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- LaTeX Guide
- Citing with BibTeX
LaTeX Guide : Citing with BibTeX
BibTeX
LaTeX uses the BibTeX (.bib) file format to manage and process lists of references in order to produce in-text citations and formatted bibliographies. It is possible to create a BibTeX file from scratch using a text editor, but many literature databases and most modern citation managers can export directly to this format.
- Bibliography management with BibTeXAn introduction to using BibTeX and .bib files for bibliography management, including solutions to common problems. From Overleaf.
- BibTeXBasic introduction to the BibTeX file format and how to use it with LaTeX.
- Choosing a BibTeX styleGuide from Reed College on various citation styles and how to use them with BibTeX and LaTeX.
Citation Managers and LaTeX/BibTeX
JabRef
Jabref is a free reference manager with native BibTeX and BibLaTeX support—it's designed for use with systems like LaTeX and includes cite-while-you-write functionality for LaTeX editors like Kile, LyX, and TeXstudio.
- JabRefFree citation manager with BibTeX support. Made by researchers for researchers.
Zotero
Zotero is a free, open source citation manager. To create a BibTeX file with Zotero:
- Save all your references into a single collection folder
- Right click that collection in Zotero (Ctrl + click for Mac OS)
- Choose Export Collection...
- Change the format from RIS to BibTeX
- Click OK
This will create a .bib file for you. Because Zotero is open source, there are a number of third-party plugins you can get to add or improve functionality. Better BibTeX for Zotero is highly recommended if you will be using Zotero for citation management for a LaTeX project.
- Better BibTeX for ZoteroA plugin for Zotero that makes it easier for LaTeX users to manage bibliographic data.
- How to link your Overleaf account to Mendeley and ZoteroFor users with premium subscriptions only.
EndNote
EndNote is a powerful citation manager, but the full version cannot be used without the purchase of a software license. The paid version of EndNote can produce a BibTeX file for your references, with some limitations. To do this:
- Save all your references into a single EndNote group
- Select the references in EndNote (use Ctrl +A for Windows or Cmd + A for Mac OS to select all)
- From the main menu choose File > Export...
- Choose BibTeX Export as the file output style (this may require installing the BibTeX Export style from the Style Manager)
- Save the file
- EndNote creates a plain text (.txt) file with BibTeX formatting inside; you will need to manually change it to .bib
Note: these instructions were created using EndNote 20. The process may not be exactly the same for other versions of EndNote.
- Can I use Overleaf with EndNote?Instructions for using EndNote to manage references for an Overleaf LaTeX project.
Mendeley
Mendeley is a free citation manager. Follow the directions below to create a BibTeX file containing the references from a Mendeley collection.
- Save all your references into a single folder
- Navigate to that folder in Mendeley Reference Manager
- Choose File > Export All from the main menu
- Choose BibTeX (*.bib) and save your file
Note: the steps may vary depending on the version of Mendeley being used.
- Exporting references from MendeleyInstructions for exporting your Mendeley reference library to a variety of formats. Note that this creates a static file.
- How to link your Overleaf account to Mendeley and ZoteroFor users with premium subscriptions only.