BibTeX Guide: Mastering Reference Management for Bibliographies

For those diving into academic or technical writing, BibTeX is an indispensable ally. Despite the intricate details surrounding LaTeX packages, citation styles, and formatting, with a structured approach, BibTeX can be easy to grasp.

Understanding BibTeX ​

Developed in the 1980s by Oren Patashnik and Leslie Lamport, BibTeX has become the go-to software for managing and formatting bibliographies in LaTeX and markdown documents. Its widespread acceptance in academic circles, especially in fields like math, computer science, and physics, is a testament to its efficiency. By storing references in plain text .bib files and associating each with a unique key, BibTeX simplifies citations in the main LaTeX document.

The beauty of BibTeX lies in its versatility. The .bib-file entries can range from articles and books to conference papers, each containing fields like authors, title, journal, volume, and year, tailored to the reference type.

BibTeX eliminates redundancy. Once you've detailed a reference in the '.bib-file', simply use its unique key for citations in the LaTeX or Markdown document. During compilation, BibTeX takes care of the formatting, drawing from the .bib file and the style guidelines in the LaTeX document.

Advantages of Using BibTeX ​

  • Consistency : BibTeX ensures uniform citation styles, minimizing manual errors.
  • Efficiency : Change styles or reuse references without starting from scratch.
  • Flexibility : Compatible with diverse tools, including Pandoc for Markdown.
  • Control : Customize fields and types to fit specific requirements.
  • Reliability : Being text-file based, BibTeX databases are easy to backup and share.

Limitations of BibTeX ​

While BibTeX is harmonious with LaTeX and Markdown, its integration with Microsoft Word, Libre Office, and Google Docs is somewhat patchy. Workarounds exist, like Bibtex4Word (exclusive to Windows). For frequent users of these platforms, Zotero might be more appropriate.

Moreover, the static nature of BibTeX can be a drawback. Its maintenance is sparse, which might leave users wanting more up-to-date fields or types. And while its format is easily readable, minor errors like a missing parenthesis can disrupt your LaTeX/Pandoc flow. To avoid such pitfalls, consider BibTeX tools like CiteDrive or jabRef , which offer features like duplication prevention.

Biber, BibLaTeX ​

Please keep some of the alternatives in mind, especially Biber in conjunction with BibLaTeX. It is a complete reimplementation of BibTeX's bibliographic features; in addition to a large number of supported types and fields, it supports a wide range of customizations, including sorting bibliographies by types, keywords, authors, and other fields, as well as full Unicode and multi-language support and customizations with in-text citations without the need for additional packages, such as natbib. Although BibTeX is still highly regarded for its durability, it should be noted that bibLatex is far more powerful and well-maintained, as many significant BibTeX updates occurred decades ago. Although the tutorial is primarily geared toward BibTeX, much of it also applies to biblatex, making it an excellent place to start. The format remains the same; entries are saved in bib files with additional fields and types. Additional biblatex tutorials can be found on this page.

In a markdown file, you can specify your bibliography '.bib-file'in the YAML section for use with citations and in conjunction with Pandoc, which formats your document using Citation Style Language as a formatter and CiteProc as a processesor as a backend. More information is available on their website, or in our guides.

Quick Start Guide ​

BibTeX, while well-established, is evolving with the rise of Markdown-based systems such as Pandoc, Jupyter, Obsidian, Quarto, and R Markdown. Here's a brief tutorial on integrating BibTeX with LaTeX. Don't forget to check out our sections on BibLaTeX and Pandoc.

Preparations ​

1. install a latex distribution ​.

If you wish to utilize BibTeX, ensure you have a LaTeX distribution installed:

  • TeX Live and MiKTeX are renowned open-source options.
  • Platforms like Overleaf come pre-packaged, removing the need for manual installations.

2. Organize Your Document Structure ​

Your project folder might look like this:

Step-by-Step Guide ​

Step 1: crafting a .bib file ​.

  • Create a .bib file named bibliography.bib . This will house your BibTeX entries.
  • Use text editors like Notepad or specialized tools such as CiteDrive or JabRef .
  • A typical BibTeX entry might resemble:

Key Components :

  • Entry-type : E.g., @book .
  • Entry fields : E.g., title , author .
  • Citation-key : E.g., Hemingway1952 (used as \cite{Hemingway1952} in LaTeX).

