Mendeley

This is probably the most powerful and easiest way of getting multiple references into Mendeley; 100s of references can be exported /imported into Mendeley in one go.

• Exporting from online resources: key information.

Instructions for direct export from selected online resources:

• Cochrane Library

• EBSCO databases, including CINAHL, Business Source Elite.

• Explore, UCL's search tool.

• Google Scholar.

• NHS Knowledge & Library Hub (NKLH)

• OvidSP databases, including Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO.

• ProQuest databases.

• PubMed.

• ReadingLists@UCL

• Scopus

• Web of Science.

Exporting references from online resources is generally the recommended way to get references into your library.

Exporting references creates a file (usually a RIS file) which must be imported into Mendeley, via the +Add new button. Save the file before you attempt to import it.

Do not try to open the file, as it will not successfully import the references into Mendeley Reference Manager. You may also find that the default application set to open files of this type may cause files to open in another applications, e.g. EndNote or Zotero. (You can change the default application in Windows, but Mendeley Reference Manager is not one of the available applications.)

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.

Please note: you will only be able to export references if you opt to Accept All data and cookie settings when you first access the Cochrane Library. (If you have selected 'Reject All', you can open a browser window in 'incognito mode' to re-access the Cochrane Library and select 'Accept All'.)

• 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 (Reference Manager).
• If abstracts are desired, select the Include abstract checkbox.
• Select Download and save your file.
• Launch Mendeley Reference Manager.
• Click on the +Add new button, and select File(s) from your computer.
• Select the saved RIS (Reference Manager) 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 displayed 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 (Reference Manager)).

• 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), select items again, and click on Export.
• Ensure Direct Export in RIS Format is selected, and click Save.

Then:

• In Mendeley Reference Manager desktop, Click on the +Add new button, and select File(s) from your computer. Locate the file you have just downloaded and click Open.

EBSCOhost databases include: CINAHL, CINAHL Plus and Business Source Elite.

Explore, UCL's search tool, is a one-stop service solution for the discovery and delivery of our print and e-resources. It is essentially the Library Catalogue, but also searches across online resources, including bibliographic databases.

Exporting to Mendeley Reference Manager

For an individual search result, and with Mendeley Reference Manager open:

• 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 Mendeley.
• The reference will be exported to Mendeley Reference Manager.

If neither Mendeley Reference Manager nor Mendeley Web are open, when you click on 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.
• The reference will be exported to Mendeley Web, but will be seen in Mendeley Reference Manager when next opened. 

To export 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 to" actions button, an icon displaying 3 dots at the top of the screen.
• Click on Mendeley.
• The references will be exported to Mendeley Reference Manager if open.

If neither Mendeley Reference Manager or Mendeley Web are open, when you click on 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.
• The references will be exported to Mendeley Web, but will be seen in Reference Manager when next opened. 
• Check that references have been exported correctly, with the data in the correct fields. 

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 (RIS) file.

Then:

• In Mendeley Reference Manager, click on the +Add new button, and select File(s) from your computer. 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 (RIS) file.

Then:

• In Mendeley Reference Manager, click on the +Add new button, and select File(s) from your computer. Locate the file you have just downloaded and click Open.

Ensure you are signed in with your NHS OpenAthens account for full functionality and full text of results.

• Having retrieved results, you can display up to 50 results per page, via Page Options.
• To select one or more individual items, rather than a whole page of results, click on the yellow folder icon to the right of the title(s) and then on My Folder. If you have already created new folders, their names will also appear and be available for selection.
• To select all results on a page, click on Share, and  Add to Folder. You will have the option of 'My Folder' or 'My Custom' folder (you have to Sign-in again to access custom folders). You will also have the option of selecting any other folders that you may have created.
• Continue through each page of results until you have added all the results to the folder. Note: You will only be able to export a maximum of 100 articles, at a time.
• Click on Folder in the top, blue bar, or Folder view, on the right-hand side pane (above the list of Further Resources).
• Select the folder you want to export and then tick the box to select all the items in it.
• Click on Export, and check the box Remove these items after saving (otherwise you will export duplicates).
• Ensure the format for saving citations to file is set to Direct Export in RIS format (this is normally the default) and click on Save.

Then:

• In Mendeley Reference Manager, click on the +Add new button, and select File(s) from your computer. Locate the 'delivery.ris' 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 ‘Export to’ drop-down menu.
• Choose which fields you want to export, then click on Export citations and save the file.

Then:

• In Mendeley Reference Manager, Click on the +Add new button, and select File(s) from your computer. 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:

• In Mendeley Reference Manager, click on the +Add new button, and select File(s) from your computer. 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.

The best way of importing PubMed references, is using the Mendeley Web Importer, as PubMed does not export files of the type RIS or BibText (they are .nbib files).

• Perform a search on your topic, displaying no more than 50 results on a page (the default is 20).
• No need to select results - Web Importer will do this for you
• Launch Mendeley Web Importer; it will display the same references as are currently displayed in PubMed.
• Select at least one reference in the Web Importer pane
• When you have reviewed results, click on the blue Add button.
• You will see a green checkmark to confirm the reference has been successfully imported.

• 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.
• In Mendeley Reference Manager, click on the +Add new button, and select File(s) from your computer. Locate the file you have just downloaded and click Open.
• 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 light blue banner near the top of the page (under 'Analyse Search Results').
• On the 'Export document settings' page, choose which information to export (Citation information, Abstract & keywords, etc.), then
• Click on the RIS Format radio button (not the Mendeley radio button).
• Click on Export in the bottom-right of the 'Export document settings' page, to download the RIS file.
• In Mendeley Reference Manager, click on the +Add new button and then File(s) from computer, browse to the downloaded file, and open the file (you may need to change from displaying Custom Files to All Files to see the file).

Alternatively:

• On the 'Export document settings page, click on the Mendeley radio button (you will lose the option of choosing which information to export)
• Click on Export, to export the results to Mendeley Web.
• Re-sync Mendeley 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 (Record Content) you wish to include, and click Export. 
• Save the file.

Then:

• In Mendeley Reference Manager, Click on the +Add new button, and select File(s) from your computer. 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 editing a reference.

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