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Connecting Directly to Databases via the Internet
What is a "connection file"?
A connection file is a piece of software that allows you to search a database over the Internet, without leaving EndNote. You can then select references from the database and import them directly into your EndNote library.
Connection files only work with databases which support a particular search protocol called Z39.50, so not all databases can be searched using a connection file.
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Use your web browser to display the UQ Library EndNote Connections page at:
http://www.library.uq.edu.au/endnote/connect.html
Browse through the list to find a database which is relevant to your research.
In the Other Information column, check to see if you need a username and password to access this database. If so, obtain these now.
Click on the Download Link to download the connection file. Save it in your EndNote Connections folder. The default location of the connections folder is:
C:\Program Files\EndNote\Connections
You may need to close EndNote and reopen it before proceeding to the following step. Sometimes this is necessary before you can see the connection file which you have just downloaded.
Click on the Connect button  on the main toolbar. A list of available connection files will appear:
Browse down the list of databases until you find the connection file which you downloaded. All connection files from the UQ Library EndNote Connections page have filenames beginning with uq_…
Highlight the file, then click the Connect button, and EndNote will use your Internet connection to access the database. You must have a connection to the Internet currently open in order to use the EndNote Connect function.
You may be asked to enter a user ID and password. If so, enter these now.
When the connection to the database is successfully established, EndNote opens a Search window and (in the background) a Retrieved References window. Your screen should look something like this:
Enter a search term in the first search box. If required, you can check the appropriate Boolean operator underneath that box, and enter a further term in the second search box.
You can display more search boxes by clicking on the Add Field button.
Your screen should now look something like this:
Now click on the Search button and you will see a dialogue box stating the number of references which match your search :
To retrieve the first ten references, change the figure in the second box to 10. Then click on the OK button and the references will be displayed in the Retrieved References window, which is like a temporary EndNote library:
You can double-click on any of these references to open them and view the full details.
Select the references that you would like to transfer to your library by holding down the Ctrl key and clicking on the required references.
Click on the Copy # References To button to determine where the references will be saved. EndNote will ask you which Library you want to save the references to (eg. New Library, Choose Library or any library which is already open).
If you wish to search the database again, click on Window on the top menu bar, and when the drop-down menu appears, click on Connected to: … This will display the retrieved references window again. Click on the Search button  on the main toolbar to display the search window.
When you have finished searching, close the Search window by clicking on the X button in the top right-hand corner. Close the Retrieved References window in the same way. You will be asked to confirm that you wish to discard the retrieved references. Click on the OK button, because you have already transferred the references which you want into your EndNote library.
More on connection files …
In addition to the connection files which you can download from the UQ Library EndNote website, you can use many of the connection files supplied with the EndNote software. Databases such as PubMed and library catalogues are freely accessible without a password.
From your home computer, with a dial-up connection to the UQ Network, you will only be able to use connection files for the SilverPlatter (Webspirs) databases, PubMed, Web of Science and the UQ Library catalogue.
Boolean operators are processed strictly in the order of input. So if you are looking for material on "Forestry in Indonesia and Malaysia", you must construct your search as "Indonesia OR Malaysia AND forestry". If you input the search "forestry AND Indonesia OR Malaysia" you will retrieve every record on the database which includes the term "Malaysia".
As with filters, the connection files do not always import data accurately. All references should be checked after import.
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