Mendeley Desktop

• Exporting from online resources: key information.
• Default application.

Instructions for direct export from selected online resources:

• Cochrane Library
• Ebsco databases, including CINAHL, Business Source Elite.
• Explore, UCL's library catalogue.
• Google Scholar.
• OvidSP databases, including Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO.
• Proquest databases.
• PubMed.
• ReadingLists@UCL
• Scopus
• Web of Science.

Exporting references directly from online resources is generally the recommended way to get references into your library. Exporting references creates a file which can then be opened in Mendeley. In some cases you need to save the file before you can open it. Whether the file will open automatically in Mendeley or not depends on your browser configuration.

If you are using Desktop@UCL you may find that the default application that is set to open particular file types will cause files to open in other reference management packages, e.g. Zotero. There are a number of alternative ways to resolve this:

• Change the default program in Windows. Search Windows for Default Apps, click on Choose default applications by file type, change the default program for the appropriate file type, e.g. change the default program for .ris, to Mendeley.
• From Windows Explorer, locate the folder where the file has been downloaded. Right click and select open with… Then choose MendeleyDesktop from the list.
• Use the Firefox Web browser, which allows you to choose the program to open the file.

Exporting Multiple Citations

You can export multiple search results for the following Cochrane Library categories: Cochrane Reviews, Cochrane Protocols, Trials, and Clinical Answers. You will need to export one category at a time.

• Use the checkboxes to select the references you would like to export or Select all.
• Select Export Selected Citation(s) above the list of search results.
• Select RIS (EndNote).
• If abstracts are desired, select the Include abstract checkbox.
• Select Download and save your file.
• Launch Mendeley Desktop.
• From the File menu, select the option to Import and then select RIS – Research Information Systems (*.ris).
• Select the saved RIS (EndNote) file.
• Use the Open button to import the citations into Mendeley.

The maximum number of article citations that can be exported from a single search is 20,000. If your search has more results, limit your results by date to reduce the size of your search to sets containing less than 20,000 citations.

Exporting a single citation from a single record

A citation for the majority of records in the Cochrane Library can be exported by using the options in the right hand menu.

Select the record title to view the full record.

• For Cochrane Reviews, Cochrane Protocols, Editorials, and Clinical Answers, use the Cite this... links.
• For Trials use Export this CENTRAL record.

Then follow the instructions above for exporting multiple records (from the third step: Select RIS (EndNote)).

• To export multiple results add the results to your folder by clicking on the blue folder icon.
• From a single result or from the Folder view (for multiple records) click Export.
• Ensure Direct Export in RIS Format is selected and click Save.

Then either:

• From Windows Explorer, locate the folder where the file has been downloaded. Right click and select Open with… Then choose Mendeley Desktop from the list.
  or
• From Mendeley Desktop, go to the File menu, and select Import and then RIS. Locate the file you have just downloaded and click Open.

Ebsco databases include CINAHL Plus and Business Source Elite::

Explore, UCL's library catalogue, is a one-stop service solution for the discovery and delivery of our print and e-resources.

The quickest way to get references from Explore to Mendeley is to use the Mendeley icon button in Explore. This will import references to your Mendeley Web library:

• Click on the title for any result, or click on the Show actions options menu (the three dots to the far right of any result).
• Click the Mendeley button.
• You'll be prompted to login to your Mendeley account.
• A banner will appear at the top of Explore informing you that the export is proceeding.

This will import references to your Mendeley Web library. Check that references have imported correctly, with the data in the correct fields. 

There is an alternative method to export references to Mendeley Desktop:

For an individual search result:

• From the search results screen click on the citation button, which is a quotation mark symbol, or go to the full details screen by clicking on the title.
• Click on RIS (Endnote OR Refman).
• From the Encoding menu, select US-ASCII and click on Download.
• Save the RIS file.

Then either:

• From Windows Explorer, locate the folder where the file has been downloaded. Right click and select Open with… Then choose Mendeley Desktop from the list.
  or
• From Mendeley Desktop, go to the File menu, and select Import and then RIS. Locate the file you have just downloaded and click Open.

To import multiple references:

• Click on the pin icon to the right of all the references you want to send to Mendeley.
• Click on your name (if signed in) or Guest in the top right corner of the screen and then click on Saved Items.
• Select all the items again by checking the box at the top of the results list.
• Click on the Push for actions button, an icon displaying 3 dots at the top of the screen.
• Click on RIS (Endnote OR Refman).
• From the Encoding menu, select US-ASCII and click on Download.
• Save the RIS file.

Then either:

• From Windows Explorer, locate the folder where the file has been downloaded. Right click and select Open with… Then choose Mendeley Desktop from the list.
  or
• From Mendeley Desktop, go to the File menu, and select Import and then RIS. Locate the file you have just downloaded and click Open.

Before carrying out a search

• Click on the menu icon, with three horizontal lines at the top left of the screen.
• Click on Settings.
• Under Bibliography Manager, select Show links to import citations into RefMan.
• Click on Save.
• From your Google Scholar search results you can now click on the Import into Refman link beneath any result.
• Save the .ris file.