Step 2: Picking a Style ​

  • With your .bib file ready, select a citation style.
  • Use the \bibliographystyle{style-name} command in LaTeX to specify your chosen style, omitting the .bst extension.
  • Common styles include: plain , alpha , unsrt , abbrv , ieee , apalike , apa , and acm .

Step 3: Integrating with LaTeX ​

  • Embed your references within a LaTeX document:

Upon compilation, the \cite{Hemingway1952} command will be replaced with a relevant citation.

Tool Recommendations ​

Managing BibTeX entries manually can be cumbersome. Here are some tools to simplify the process:

  • CiteDrive : A web-based, collaborative tool offering seamless export functionalities to Overleaf and R Markdown.
  • Zotero : A powerful, free reference manager. For optimal BibTeX integration, consider the Better BibTeX For Zotero plugin.
  • JabRef : An open-source, BibTeX-centric reference manager available across major operating systems.

Resources ​

Entry types ​.

Next to @book from our example above, BibTeX supports a wide range of reference types, including journal articles, theses, conference papers, and much more. Here's a list of some of the most commonly used reference types in BibTeX:

  • @article : used for articles in journals or magazines
  • @book : used for complete books
  • @inbook : used for chapters in a book
  • @incollection : used for articles in a collection
  • @inproceedings : used for conference or workshop papers
  • @phdthesis : used for PhD theses
  • @mastersthesis : used for Master's theses
  • @techreport : used for technical reports
  • @manual : used for software manuals or guides

Entry fields ​

For each reference type, you'll need to provide a set of fields that describe the reference. The ones you'll need are determined by the type of reference and citation style you're using. For example, a @article reference will typically include fields for the author, title, journal, year, volume, and pages.

  • author : the author of the reference
  • title : the title of the reference
  • journal : the name of the journal or magazine
  • year : the year the reference was published
  • volume : the volume number of the journal or book
  • pages : the page numbers of the reference
  • booktitle : the title of the book in which the reference was published (for @inbook and @incollection references)
  • editor : the editor of the book in which the reference was published (for @book references)
  • series : the series in which the book was published (for @book references)
  • chapter : the chapter number of the reference (for @inbook references)
  • address : the address of the publisher
  • edition : the edition of the book
  • publisher : the name of the publisher
  • school : the name of the school at which the thesis was written (for @phdthesis and @mastersthesis references)
  • institution : the name of the institution that published the report (for @techreport references)
  • howpublished : any special instructions for publishing the reference
  • note : any additional notes about the reference

It is important to note that not all citation styles support all reference types and fields, but you should enter as much information into your BibTeX database as accurately and completely as possible. This ensures that your references are formatted correctly and that the information is correct. Fields that are not supported are simply ignored, so the more, the better. You should double-check any journal requirements.

  • Advantages of Using BibTeX
  • Limitations of BibTeX
  • Biber, BibLaTeX
  • Preparations
  • Step-by-Step Guide
  • Tool Recommendations
  • Entry Types
  • Entry fields

Are you in search of a simple and cost-free online BibTeX manager?

CiteDrive is a bibtex-based collaborative reference manager that integrates seamlessly with Overleaf and RStudio.

Online BibTeX Manager →

Bibliography management with Bibtex in Latex

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Bibliography management with Bibtex in Latex

3 minute read

In this post, we will learn how to manage bibliography using BibTex in Latex. This is the most convenient way to use references in a document and also while moving from one template to another one. The only thing you will have to do is changing the bibliography style that requires one line of change.

Add a bibliography File

  • Create a bibliography file with .bib extension. For example: references.bib
  • Add the file in the main tex file as follows: \bibliographystyle { plain } \bibliography { references }
  • You can simply use the bibliography style as plain . In case you are using a particular journal/conference template, use their style file. A style file has the .bst extension. For example, in IEEE template you will find ieeetran.bst style file. Then the code will look like as follows: \bibliographystyle { ieeetran } \bibliography { references }

Add Bibliographic Entry in .bib File

For journals/conferences/books.

