Extract text from EndNote search options (ENQ)
To convert ENQ search options to another format, you need EndNote or other Settings software.
To convert other file formats to the "Search Options File" file type, you need software like EndNote or a similar tool.
The .ENQ file is an EndNote Search Options File utilized by EndNote, a reference management software suite developed by Clarivate. This file stores specific search parameters, boolean logic, and filters used to query academic databases or local reference libraries. Researchers use it to save complex search strategies for systematic reviews so they can repeat the exact search later.
The main disadvantage of the .ENQ format is that it is strictly proprietary. You cannot open or execute a .ENQ file without an expensive EndNote subscription. The file is not supported by web browsers, standard text editors, or competing reference managers like Zotero or Mendeley. This vendor lock-in makes it highly frustrating to share search strategies with colleagues who do not use the exact same software.
When trying to share or archive these searches, the best conversion targets are TXT or XML. Converting to these formats extracts the raw query logic so anyone can read it, though the automated execution ability is lost. Because this is a closed, proprietary format, standard online converters fail to process it. If our analysis detects a supported underlying text string, viewing or extracting the query parameters may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your ENQ file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
If you want to convert ENQ file to DB, SQLITE, SQLITE3, MDB, ACCDB, DBF, ODB, FDB, GDB, MYD, FRM or SQL, you can use EndNote or similar software from the "Reference Search Query Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert NDF, SQLITE3, BAK, RDB, SQL, DB4, MDF, MDB, LDF, DB, DB3 or SQLITE files to ENQ, try EndNote or another comparable tool in the "Reference Search Query Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our ENQ converter.