BYTETOOLS

RIS to BibTeX Converter

Convert RIS reference records into BibTeX entries, or BibTeX back into RIS, with automatic citation keys, type mapping and a downloadable .bib or .ris file.

Paste your references above, or load the sample, to convert them.

The two formats do not carry identical fields, so a round trip is close but not always byte-identical — check volume, issue and page ranges on anything you are submitting. Your references are converted in your browser and never uploaded.

What is the RIS to BibTeX Converter?

Reference managers rarely agree on a format. RIS is what most databases and library catalogues export; BibTeX is what LaTeX wants.

  • Converts in both directions between RIS and BibTeX
  • Maps every RIS type code to the matching BibTeX entry type
  • Citation keys from author surname, year and a title word, made unique
  • Handles wrapped continuation lines, repeated tags, authors, editors and keywords
  • Escapes BibTeX special characters and joins page ranges with an en-dash
  • Warns about records missing TY or ER instead of dropping them silently

How to use the RIS to BibTeX Converter

  1. 1

    Choose the direction: RIS to BibTeX, or BibTeX back to RIS.

  2. 2

    Paste your records into the input box, or press Load sample to see the format.

  3. 3

    Check the record count and any warnings about records that were not closed properly.

  4. 4

    Read the converted output, then copy it or download it as a .bib or .ris file.

About the RIS to BibTeX Converter

Reference managers rarely agree on a format. RIS is what most databases and library catalogues export; BibTeX is what LaTeX wants. This converter reads tagged RIS records, maps each reference type and field to its BibTeX equivalent, and writes out a clean .bib file — and it runs the same conversion in reverse for managers that will only import RIS.

Records are split at each ER tag, authors, editors and keywords are collected as repeating fields, and wrapped continuation lines are joined back onto the tag they belong to. Citation keys are built from the first author's surname, the year and a distinctive title word, then made unique automatically so nothing collides in your bibliography.

Everything happens in your browser with JavaScript — your references are never uploaded to a server, so unpublished work and private libraries are safe to paste. The two formats do not carry identical fields, so it is worth checking volumes, issues and page ranges on anything you are about to submit.

Frequently asked questions

What is a RIS file?

RIS is a plain-text citation format built from two-letter tags, one per line, such as TY for the reference type, AU for an author and PY for the publication year. Almost every database, journal site and reference manager can export it, which is why it is the usual interchange format.

How do I convert RIS to BibTeX?

Paste the RIS records into the input box with the direction set to RIS to BibTeX. Each record between a TY tag and its ER tag becomes one BibTeX entry, with the reference type mapped to the right entry type and the fields renamed accordingly.

Are the citation keys generated automatically?

Yes. Each key combines the first author's surname, the publication year and the first substantial word of the title, for example shannon1948mathematical. If two entries would produce the same key, a letter is appended so every key in the output stays unique.

Does the conversion lose any fields?

The two formats do not have a one-to-one field mapping, so a few RIS tags have no BibTeX home and vice versa. The common bibliographic fields — authors, title, journal, volume, issue, pages, year, DOI, URL, ISBN, abstract and keywords — all carry across.

Can I convert BibTeX back to RIS?

Yes, switch the direction selector to BibTeX to RIS. The parser handles braced and quoted values, nested braces and the usual escaping, and writes tags in the standard two-character, two-space, hyphen layout that reference managers expect.

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