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EndNote Online

EndNote Online is a web-based tool that will help you manage your references (sources) and create bibliographies in various citation styles.

Cite While You Write

Once you have registered for your own free EndNote Online account, you can also download a free EndNote Online Plug-in onto your personal computer or laptop. This plug-in will enable you to use Cite While You Write while working in Microsoft Word. You will be able to insert in-text citations from your EndNote account and format bibliographies from within your Word document.

The plug-in is available for Windows or Macintosh.

Simply login to your EndNote Online account on your personal computer or laptop, click the Downloads link toward the top of the screen, then follow the instructions to download Cite While You Write.

Once Cite While You Write downloads successfully onto your computer or laptop, an EndNote toolbar should now be visible at the top of a Microsoft Word document.

Use "Cite While You Write" to Cite Sources and Format a Bibliography

If you have downloaded the free EndNote Online Plug-in onto your personal computer or laptop, you should be able to use Cite While You Write to insert in-text citations from your EndNote account into a Word document. At the same time, you will begin building your bibliography, References, or Works Cited list. (Please go back to the Set Up Your EndNote Online Account section for instructions on how to download Cite While You Write.)

If Cite While You Write downloaded successfully onto your computer or laptop, an EndNote toolbar should now be visible at the top of a Microsoft Word document. To use Cite While You Write, follow these steps:

  1. Open your Word document.
  2. At the end of a sentence that includes a quote or paraphrase, place the cursor in front of the sentence's final punctuation mark, then click the EndNote toolbar to access the EndNote Online options.
  3. Select your desired citation style from the Style drop-down menu that appears in the EndNote toolbar.
  4. Click Find Citations.
  5. Type an author's name or title keyword for the article or book you are trying to cite, then click Find.
  6. Select your desired reference from the list that appears.
  7. Click Insert.
  8. If necessary, fix the spacing in front of the in-text citation and correct any formatting problems that appear in the complete reference added at the bottom of your document.
  9. Continue typing your paper, and repeat steps 2-8 for any additional quotes or paraphrases you need to cite in your paper.
  10. Add the appropriate heading (such as References or Works Cited) above the list of references added at the bottom of your document.