Converting a Reference Manager Database to EndNote

EndNote can easily convert Reference Manager databases to EndNote databases. The original Reference Manager database is left intact while references are copied and converted.

Note: This feature is available to users of Reference Manager, versions 11 and 12.

While every effort has been made to map Reference Manager reference types to corresponding EndNote reference types and Reference Manager fields to corresponding EndNote fields, you may want to make some adjustments by using the Field Mapping tool during the conversion process. Alternatively, you can make changes to reference types in a Reference Manager database before converting the database to EndNote.

To convert a Reference Manager database to an EndNote library:

From the File menu, select Open > Open Library to display a Select a Reference Library dialog.
At the bottom of the dialog, select Reference Manager Databases (*.RMD) from the Files of type menu.
Use the file dialog to navigate to the folder that contains the Reference Manager database that you want to convert to EndNote. Highlight the database name, and then click the Open button.
A "Convert Reference Manager Database" dialog will appear that lets you know that the database must be converted for use. You can either:

Click Convert to proceed with the conversion. This option allows EndNote to automatically convert Reference Manager reference types and fields to EndNote. It also leaves all file attachments stored in Reference Manager references in their original location.
Click Customize if you want to modify the mapping of individual Reference Manager reference types to EndNote reference types and Reference Manager fields to EndNote fields. This option is useful if you have created customized reference types in Reference Manager.

Use the top panel of the dialog to map each reference type to a corresponding EndNote reference type. When you highlight a setting in the top panel of the dialog, you can change the field mapping for that reference type in the bottom panel of the dialog. Click OK to save changes to the mapping. See Mapping Reference Manager Reference Types and Fields to EndNote for a list of reference types.

Click the Reset to Default Map button if you want to discard your changes and return to the default mapping set.

Click OK to save your changes when you are finished using the Field Mapping tool.

Click the Convert button if you do not have any additional changes to make.
On the "Save Converted Library as" dialog, give the new EndNote library a name (the default file name is the same as the old Reference Manager file name).

After the conversion completes, EndNote displays a "Convert Reference Manager Database" dialog. Click Yes if you want to convert your file attachments to relative links, which will put them in the .Data folder for the library. Click No to retain your file attachments as absolute links in their original location.

Note: Each EndNote library is made up of both an .enl file and a .Data folder. Each library can be independently moved, copied, or deleted after the conversion process. See Closing a Library for more information. Always move, copy, or delete both the main .enl file and the .Data folder; otherwise, you can lose reference data.

Note: The Cancel button allows you to cancel the entire conversion process. The Reference Manager database is not converted and cannot be opened in EndNote.

Converting Absolute Links to Relative Links

After the conversion completes, the new library opens in EndNote. All document and figure files appear in the File Attachments field within an EndNote reference. Move your cursor over a particular file to displays a tool tip that shows the full path (absolute path) of the file location. Files that show they are within the .Data folder for the library are relative links. This means the .Data folder can be moved with the .enl file and the links will continue to work, even if the library is moved to a different computer, or if the library is synced to another computer. Files that are not shown within the .Data folder to the library are absolute links and would become unavailable if the library were moved to a different computer, and would not be available on another computer if the library were synced.

In EndNote, you can easily change an absolute path to a relative path for each reference within a library list.

Select (highlight) each reference containing file attachments.

Note: You can easily sort all records with file attachments by clicking the paper clip that appears in the Attachments (Paper Clip) column of the Library window.

From the References menu, select File Attachments > Convert to Relative Links.
Click OK when the message appears.

The folder path for all attachments are quickly converted to relative links.

Converting Reference Manager Attachments to EndNote

See Selecting a Relative Path or an Absolute Path for File Attachments for more information about absolute path versus relative path.