How can I maintain DistillerSR RefID's from DistillerSR into EndNote back to DistillerSR?

Export an RIS file from DistillerSR of the references you would like to manipulate in EndNote. The DistillerSR RefID will be found in the ID field in your RIS file. 

To maintain the DistillerSR RefID in EndNote, you must edit the import filter and use that filter to import your RIS file into EndNote. In EndNote, from the top Tools menu, select import filter, then open filter manager. Click to highlight the RefMan RIS filter (Note: it will not work to just check the box, the filter must be highlighted) and click edit near the bottom right corner of the window. From this screen, select templates from the menu on the left. Change the tag of the Research Notes field from RN to ID on the template. This will place all of your DistillerSR RefID’s in the Research Notes sections in EndNote.

Please note, by default the reference type edited is journal article. If you have other reference types, you will need to pick from the drop-down menu and adjust the template for those types as well (e.g. book).

Close the filter editor screen and save. When prompted, change the name of the filter so as to not overwrite the original RefMan RIS filter. You can now import your RIS file from DistillerSR using the edited filter by selecting it from the import option menu. 

All of your DistillerSR refID’s should now be shown in the research notes field in EndNote. Manipulate your references as you like in EndNote (ex. Find reference updates, find full text) and once you are finished, create a compressed EndNote library enlx file and you can import your updated references back into DistillerSR. 

There are certain options that need to be selected on the Find and Import References screen when you are importing the enlx file back into DistillerSR after you have updated the references/found PDFs in EndNote.

Select to import from file, then from the Assign RefID section, select Populate RefID with Tag. There you will have a Select Tag drop-down menu. The "Research Notes" field (where your DistillerSR RefID is found in EndNote) will most likely not be an option on this drop-down, so type it in the text box. Click to select it from the drop-down menu; it will now be an option. 

The other option you need selected is under Duplicates. Select the Update: Add new and update existing Tags option. 

You can then upload your enlx library at the bottom of the screen. This will maintain your DistillerSR RefID's and update the existing references with additional information/PDFs obtained in EndNote.