I was searching for a tool to extract the relevant data from PDFs ( mainly resaerch papers from various journals etc, some book chapters and some old free ebooks ) and to export the metadata for citation. A summary of a few tools I came across ..
NOTE:
Some tools are desktop tools , some are online and some tools provide both these capabilities. In case of online backup, it is easier to syncronize across computers, which are connected to internet. The user can choose to share/upload files and comments ( a very welcome option! ). I feel this can serve as a bridge between researchers 🙂 . Also refer to this Wiki Page on comparision of reference management softwares ( for a table of comparision between different options available ).
Mendeley
OS : all
type : free , closed source
last modified : frequently updated
syncronization options : users can sync with online database.
my comments :
easy and nice to use. Aimed for research purposes only (i.e, gives not so good output while parsing book chapters and other PDFs ). Has easy to use drag-n-drop interface. I am currently testing/using this.
homepage : http://www.mendeley.com/
Zotero
OS : all
type : free , OPEN source ( thats why some prefer to use this over Mendeley)
last modified : frequently updated
syncronization options : users can sync. with online database.
my comments :
easy and nice to use. Has a web interface, can cling on to the bottom of your mozilla. This was is better online note taking, if you read online. Aimed for research purposes only (i.e, gives not so good output while parsing book chapters and other PDFs ). Has easy to use drag-n-drop interface. Am experimenting this. Can be used with Mendeley for a open source solution for reference organizer.
coming soon
homepage : http://www.zotero.org/
Referenecer
OS : Linux
Type : C code, mainly, out of development
my comments :
You can get the source code -> Good for organizing your non-academic desktop PDFs such as books or book chapters. Allows a python interface. Have not tried using it.
Home page : http://icculus.org/referencer/
[page was written in dec 2010 , last modified : dec 2010]