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BibDesk free download for Mac

BibDesk

Version 1.9.2

Bibliographic reference manager.

4.7
Based on 19 user ratesRead reviews & comments
Free
Absolutely Free

BibDesk overview

BibDesk is a bibliographic reference manager for OS X. BibDesk is designed to help organize and use bibliographic databases in BibTeX .bib format. In addition to manual typing, BibDesk lets you drag-and-drop or cut-and-paste .bib files into the bibliographic database and automatically opens files downloaded from PubMed. BibDesk also keeps track of electronic copies of literature on your computer and allows for searching your database through several keys.

BibDesk integrates well with TeX for creating citations and bibliographies. This integration includes a Citation search completion service, and drag-and-drop (cut-and-paste) support for adding citations to TeX files.

What’s new in version 1.9.2

Updated on Mar 04 2024

Bugs Fixed
  • Make sure linked file URLs are standardized or null to avoid pathologies
  • Allow focussing the file views again
  • Fix dragging of missing linked files
  • Fix item grouping management for keyword-like fields
  • Allow showing multiple files at once in Finder

Information

License

Free

Size

25.6 MB

Developer’s website

https://bibdesk.sourceforge.io/

Downloads

70112

App requirements

  • Intel 64
  • Apple Silicon
  • macOS 10.13 or later
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  • User Ratings

