles from external sources before proceeding.

2. Preview and select a suitable style

Before editing, identify a style that is closest to your required format.

Steps

1. Select a style from the list.
2. Click Style Info/Preview.
3. Review how citations and bibliography entries are displayed.
4. Switch between Comments and Preview for additional context.

Tip

Choose a style that already matches most of your requirements to minimise editing effort.

3. Edit and save a new style

You should never overwrite the original style. Always create a copy.

Steps

1. Select your chosen style.
2. Click Edit.
3. In the new window, go to File > Save As.
4. Enter a new name for the style (e.g. include your name or project).
5. Click Save.

Important

• This ensures the original style remains unchanged.
• The new style will be saved in the Styles folder (usually in Documents > EndNote).

4. Edit - citation formatting

Citations control how references appear within the text.

Steps

1. In the left-hand panel, go to Citations > Templates.
2. Use Insert Field to add elements such as:
   • Author
   • Year
   • Title
3. Adjust the template by:
   • Typing punctuation (e.g. commas, brackets)
   • Reordering fields
   • Deleting fields (select and press Delete)

Additional options

• Modify the Multiple Citation Separator (e.g. comma or semicolon).
• Adjust the Year Format if needed.

Example

To create (Author, Title: Year):

• Insert the Title field between Author and Year
• Add a colon after Title
• Apply bold formatting to Year if required

5. Edit - bibliography formatting

The bibliography defines how full references appear at the end of the document.

Steps

1. Go to Bibliography > Templates.
2. Select a reference type (e.g. Journal Article, Book).
3. Edit the template using:
   • Insert Field for reference data
   • Manual typing for punctuation and text

Key points

• The Generic template is used if no specific template exists for a reference type.
• You can add missing reference types if needed.

5.1 Apply formatting rules correctly in the bibliography section

EndNote formatting is governed by strict rules that affect how punctuation and spacing behave.

Rules to follow

1. Dependent text
   • Text attached directly to a field only appears if the field has content.
2. Precedence of fields
   • Punctuation between fields applies to the preceding field.
3. Spaces
   • The first space after a field depends on that field.
   • Additional spaces always appear.
4. Independent text
   • Text not linked to a field always appears in the output.

Example

• Author. Title behaves differently from Author. Title (double space).

5.2 Use special formatting characters in the bibliography section

EndNote provides special characters to control output behaviour.

Common characters

• Caret ( ^ )
  • Handles singular/plural (e.g. p. vs pp.)
• Pipe ( | )
  • Forces separation from the preceding field
• Diamond (ᵒ)
  • Acts as a non-breaking space
  • Prevents text from appearing if the field is empty
• Backticks (text)
  • Ensures text is treated as literal, not a field name

Example

• Edition ᵒed. → “ed.” only appears if Edition exists

8. Add or modify reference types

If a reference type is missing, you can add and configure it.

Steps

1. Go to Reference Types in the style editor.
2. Select the type to add.
3. Use Insert Field to include required elements.
4. Add punctuation and formatting as needed.

Tip

Use consistent formatting across all reference types to avoid inconsistent output.

9. Save and test the style

Changes are not applied until saved.

Steps

1. Click File > Save.
2. Close the style editor.
3. Apply the style in Word via the EndNote toolbar.
4. Test with multiple reference types.

Important

If you close without saving, you will be prompted to:

• Save changes
• Discard changes
• Continue editing

Important notes

• Changes apply only to the edited reference type unless repeated
• Section bibliographies depend on section breaks created in Word
• Category bibliographies must be configured in the style and enabled in Word
• The default font follows the Word document unless overridden in the style
• Always review output carefully after editing