Bring your reference library
In short: Export your library from your reference manager or database as RIS or BibTeX (or another supported format), then upload it. For a new project, choose Build on my existing library in the New Project wizard. For an existing project, use Library → Add Publications → Upload Anything. You can also upload PDFs, ZIP files and whole folders. SciNodes detects each format from the file's content.
Before you start
- Uploading looks up catalog details for each publication, which uses your weekly credits. If your budget is spent, uploads still work, but publications are saved without catalog details. See Credits and usage.
- Check that your files are in a supported format (below).
1. Export from your current tool
Use your tool's export feature and pick one of the formats SciNodes reads:
| You use | Choose a format such as |
|---|---|
| Zotero, Mendeley | RIS or BibTeX |
| EndNote | RIS, BibTeX or EndNote (.enw) |
| Scopus, Dimensions, Lens | RIS, BibTeX or CSV |
| Web of Science | Web of Science (.ciw), RIS or BibTeX |
| PubMed | PubMed (.nbib) |
| A folder of PDFs | Upload the PDFs, a ZIP or the whole folder |
SciNodes recognizes exports from Dimensions, Lens, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science automatically.
Supported formats: PDF, RIS, BibTeX (.bib, .bibtex), PubMed (.nbib), EndNote (.enw), Web of Science (.ciw), CSV, TSV, Excel (.xlsx), plain text (.txt), ZIP files, and folders with nested subfolders.
Details: Uploading files
2a. Start a new project from your library
- Click + New Project, type a Project title (at least 4 characters) and pick your research focus.
- Choose Build on my existing library ("Upload PDFs or a reference export (RIS / BibTeX)").
- Drop your files or folder onto the drop zone.
- Under "How to continue", choose one:
- Use these as seeds (default): "SciNodes expands your library with related publications it finds." Best when your library is small or you want a fuller picture of the field.
- Only these publications: build from your library alone. This needs at least 50 publications, and you must tick "I'm an expert user. I know what I'm doing". Best when your set is already curated, for example a screened review corpus.
- Click Import Library and Create Project.
Prefer to describe your topic instead? Click Suggest me publications under the options.
Details: Creating projects
2b. Add your library to an existing project
- Open the project and the Library tab.
- Click Add Publications → Upload Anything.
- Drop your files, ZIP or folder.
- Under Add to, choose My references + corpus (file them in your library and add them to the corpus) or Corpus only.
- Click Add N publications.
Details: Adding publications · Folders
3. Check the results
SciNodes lists each file with its status as it works:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Waiting… / Reading the PDF… / Looking up metadata… | Still working |
| Added / Imported | Done |
| Duplicate / Already in the corpus | That publication is already in this corpus, or appeared twice in your upload. It isn't added again. |
| Not supported | SciNodes doesn't read that file type |
| Failed | The file couldn't be processed. See the message next to it. |
4. Add PDFs
- PDFs you upload are attached to their publications. Your uploaded copies stay private. Only open-access copies that SciNodes fetches are shared across users.
- Reference exports usually don't carry PDFs. For each publication, use Fetch PDF to find an open-access copy, or Upload PDF to add your own.
Details: Fetching and uploading PDFs
Limits
| Item | Limit |
|---|---|
| ZIP file | 500 files, 100 MB per file, 500 MB total unpacked |
| Publication PDF | 64 MB |
| Reading one PDF | 60 seconds |
| Uploading one reference file | 5 minutes |
| Only these publications | At least 50 publications |
Details: File formats and limits
Troubleshooting
- "Legacy .xls isn't supported — save it as .xlsx or CSV." Open the file in your spreadsheet tool, save it as .xlsx or CSV, and upload again.
- "This format is not processed — PDFs and reference exports (…) are." Export from your tool as RIS or BibTeX instead.
- "N files in that folder skipped — not a format we read." The folder had other file types. The supported files were still uploaded.
- "The PDF is password-protected…" Remove the password and upload the PDF again.
- "The PDF took too long to read." or "The PDF could not be read." Try a different copy of the PDF, or add the publication by DOI with Manual Entry.
- "Saved without catalog metadata — weekly complex compute budget spent." The publication was saved using the details in your file. Your budget resets on Sunday at 00:00 UTC.
FAQ
Can I import my Zotero or Mendeley library?
Yes. Export your library or a collection as RIS or BibTeX, then upload the file. SciNodes adds each entry as a publication.
Do I need at least 50 publications?
Only for Only these publications. With Use these as seeds, you can start from any number, and SciNodes adds related publications.
What happens to duplicates?
SciNodes doesn't add a publication twice. Files whose publications are already in the corpus show Duplicate or Already in the corpus.
Can I upload a folder with subfolders?
Yes. Drop the whole folder. SciNodes reads every supported file inside it, including nested subfolders, and skips the rest.