Papers Reference Management: Collecting References

Reference information needs to be added to your Papers account for Papers to create your citations. Follow the directions on this page to import reference files and PDFs with citation data. 

Jump to instructions for:

Use the Papers Browser Extension to import references data, notes, and (potentially) PDFs to your library as you search for articles. Use the Download Center to get the extension. 

The extension prompts a Papers button to appear in PubMed, Google Scholar, and journal websites. 

1. Click the Papers button Add to Library to import reference data.

2. If no extension button appears on a website:

2a. Click on the Papers extension icon at the top of your browser to save articles and webpages.

2b.  Or use the pop up, side bar to save PDFs and add the reference to your library.

1. From the library homepage, click EBSCOhost Databases. 
2. Check the box to Select All or select the database(s) you want to use, and click Continue. 
3. Perform a search. 
4. Click on the title of an article to open the record.
5. In the Tools sidebar, click Export on the right-hand side. 
6. In the box that appears, select  Direct Export in RIS Format. 
7. Click the Save button.
   1. Do NOT try to open the file* 
      1. If a dialog box opens, save the file somewhere you can retrieve it easily (ex: downloads folder, desktop, etc.)
      2. If no dialog box opens, your file saved to the downloads folder on your computer.
8. To import the reference file into Papers, go back to your Papers Library. 
9. In the middle of your library click +Add and select Add Files...
10. Browse your computer, find and select the .ris file you saved from EBSCOhost. 
11. Under Import into you choose if the references are going to your personal library or a shared library. 
12. Under To list you choose if the references are sorted into a sub-folder or are unfiled. 
13. Click Import files to save the references. 

1. From the library homepage, click Web of Science.
2. Perform a search. 
3. In your search results, check the box near the title of article(s) you wish to add. 
4. Click the Export button at the top of the search results and select RIS (other reference software).
5. In the pop-up box under Record Content: drop down the menu and select Full Record.
6. Click the Export button.
   1. Do NOT try to open the file* 
      1. If a dialog box opens, save the file somewhere you can retrieve it easily (ex: downloads folder, desktop, etc.)
      2. If no dialog box opens, your file saved to the downloads folder on your computer.
7. To import the reference file into Papers, go back to your Papers Library. 
8. In the middle of your library click +Add and select Add Files...
9. Browse your computer, find and select the .ris file you saved from Web of Science. 
10. Under Import into you choose if the references are going to your personal library or a shared library. 
11. Under To list you choose if the references are sorted into a sub-folder or are unfiled. 
12. Click Import files to save the references. 

Some PDFs have the data necessary to create a reference saved "behind the scenes." This means that if you have a PDF of an article and upload it into Papers, it can populate the reference information for you. 

NOTE: This will not work with all PDFs.

If the PDF has the reference information available, it will create a full reference in Papers that is ready to use (possibly with minor edits). If the PDF does not have the reference information available, the reference will need to be heavily updated before use.

Upload PDFs

1. In the middle of your library click +Add and select Add Files...
2. Browse your computer, find and select the PDF you want to upload. 
3. Under Import into, select your personal library or a shared library. 
4. Under To list, sort references into a sub-folder or select (none) to leave the reference unfiled. 
5. Click Import files to save the references. 

Drag & Drop PDFs

1. Select the PDF file(s) on your computer.
2. Drag the file into your Papers library

Select merge duplicates in the pop-up that appears as you start to drag and drop references to your Papers library.

Another way to add a reference into Papers is by using a unique identifier like a DOI.
Note: For iPad users, this is currently the most reliable method for adding references to your Papers Library.

1. Locate the DOI of your reference; select and copy it
2. In your Papers Library, near the top of your screen, click +Add and select From List of Identifiers
3. In the pop-up window, paste the DOI of the reference you previously located into the field
   • To insert more than one DOI at a time, type a space between each DOI number
4. Click Import to finish adding your reference to your Papers Library

If you need to add a reference "by hand," follow these instructions:

1. In your Papers Library, click +Add and select Add Manual Entry...
2. In the top of the pop-up panel, select the type of reference (book, website, interview, etc.)
3. Enter the DOI of the reference in the DOI field. Ex: 10.1093/ajae/aaq063
4. Click Save to add it to your library. The citation information will populate.
   1. If there is no DOI, fill in the appropriate fields:
      1. Author
      2. Title
      3. Year
      4. Publisher (this includes websites too)
      5. URL
      6. Access date
      7. Any other information you have.
5. Organize the reference into a list as needed. 

Library Status:

- Click to add the reference data to your Papers library

- Reference data is in your Papers library

Full-Text:

- Full text PDF is available. Click to open PDF.

- Click to search for full-text.