Then either:

• From Windows Explorer, locate the folder where the file has been downloaded. Right click and select Open with… Then choose Mendeley Desktop from the list.
  or
• From Mendeley Desktop, go to the File menu, and select Import and then RIS. Locate the file you have just downloaded and click Open.

To export multiple records, you need a Google account:

• Click the Star icon under each record you wish to export.
• Log into your Google account, then go to My Library.
• Select the relevant results, or check the box for all results, click on the Export icon and select RefMan.
• Save the .ris file.

Then either:

• From Windows Explorer, locate the folder where the file has been downloaded. Right click and select Open with… Then choose Mendeley Desktop from the list.
  or
• From Mendeley Desktop, go to the File menu, and select Import and then RIS. Locate the file you have just downloaded and click Open.

• Mark the references you wish to save.
• At the top of the screen, click on Export.
• Select RIS from the ‘Format’ drop-down menu.
• Choose which fields you want to export then click on Export citations and save the file.

Then either:

• From Windows Explorer, locate the folder where the file has been downloaded. Right click and select Open with… Then choose Mendeley Desktop from the list.
  or
• From Mendeley Desktop, go to the File menu, and select Import and then RIS. Locate the file you have just downloaded and click Open.

OvidSP databases include MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsycINFO.

• Mark the relevant records.and click on Save.
• Select RIS (works with EndNote, Citavi, etc.) and then click on Continue.
• If prompted, choose to save the file.

Then either:

• From Windows Explorer, locate the folder where the file has been downloaded. Right click and select Open with… Then choose Mendeley Desktop from the list.
  or
• From Mendeley Desktop, go to the File menu, and select Import and then RIS. Locate the file you have just downloaded and click Open.

Proquest databases include Arts Premium Collection, Humanities Index, Library & Information Science Collection, Proquest Central, Proquest News and Newspapers, Social Science Premium Collection and many more.

• Select the references to export
• Select Send to then choose the destination Citation manager and click on Create file.
• Save the nbib file (it may save to your downloads folder).
• In Mendeley desktop go to the File menu, select Import and then BibTex and navigate to where the PubMed nbib file was saved.
• Change the file type limiter in the file browser from BibTex to All supported formats. This will allow you to locate the nbib file.
• Open the nbib file.

• From your reading list, click on the three dots next to the item you wish to export.
• Select Download RIS.
• Open the downloaded file with Mendeley.
• Check data has been imported into the correct fields.

Or to export the entire list:

• Go to the View & export menu at the top and select RIS.
• Open the downloaded file with Mendeley.
• Check data has been imported into the correct fields.

You can also collect items by bookmarking them and export them together in one group from My Bookmarks:

• Click on the three dots next to the item you wish to bookmark and select Add to My Bookmarks.
• Go to My Bookmarks (the link is in the menu at the top of the reading list)
• From here you can choose the bookmarks you wish to export, select Action (top right) and then Export citations.This will generate a RIS file.
• Open the downloaded file with Mendeley.
• Check data has been imported into the correct fields.

In order to export results to Mendeley, you first have to sign-in with your Elsevier (i.e. Mendeley) account credentials. After accessing Scopus via the Library Services, Databases list, click on Sign in in the Search page, top-right hand corner.

(NB: Your Mendeley account login should not be using your UCL student credentials.)

• After performing a search, in the list of results, select those results you want to export, by clicking the check-box next to each result (the check-box turns to orange). Alternatively, you can select all results, or all results on a page.
• Click on Export on the blue banner at the top of the page.
• On the 'Export document settings' page, choose which information to export (Citation information, Abstract & keywords, etc.), then click on the Mendeley radio button.
• Finally click on Export in the bottom-right of the 'Export document settings' page.

You will need to re-sync your Mendeley Desktop (Reference Manager) to see your imported references.

Ensure you are in Web of Science Core Collection (the other Web of Science databases cannot be directly exported into Mendeley).

• Select the references you wish to export. 
• Click on Export and select BibTeX.
• Select the fields you wish to include and click Export. 
• Save the file.

Then either:

• From Windows Explorer, locate the folder where the file has been downloaded. Right click and select Open with… Then choose Mendeley Desktop from the list.
  or
• From Mendeley Desktop, go to the File menu, and select Import and then BibTex. Locate the file you have just downloaded and click Open.

References may also be added to the marked list and then exported. This will give you further options regarding which fields to export

Mendeley is owned by Elsevier. If you find references in ScienceDirect or Scopus. (other Elsevier products) then you can use the built in Export function to easily save references directly to Mendeley.

Always check your references to make sure they have imported correctly, with information in the correct fields.

See checking reference details.

Some hints and tips on using Mendeley for students working with law resources 

Mendeley Desktop continues to be available for existing users but is no longer available to download and is no longer under development. For guidance on using the new Mendeley Reference Manager, Mendeley Cite and Mendeley Web, see our Mendeley guide.