EndNote X9

Finding duplicate references

EndNote offers a Find Duplicates command to help locate duplicate references. This command searches the references that are currently showing in the Library window to identify duplicates. 

To find all of the duplicate references in a library:

• With your EndNote library open, click on the All References group to show all references.
• From the References menu, select Find Duplicates.
• EndNote will display a Find Duplicates dialog where you can compare duplicates and decide which version to keep and which to delete.

Differences between reference fields are shown with blue highlighting. In addition, EndNote takes you to the first reference field in which there is dissimilar content between the two duplicate references. Scroll through the list to see which fields contain duplicate content and which contain dissimilar content.

For each set of duplicates, you have the option to:

• Click Keep This Record to save that particular reference and throw the other one in the Trash.
• Click Skip to leave both references in the library, intact. They will appear in a temporary Duplicate References group, so you can review them later.
• Click Cancel to stop the Duplicate References operation. All duplicates will appear in a temporary Duplicate References group if you wish to review them.

Warning: The older (first entered) reference will always appear in the left column. Before selecting Keep This Record, which will delete the duplicate, check the record numbers to be sure that you are not deleting a reference already cited in a paper.