Browse Tools Top 100
RIS ENW
File conversion

Convert RIS to ENW

Verified by Adam B.· reviewed by FE Editorial ·updated Aug 6, 2026
QUICK ANSWER
Is it possible to convert RIS to ENW?
Yes - RIS converts to ENW.

In Zotero (free), import the .ris via File > Import, select all references, then File > Export Library > Refer/BibIX to get the .enw tagged format. In EndNote, import the .ris with the RefMan RIS filter and export using the EndNote Export output style, then rename the file to .enw.

5 programs

On this page

Tested on macOS, Windows & Linux
Last verified Oct 2026

More free converters

HEIC, PNG, WEBP, MP3 and more - every tool here is free.

Open the toolbox

Why convert RIS to ENW?

ENW uses the older Refer tag set with percent-sign prefixes (%A, %T, %D) while RIS uses two-letter tags (AU, TI, PY). If a collaborator or submission system requires .enw specifically, re-exporting through a reference manager is the only practical path - though in most cases, importing .ris directly into EndNote makes the conversion unnecessary.

How to convert RIS to ENW

EndNote APP

Import the .ris via File > Import with the RefMan RIS filter, select all references, then go to File > Export with Output Style set to EndNote Export and rename the saved file to .enw.

EndNote for Mac APP

Import the .ris via File > Import with the RefMan RIS filter, then export with the EndNote Export style and save the file with a .enw extension.

BibDesk FREE

Import your .ris file into BibDesk and export in the Refer/EndNote tagged format to produce a .enw file.

Zotero FREE

File > Import the .ris file, select all imported references, then File > Export Library > Refer/BibIX and save with a .enw extension.

Programs that convert RIS

EndNote
Reference Manager
EndNote for Mac
BibDesk
EndNote for iPad

About these formats

.RIS Research Information Systems citation file

An RIS file is a plain-text bibliographic citation file - the standard exchange format used by Google Scholar, PubMed, and library databases to hand references to citation managers. You…

Open .RIS details →
.ENW EndNote import file

An ENW file is an EndNote import file - a small plain-text citation you get when you click "Cite > EndNote" on Google Scholar, PubMed, or a journal database. You import it into a reference…

Open .ENW details →

Quality & what to watch

  • ENW uses percent-sign Refer tags (%A for author, %T for title, %D for year, %J for journal) instead of RIS two-letter tags; all standard fields transfer cleanly.
  • In most workflows, converting to .enw is unnecessary because EndNote imports .ris directly without a pre-conversion step.
  • Custom or rarely used RIS tags may not survive the round-trip to ENW format.

Frequently asked questions

Why would I need ENW if EndNote already imports RIS?
ENW is only needed when a specific collaborator workflow or submission system requires it; otherwise, importing the original .ris into EndNote is faster and equivalent.
What is the difference between the RIS and ENW tag sets?
RIS uses two-letter tags like AU (author) and TI (title); ENW uses Refer-style percent-sign tags like %A and %T. The field mapping between them is well-established.
Can Reference Manager convert RIS to ENW?
Reference Manager can import RIS and export in tagged formats, but the software has been discontinued and is no longer a recommended option.