Iliketrash
Iliketrash
May 28 2019
1.7
0.0
May 28 2019
0.0
Version: 1.7
New in Version 1.7; "New hidden preference to re-enable the Google Scholar web scraper" Where did you hide it? It isn't in the documentation. Dude.
liqiuweiss
liqiuweiss
Nov 29 2018
1.6.14
5.0
Nov 29 2018
5.0
Version: 1.6.14
Nice
ososX
ososX
Aug 4 2017
1.6.11
5.0
Aug 4 2017
5.0
Version: 1.6.11
Coming back to add 5 stars after 4 years. This is an amazing software, extremely stable and very convenient. My workplace offers a well-known paid alternative for which a pre-paid site-license was purchased (with tech support). No comparison, the free Bibdesk is just superior. Moreover, I just realized that (without doing anything) the two copies of Bibdesk on my two Macs are being synchronized through iCloud (including the links between the Bibdesk listing and the pdf files) ... I'm not sure how this is done but thanks nonetheless :)
AddingtonJudson69
AddingtonJudson69
Jul 12 2016
1.6.6
5.0
Jul 12 2016
5.0
Version: 1.6.6
Not bad for the first trial.
ososX
ososX
Dec 10 2013
1.6.2
5.0
Dec 10 2013
5.0
Version: 1.6.2
Last time I reviewed this application was almost 8 years ago. Since then it is just getting better and better. It is stable and faster than ever. A real lifesaver, thanks the developers.
Benesch
Benesch
Apr 16 2012
1.5.8
5.0
Apr 16 2012
5.0
Version: 1.5.8
I have been using this program for many years, in combination with Lyx and Skim. I am not a power user, but the automatic filing was easy enough to set up. Highly recommended for Academics!
Amartsin
Amartsin
Feb 22 2010
1.5.1
0.0
Feb 22 2010
0.0
Version: 1.5.1
WARNING: Would not run under OS X 10.4 (PB G4).
Joachimr
Joachimr
Jun 19 2009
1.3.21
5.0
Jun 19 2009
5.0
Version: 1.3.21
After using Endnote (when it was still a Mac product) and then Bookend and trying Sente, this is my absolute fav app, especially since it allowed me to toss Word. I use it for organize (very effortlessly) all my research and even my drafts in a Lyx - BibDesk combination. Perfect integration (as BibDesk basically edits the BibTeX file you need for Lyx). I strongly suggest for all folks who are frustrated with MS Word to give these two apps a try. Tons of other users are willing and able to support you and there's tons of information available on various user groups. I only wish that it would not have to index the content of PDFs each time you want to search (only one time until you close the app).
Mpez
Mpez
Jun 19 2009
1.3.21
0.0
Jun 19 2009
0.0
Version: 1.3.21
Using Bibdesk + Textmate + Latex for my science thesis. A little bit of a learning curve if you are new to these tools, but well worth it - so much more robust than the other options. The new features of Bibdesk such as being able to import references from webpages are welcome. A great product, just give it a little time.
Mark-Everitt
Mark-Everitt
Jul 24 2008
1.3.18
0.0
Jul 24 2008
0.0
Version: 1.3.18
For some who use this it may be worth looking into CiteULike http://www.citeulike.org/ It allows you to upload pdf files, and if you navigate to a journal's website you can automatically get all the details for the paper and it will assemble the bibtex for you. It's neat because I can get hold of my papers wherever I am and searching in it is nice too. Before CiteULike I used JabRef a lot.
Rae
Rae
Jul 24 2008
1.3.18
3.0
Jul 24 2008
3.0
Version: 1.3.18
I was very happy to see a free app that dose the job as reference manage, however,it crashes easily. Just then I tried to use this app again to see if it had improved, but it crashed the moment I started. Thinking back, I still remember the frustration of needing to attach files by hand which bugs me when I have lots of PDFs. The worst thing is that when it crashes, I lost all the data I entered. T_T Another minor issue: there is no scroll left or right when browsing a webpage. If you have lots of articles and need to work with papers for a long time, Sente is better. Otherwise, this app should work as well.
Fxt
Fxt
May 21 2008
1.3.17
0.0
May 21 2008
0.0
Version: 1.3.17
it took me awhile to warm up to bibdesk, but at this point i couldn't operate efficiently without it. a "must have" if you're into refereed journal literature. are donations accepted? fxt
Rcn
Rcn
May 5 2008
1.3.16
5.0
May 5 2008
5.0
Version: 1.3.16
Perhaps the best designed Mac application there is. It's a shame that more people aren't aware of BibDesk and end up buying one of the competitors instead. BibDesk makes managing large collections of pdfs easy, and you don't need to know anything about bibtex to use it. In fact, one of the best things about BibDesk is how well it integrates with Skim, the pdf reader/annotation app. Manage your database with BibDesk, double click on a pdf to open it with Skim, do all your highlighting and note taking, and when you go back to BibDesk your highlights and notes are waiting there as searchable text! In fact, it is simple to search across the entire text of a large library - searching both the text of the pdfs and your own notes. The screenshot (maybe it is time for a new one?) really doesn't begin to show you how well this program is designed or all of the features (including integration with a number of online databases). If you're looking for anything near the bibliography/note taking realm, I strongly suggest you give BibDesk a try.
Lugal
Lugal
Jan 12 2008
1.3.13
5.0
Jan 12 2008
5.0
Version: 1.3.13
BibDesk is absolutely wonderful software, far better than any other BibTex manager I've ever used. I've been using BibDesk heavily for a few years (writing my dissertation), and the only problem that I've ever had was fixed by the developers on the same day that I reported it. It's a deep program, with lots of features that I don't use, so it might seem a little overwhelming to the uninitiated, but it's so good that anyone who needs to manage a large bibliography--even if they don't use BibTex--really should try it out.
ososX
ososX
Oct 7 2006
1.2.9
5.0
Oct 7 2006
5.0
Version: 1.2.9
A great program. Makes the annoying tasks of organizing references, referring to them from an article, linking them to the corresponding pdf files and urls a pleasure. Thanks ....
Dfk
Dfk
Jun 28 2006
1.2.7
5.0
Jun 28 2006
5.0
Version: 1.2.7
An excellent program -- powerful and flexible. The export options are particularly nice. Thanks to all who contributed!
Foozman
Foozman
Feb 24 2006
1.2.4
4.5
Feb 24 2006
4.5
Version: 1.2.4
This program rocks. It is possible to use this program to organize articles. It even has automatic sorting and naming of pdf articles (ala iTunes). As a longtime BibTex user, I recommend this interface to BibTex entries highly. Also, combined with LyX, one can have a really awesome user-friendly scientific writing setup on their computer without much exptertise. Well, it won't be Word, but the upside is that it won't be Word.
Guest
Guest
Apr 26 2005
0.99.3
4.8
Apr 26 2005
4.8
Version: 0.99.3
The current version (0.99.3) seems to have introduced a bug that hangs the program when the user attempts to change format strings in the CIte Key or or AutoFile preferences. Keep v. 0.99.2 handy until this is fixed.
Guest
Guest
Apr 12 2005
0.99.2
4.8
Apr 12 2005
4.8
Version: 0.99.2
BibDesk is a wonderful and welcome addition to the TeX typesetting system. It greatly improves workflow and performs much better than similar software packages. With BibDesk, TexShop, and XeTeX one is able to produce stunning documents without the efforts of manually typesetting or painstakingly coding your documents.
Guest
Guest
Jan 27 2005
0.97.7
4.8
Jan 27 2005
4.8
Version: 0.97.7
I write technical articles with TeXShop and this is an absolutely indispensable complement to it. It makes bibliography management so much easier. No more manually editing BibTeX files. Even if you're not using LaTeX, this is a very good free bibliography tool (it can output bibliographies and citations in PDF, RTF etc.) It even has an RSS feature for you to share your index with like-minded peers who have newsreaders! (great for academics)
Zigang Pan
Zigang Pan
Jan 30 2023
1.8.15
5.0
Jan 30 2023
5.0
Version: 1.8.15
mugsuk
mugsuk
Oct 15 2021
1.8.7
5.0
Oct 15 2021
5.0
Version: 1.8.7
limies
limies
Jul 13 2021
1.8.3
5.0
Jul 13 2021
5.0
Version: 1.8.3
Dana_Nau
Dana_Nau
Jun 11 2021
1.8.3
5.0
Jun 11 2021
5.0
Version: 1.8.3
liqiuweiss
liqiuweiss
Nov 29 2018
5.0
Nov 29 2018
5.0
Version: null
ososX
ososX
Aug 4 2017
5.0
Aug 4 2017
5.0
Version: null
AddingtonJudson69
AddingtonJudson69
Jul 12 2016
5.0
Jul 12 2016
5.0
Version: null
Benesch
Benesch
Apr 16 2012
5.0
Apr 16 2012
5.0
Version: null
Emile100
Emile100
Apr 23 2011
5.0
Apr 23 2011
5.0
Version: null
Fabian-Pabst
Fabian-Pabst
Apr 4 2011
4.5
Apr 4 2011
4.5
Version: null
lindaand
lindaand
Apr 4 2011
3.0
Apr 4 2011
3.0
Version: null
Cuiweicui
Cuiweicui
Mar 24 2011
5.0
Mar 24 2011
5.0
Version: null
Joachimr
Joachimr
Jun 19 2009
5.0
Jun 19 2009
5.0
Version: null
Rae
Rae
Jul 24 2008
3.0
Jul 24 2008
3.0
Version: null
Rcn
Rcn
May 5 2008
5.0
May 5 2008
5.0
Version: null
Lugal
Lugal
Jan 12 2008
5.0
Jan 12 2008
5.0
Version: null
Dfk
Dfk
Jun 28 2006
5.0
Jun 28 2006
5.0
Version: null
Foozman
Foozman
Feb 24 2006
4.5
Feb 24 2006
4.5
Version: null
Guest
Guest
Apr 26 2005
4.8
Apr 26 2005
4.8
Version: null
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