This post provides a tip for using Google Scholar to make importing references more efficient.
The problem: Typing references manually into a reference manager is a pain. While it is possible to import references from databases such as PsycInfo, this is not particularly useful for ad hoc sources.
The tip: Use Google Scholar to import the reference.
How I do it:
1) Set the preferences in Google Scholar to export to a reference manager (i.e., Endnote).
2) Search for the article on Google Scholar.
DQSD: As a side point, I like to search using Dave’s Quick Search Deskbar. This is a great tool for searching all sorts of online search engines. It can be accessed with a short cut key (like Windows Key + s). Each search engine has a short prefix, which in the case of Google Scholar is “ggs”. Thus, if you are searching for an article such as “Anglim (2009). Effect of this on that.”, you might type “ggs Anglim 2009 effect of this on that”.
SEARCH TERMS: If you get the search terms right, one of the first hits should be the desired article. I find that a distinctive author’s name, the year, and a distinctive word from the title are sufficient.
3) Click on the import to endnote button will download a small file that can then be imported into Endnote.
UPDATE 15th June 2009: The process is even more streamlined in EndNote X2, where you no longer have to select the Endnote database. The citation file exported from Google Scholar is merged in automatically into the open Endnote database.
Limitations:
Some references have errors.
