Yes, but it is not foolproof. When testing several PDFs, this process worked well for some of them, but for some it imported inaccurate information, and for others it did not import anything. This is likely because EndNote must rely upon data embedded in the PDFs, and this information is not standard yet across all documents.
You are generally safe with citations imported from PubMed or other library databases, but if you are importing a citation directly from a PDF, you should check the citation for accuracy.
To create a citation by importing the PDF:
- Have the PDF saved somewhere on your computer or on a flash drive.
- In EndNote, go to "File," then "Import," then "File"
- Click the “Choose button” to browse for the PDF
- Use the pull-down menu to set the import option to PDF
- Click “Import”
If importing the PDF does not give you an accurate citation, you can quickly look up the citation in PubMed itself, or in PubMed from within EndNote, using the author’s last name and a keyword or two from the title. Once the citation is in EndNote, you can drag the PDF file and drop it directly on that citation to attach it.
