The Connection Settings

Click Connection Settings to view the panel where the data to establish a connection is stored. The Connection Settings information is required for EndNote to be able to connect to the online database. These terms and descriptions are part of the Z39.50 standard.

Server Description: The name of the information provider or institution. EndNote displays this name in the title of the Retrieved References window and it is also listed in the Connection Manager window. This information is not used to establish the connection.

Server Address: The server address for the online database. This can be either a numerical IP address or a URL.

Database Description: The name used to refer to the online database. This name is displayed in the Title bar of the Retrieved References window to help you identify the database to which you are connected. It is not used to establish the connection.

Database Name: The file name command used to select the database on the remote server. This is not the name you would use to talk about the database; it is a command for "starting up" the exchange of information with the database.

Element Set Name: This is normally F for Full or B for Brief. The Element Set Name determines the amount of information that is provided by the server for each retrieved reference. Not all servers support both options, and the fields returned for each option also vary. For most databases, the Full option is preferred.

Port ID: The TCP/IP port at the server that is used for a Z39.50 connection. The two most popular ports are 210 and 7090, but other ports can be used. The port to be used is controlled by the server and EndNote must match it. These are not the same ports used by your browser, except for the PubMed and Web of Science Core Collection connection files. Because they are not used by browsers, they are frequently blocked by network firewalls. See Problems Connecting.

Batch Download: EndNote typically retrieves references in batches, for speed and memory reasons. However, some servers are too slow, or their record data is too large, to support batch downloads. You will need to turn batch processing off for such sites. If you are having trouble downloading from a site, you can try deselecting this option.

Record Syntax: Many formats used by Z39.50 servers are supported by EndNote, such as UNIMARC (Universal Machine Readable Cataloging), SUTRS (Simple Unstructured Text Record Syntax), and OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog). When you create a new connection file, it is set up for the MARC21 format. For other formats, the filter section for connection files must be constructed manually. UNIMARC and OPAC use variations of the MARC format (OPAC commonly adds holdings data). The SUTRS format, because it is "unstructured," does not have a standard format among different databases. The SUTRS format often uses tags (such as "AU" or "Author") to identify the reference data. Check with your database provider for the appropriate settings.

Text: The Text option is used to specify how EndNote should interpret the incoming text characters. Options include ANSEL, Unicode (UTF-8), Unicode (UTF-16), and many other language choices. If you do not have the correct setting, extended characters may import as asterisks, or may be dropped completely. Check with your database provider for the appropriate setting.

Login Information Required: This section is divided into four separate options: User ID, Password, Group ID, and Custom. Select the options required to login to the online database in order to have EndNote prompt you for that information when you connect. You can also store your password and/or IDs in the connection file so that you do not have to enter them each time you connect. Simply type the password or ID into the box provided.

Notes: Passwords and IDs may be saved in the connection file for convenience, but do so at your own risk: passwords are not protected or encrypted. If someone else copies or uses your connection file, they will be able to use your stored password.

The password and User ID requested by the host will generally not be your personal password and ID. It is usually the User ID and password assigned to your institution (the exception to this might be if your institution has a local copy of the database). These institutional User IDs and passwords are usually not shared with individuals within an institution. However, access may be granted to anyone connecting to the database from an IP address within the institution. If you are off-site and cannot access a database that you could access when onsite, use VPN to connect to your institution's network first, then try the connection file again. If you do not have VPN access to your institution's network, check with your network administrator.

Custom ID Authentication String

Sometimes a database server requires a custom format for presenting the password and IDs. For these situations, you may skip the regular password or ID option, check the "Custom" option, and enter the text specified by your server’s Z39.50 documentation. You may either enter your actual password and ID along with the text, or use one of the following placeholders to have EndNote prompt you for the necessary items: ?PASSWORD, ?USERID, ?GROUPID.

For example, a system may require that passwords be presented by Z39.50 clients in the following manner:

pass=?PASSWORD/ dla_ui=yes

If you wanted to store your password ("abc123" for this example) it would look like this:

pass=abc123/ dla_ui=yes