  • Go to Google Scholar
  • Write the title of your article/conference proceeding/book and press Enter. For example, you want to cite the paper entitled Information loss in black holes . So, write the title in the search box and hit Enter. You will get the following output.

bibliography management in latex

  • Now click on the double quotation mark as follows.

bibliography management in latex

  • A new dialog box will appear. Then click on the BibTeX link.

bibliography management in latex

  • Copy the whole entry using Ctrl+A and Ctrl+C . The entry will look like as follows: @article { hawking2005information, title= { Information loss in black holes } , author= { Hawking, Stephen W } , journal= { Physical Review D } , volume= { 72 } , number= { 8 } , pages= { 084013 } , year= { 2005 } , publisher= { APS } }
  • Paste it in your .bib file. Then, in the main file cite like this: Hawking et al. \ proposed... ~ \cite { hawking2005information } .

For Online Links

  • Install an extension- BibTeX entry from URL in your Chrome browser or Bibitnow! add-on in your firefox.
  • Go to the page you want to cite.
  • Click on the extension. The entry will be copied to clipboard.
  • Paste the entry in the .bib file.
  • Cite as before.
That’s all folks. Cheers! :sunglasses:

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You can find a comprehensive list of Latex resources in the following post:

Latex Resources in a Nutshell

If you are a new Latex user, check out this post: 20 Most Common Mistakes Made by New Latex Users

You can find all Latex oriented posts of mine in: https://shantoroy.com/categories/#latex

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  • Bibliography management with natbib

When it comes to bibliography management in L a T e X , the package natbib is a package for customising citations (especially author-year citation schemes) when using BibTeX . This article explains how to use natbib to format and cite bibliographic sources.

Note : If you are starting from scratch it's recommended to use biblatex because that package provides localization in several languages, it's actively developed and makes bibliography management easier and more flexible. However, note that most journals still use bibtex and natbib .

  • 1 Introduction
  • 2 Basic usage
  • 3 The bibliography file
  • 4 Adding the bibliography in the table of contents
  • 5 Reference guide
  • 6 Further reading

Introduction

A minimal working example is presented below:

NatbibEx1Overleaf.png

In this example there are four basic commands to manage the bibliography:

 Open an example of the natbib package in Overleaf

Basic usage

A simple working example was shown at the introduction, there are more bibliography-related commands available.

NatbibEx2Overleaf.png

There are a few changes in this example:

  • The options square and numbers in \usepackage[square,numbers]{natbib} enable squared brackets and numeric citations respectively. See the reference guide for a list of package options
  • The styles abbrvnat is used here, see bibliography styles
  • The command \citet adds the name of the author to the citation mark, regardless of the citation style .

 Open another example of the natbib package in Overleaf

The bibliography file

The bibliography files must have the standard bibtex syntax and the extension .bib. They contain a list of bibliography sources and several fields with information about each entry.

This file contains records in a special format, for instance, the first bibliographic reference is defined by:

The information in this file can later be printed and referenced within a L a T e X document, as shown in the previous sections, with the command \bibliography{sample} . Not all the information in the .bib file will be displayed, it depends on the bibliography style set in the document.

Adding the bibliography in the table of contents

If you want the bibliography to be included in the table of contents, importing the package tocbibind in the preamble will do the trick:

BibliographyEx4Overleaf.png

 Open an example of natbib and table of contents in Overleaf

Adding the line

to the preamble will print the "References" or "Bibliography" in the table of contents, depending on the document type. Be careful, it will also add other elements like the Index, Glossary and list of Listings to the table of contents. For more information see the tocbibind package documentation .

Reference guide

natbib package options

  • round for round parentheses
  • square uses square brackets
  • curly curly braces
  • angle angle braces or chevrons
  • semicolon separates multiple citations with semicolons
  • colon same as semicolon
  • comma separate multiple citations with commas
  • authoryear for author-year citations
  • numbers for numerical citations
  • super superscripts for numerical citations, as in Nature
  • sort orders multiple citations according to the list of references
  • sort&compress same as sort but multiple numerical citations are compressed if possible
  • compress compress without sorting
  • longnamefirst the full name of the author will appear in the first citation of any reference
  • sectionbib To be used with the package chapterbib to add the bibliography to the table of contents as a unnumbered section instead of an unnumbered chapter
  • nonamebreak prevents hyphenation of author names
  • elide to omit common elements of merged references

