To convert references between BibTeX, RIS and EndNote, paste the exported records into the free Reference Converter, pick the target format and copy the result. It works in any direction. It runs in your browser, so nothing is uploaded.
Steps
-
Export your references from your current tool. In Zotero, select the items, then File > Export Library, and choose RIS. In EndNote, use File > Export and pick RIS or the EndNote tagged format. From a database such as Web of Science, PubMed or Scopus, use its export option and pick RIS or BibTeX.
-
Open the Reference Converter and paste the exported text into the input box. Open the .ris or .bib file in any text editor, select all, and paste.
-
Leave From on Auto-detect, or set it if you know the input format. Choose BibTeX, RIS or EndNote in the To menu.
-
Click Convert. The converted records appear below the input.
-
Click Copy and paste the result into your .bib file, or into a new text file saved as .ris. To bring RIS into Zotero, use File > Import and select that file.
What happens under the hood
The converter reads each record into plain fields (title, authors, year, journal, DOI and so on), then writes those fields back out in the target format's syntax. BibTeX stores authors as "Last, First and Last, First". RIS puts each author on its own AU line. EndNote uses a %A tag per author. Journal articles, conference papers, book chapters and books convert cleanly. Unusual entry types or non-standard fields can come through slightly altered, so scan the output before importing it.
Q&A
I pasted 40 references at once. Will all of them convert?
Yes. Paste an entire library export. The tool converts the whole block in one pass.
Some fields are missing in the output.
Fields with no equivalent in the target format are dropped. Missing DOIs or truncated abstracts reflect the source data, not the conversion.
My references contain accented characters like ü or é. Will they come through correctly?
The converter keeps accented characters as Unicode in every format. Current LaTeX engines read UTF-8 .bib files. If an older journal template rejects them, replace each one with its LaTeX accent command, such as {\"u} for ü.
After converting
Before a .bib file goes into a manuscript, run it through the free BibTeX Validator, which flags missing fields, duplicate keys and references that do not match a real DOI. The guide to common BibTeX errors explains what each warning means, and the BibTeX hub collects the related tools. If you only have a list of DOIs, get BibTeX from a DOI or arXiv ID instead. When the manuscript is finished, Paper Review ($9 to $15, no account) checks the cited sources against the claims in the text.
Further reading: if you manage bibliographies in LaTeX often, The LaTeX Companion (3rd edition) covers BibTeX and biblatex styles in detail in Part II. There are more books on the research desk.
Disclosure: the Amazon link above is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
If you write in LaTeX on a Mac, ModernTex completes citation keys from your .bib file as you type, with a free 7-day trial and $19.99 to keep.