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Write with citations

In short: Draft your text in Markdown notes in the Notes tab. When you need citations, select publications in the Library and click Cite these N publications. Pick one of 81 citation styles (APA 7th edition by default), then Copy the in-text citation or the bibliography, or Download it as plain text (.txt), rich text (.rtf), BibTeX (.bib) or RIS (.ris). You can cite up to 200 publications at a time.

1. Draft in notes​

  1. Open the Notes tab and click New Note, or click Expand into Working Note on a research object in Research in Formation to start from its evidence.
  2. Write in Markdown. Switch between Editor (formatted) and MD (raw Markdown).
  3. Use the Format bar for headings (H1 to H3), bold, italic, lists, quotes, code and links. Press Tab and Shift + Tab to indent and outdent.
  4. Review grammar suggestions: accept or reject each one, or use Accept all or Auto-accept.
  5. Attach a note to what it's about by writing it from a map node, cluster or publication with Write Note. The Sources bar shows the attachments.
  6. Click Download as Markdown to take the note into another editor.

Notes you write outside a project live in Quick notes. Use Move to a project to file one under a project.

Details: Notes · Note editor · Quick notes

2. Cite publications​

Several publications:

  1. Open the Library tab.
  2. Select publications: click one, Shift + Click for a range, Ctrl + Click (Cmd on Mac) to add one at a time.
  3. Click Cite these N publications in the selection bar.

One publication: open its ⋯ menu and click Cite this, or click Cite in its detail panel.

In the Cite dialog:

  1. Pick a Style. If it differs from your default, the dialog says "Applies here only — your default stays …".
  2. Under In-text citation, click Copy and paste the citation into your note or manuscript.
  3. Under References, click Copy to copy the formatted bibliography.
  4. To save a file, click the arrow beside the download button and choose Plain text, Rich text, BibTeX or RIS. Then click the button, which now names the format, for example Download .bib.

For note-based styles, the sections are called Footnote and Bibliography instead.

Download formatUse it for
Plain text (.txt)Pasting anywhere
Rich text (.rtf)Word processors, keeps italics and formatting
BibTeX (.bib)LaTeX and reference managers
RIS (.ris)Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote and other reference managers

Details: Citations and reference styles

3. Set your default citation style​

  1. Open the user menu and click User Preferences.
  2. Open Reference style.
  3. Choose from 81 CSL styles in 8 groups: General & cross-disciplinary, Life sciences & medicine, Physical sciences & mathematics, Engineering & computing, Social sciences, Humanities & law, Publisher house styles, and National standards.

Your choice is saved to your account. From the Cite dialog, click Change the default to jump there.

Details: Preferences

4. Give publications short names​

An alias is a short name you choose for a publication, such as "HN22".

  1. In the Library, open a publication's ⋯ menu and click Set alias.
  2. Type the short name and save.

The alias shows as a tag in the library list. It also labels the publication in a note's Sources bar and in chats. To find a publication by its alias, use the library search with Advanced → Alias. Click Rename alias to change it.

Details: Publication details

5. Add figures​

Export any map as a figure for your manuscript in PNG, JPEG, WEBP, SVG or PDF, at up to 600 dpi, with a dark or light theme.

Details: Exporting maps

Tips​

  • Keep a library folder for each manuscript or chapter. Select the folder's publications and cite them in one go. See Folders.
  • Check each formatted entry. If some publications can't be formatted in the chosen style, the dialog tells you how many.
  • With more than 200 publications selected, the cite button is disabled. Select fewer and cite in batches.

FAQ​

Which citation styles does SciNodes support?​

81 CSL styles in 8 groups, including APA, discipline styles, publisher house styles and national standards. APA 7th edition is the default. See Citations and reference styles.

How do I export my publications to Zotero or EndNote?​

Select the publications in the Library and click Cite these N publications. Choose RIS or BibTeX from the download menu and click Download .ris or Download .bib. Then import the file into your reference manager.

Can I change the style for one bibliography only?​

Yes. Pick a different Style in the Cite dialog. It applies to that dialog only. Your default stays the same.

How do I cite while writing a note?​

Open the Cite dialog from the Library, click Copy under In-text citation, and paste it into your note. Copy the bibliography under References the same way for the end of your text.