Bibliographic Reference Extractor
Automatic extraction of the complete reference list from a scientific paper in PDF, with author disambiguation and proper field separation even when the citation format of the original is heterogeneous.
For each reference the following fields are identified and normalized: authors in order of appearance, year of publication, full title, source (journal, book, conference or repository), volume, number, pages, DOI and URL when available.
The output can be browsed as a numbered on-screen list and exported in the three standard formats of academic practice: BibTeX (compatible with LaTeX and Overleaf), RIS and CSV. All three are directly importable into Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote and other major reference managers.
Speeds up state-of-the-art reviews, integration of bibliography into ongoing projects, and migration of references between managers when collaborating with authors who use different tools.
How it works
- 1Upload the paper PDF.
- 2The system extracts and normalizes every reference: authors, year, title, source, volume, pages, DOI and URL.
- 3Browse the list on screen and export it to BibTeX, RIS or CSV.
Who it is for
- LaTeX and Overleaf users who need the bibliography in BibTeX.
- Zotero, Mendeley or EndNote users who want to import references without typing them.
- Systematic review authors processing complete bibliographies.
- Librarians and information specialists migrating or cleaning bibliographies.
Frequently asked questions
Which formats does it export to?
BibTeX (compatible with LaTeX and Overleaf), RIS and CSV. All three import directly into Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote and similar managers.
Does it work if the PDF's citation format is odd or mixed?
Yes. It separates fields correctly even when the original citation style is heterogeneous, and it disambiguates authors.
Which fields does it identify for each reference?
Authors in order, year, full title, source (journal, book, conference or repository), volume, issue, pages, DOI and URL when available.
How much does it cost?
Explore Labs is free for academic use. Each account can run up to 5 requests per day; if the limit is exceeded, please wait until the next day (resets at 00:00 UTC).