Standard entry types

Most common fields used in BibTeX

Further reading

For more information see

  • Natbib bibliography styles
  • Natbib citation styles
  • Bibliography management with biblatex
  • Bibliography management with bibtex
  • natbib documentation at CTAN web site
  • tocbind package documentation
  • International language support
  • Table of contents
  • Documentation Home
  • Learn LaTeX in 30 minutes

Overleaf guides

  • Creating a document in Overleaf
  • Uploading a project
  • Copying a project
  • Creating a project from a template
  • Using the Overleaf project menu
  • Including images in Overleaf
  • Exporting your work from Overleaf
  • Working offline in Overleaf
  • Using Track Changes in Overleaf
  • Using bibliographies in Overleaf
  • Sharing your work with others
  • Using the History feature
  • Debugging Compilation timeout errors
  • How-to guides
  • Guide to Overleaf’s premium features

LaTeX Basics

  • Creating your first LaTeX document
  • Choosing a LaTeX Compiler
  • Paragraphs and new lines
  • Bold, italics and underlining

Mathematics

  • Mathematical expressions
  • Subscripts and superscripts
  • Brackets and Parentheses
  • Fractions and Binomials
  • Aligning equations
  • Spacing in math mode
  • Integrals, sums and limits
  • Display style in math mode
  • List of Greek letters and math symbols
  • Mathematical fonts
  • Using the Symbol Palette in Overleaf

Figures and tables

  • Inserting Images
  • Positioning Images and Tables
  • Lists of Tables and Figures
  • Drawing Diagrams Directly in LaTeX
  • TikZ package

References and Citations

  • Bibtex bibliography styles
  • Biblatex bibliography styles
  • Biblatex citation styles
  • Multilingual typesetting on Overleaf using polyglossia and fontspec
  • Multilingual typesetting on Overleaf using babel and fontspec
  • Quotations and quotation marks

Document structure

  • Sections and chapters
  • Cross referencing sections, equations and floats
  • Nomenclatures
  • Management in a large project
  • Multi-file LaTeX projects
  • Lengths in L a T e X
  • Headers and footers
  • Page numbering
  • Paragraph formatting
  • Line breaks and blank spaces
  • Text alignment
  • Page size and margins
  • Single sided and double sided documents
  • Multiple columns
  • Code listing
  • Code Highlighting with minted
  • Using colours in LaTeX
  • Margin notes
  • Font sizes, families, and styles
  • Font typefaces
  • Supporting modern fonts with X Ǝ L a T e X

Presentations

  • Environments

Field specific

  • Theorems and proofs
  • Chemistry formulae
  • Feynman diagrams
  • Molecular orbital diagrams
  • Chess notation
  • Knitting patterns
  • CircuiTikz package
  • Pgfplots package
  • Typesetting exams in LaTeX
  • Attribute Value Matrices

Class files

  • Understanding packages and class files
  • List of packages and class files
  • Writing your own package
  • Writing your own class

Advanced TeX/LaTeX

  • In-depth technical articles on TeX/LaTeX

Have you checked our knowledge base ?

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COMMENTS

  1. BibTeX Guide: Mastering Reference Management for Bibliographies

    Discover how BibTeX, a premier reference management software, can simplify and streamline your bibliography creation process. Dive into this guide to harness the full power of BibTeX with LaTeX.

  2. Bibliography management with Bibtex in Latex

    Add Bibliographic Entry in .bib File For Journals/Conferences/Books For Online Links Related posts on Latex Promotions and Referrals (US Residents Only) In this post, we will learn how to manage bibliography using BibTex in Latex. This is the most convenient way to use references in a document and also while moving from one template to another one.

  3. Bibliography management with natbib

    Bibliography management with natbib Introduction. Three items are cited: \textit{ The \LaTeX\ Companion } book \cite{ latexcompanion }, the Einstein journal... Basic usage. A simple working example was shown at the introduction, there are more bibliography-related commands... The bibliography file. ...

  4. Bibliography management in Overleaf/LaTeX

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  5. Bibliography management in LaTeX using overleaf

    Bibliography management in LaTeX using overleaf [closed] Ask Question Asked 5 years, 3 months ago Modified 5 years, 3 months ago Viewed 797 times 3 Closed. This question needs details or clarity. It is not currently accepting answers. Want to improve this question? Add details and clarify the problem by editing this post. Closed 5 years ago.