How to Export Citations

Learn how to export and use your search results in various formats for your research workflow.

Export Process Overview

After completing a search, all your results are automatically packaged in a convenient ZIP file that you can download directly from your dashboard. The ZIP file contains multiple export formats to support different research tools and workflows.

  1. Complete a Search - Run a search from the Search page
  2. Wait for Processing - Searches typically take 1-5 minutes depending on the number of results
  3. Download ZIP File - Click the download button on your dashboard when the search is complete
  4. Extract & Use - Unzip the file to access all formats and PDFs

Available Export Formats

BibTeX (.bib)

Best for: LaTeX users, academic writing

BibTeX is the standard bibliography format for LaTeX documents. Import this file directly into your LaTeX project for automatic citation management.

@article{smith2023,
  title={Example Paper},
  author={Smith, John},
  year={2023},
  ...
}

Use with: LaTeX, Overleaf, TeXShop

RIS (.ris)

Best for: Reference managers

RIS is a standardized format supported by most reference management software. Import this file to organize your citations.

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Example Paper
AU  - Smith, John
PY  - 2023
...
ER  -

Use with: Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote, RefWorks

CSV (.csv)

Best for: Data analysis, spreadsheets

Comma-separated values format that opens in Excel, Google Sheets, or any spreadsheet software. Perfect for organizing and analyzing citation data.

Contains: Title, Authors, Year, Citations, DOI, Abstract, URL

Use with: Excel, Google Sheets, Python (pandas), R

JSON (.json)

Best for: Programming, automation

Machine-readable structured data format perfect for custom scripts and data processing. All paper metadata in a hierarchical format.

Use with: Python, JavaScript, R, custom scripts

TXT (.txt)

Best for: Quick reference, human reading

Plain text format with all citation information in a readable format. Easy to copy/paste or read through.

Use with: Any text editor, notepad, quick review

PDFs

Best for: Reading papers

Full-text PDFs are automatically downloaded when available from open-access sources. Papers are organized in folders and renamed for easy identification.

Note: Only available for open-access papers

Integration Guides

  1. Download and extract the ZIP file from your dashboard
  2. Open Zotero application
  3. Go to File → Import
  4. Select the .ris or .bib file from your extracted folder
  5. Choose your target collection
  6. Click Import - all citations will be added to your library

Tip: You can also drag and drop PDFs directly into Zotero

  1. Download and extract the ZIP file
  2. Open Mendeley Desktop
  3. Go to File → Import → RIS
  4. Select the .ris file from your extracted folder
  5. All citations will be imported to your library

  1. Download and extract the ZIP file
  2. Upload the .bib file to your LaTeX project folder
  3. In your .tex file, add: \\bibliography{filename}
  4. Cite papers using: \\cite{citationkey}
  5. Compile your document with BibTeX enabled

For Overleaf: Upload the .bib file through the project menu

Excel:

  1. Extract the .csv file from the ZIP
  2. Double-click the CSV file or open it in Excel
  3. Data will be organized in columns (Title, Authors, Year, etc.)

Google Sheets:

  1. Go to Google Sheets
  2. File → Import → Upload
  3. Select the .csv file and choose import location

Tips & Best Practices

  • Keep Original ZIP Files - Store your downloaded ZIP files as backups of your searches
  • Organize by Project - Create separate searches for different research projects or topics
  • Check Duplicates - Our system automatically removes duplicates, but verify when combining multiple exports
  • Use Multiple Formats - CSV for analysis, BibTeX for LaTeX, RIS for reference managers
  • Extract Immediately - Unzip files right away to prevent file corruption
  • Verify PDFs - Not all papers have open-access PDFs available
Need Help?

If you encounter any issues with exporting or using your citations, please contact our support team:

Contact Support