A Gift to the Community
RIS Reference Sorter was built as an open-source contribution to researchers, students, and academics worldwide. It solves a real problem: managing and formatting academic references shouldn't require expensive software or complex workflows.
This project is completely free, open-source, and available under the MIT License—meaning anyone can use it, modify it, and share it without restrictions.
Core Features
The application provides comprehensive reference management capabilities through a clean, minimal interface:
- 1RIS File Processing
Upload multiple RIS files simultaneously with drag-and-drop support. Automatic parsing, duplicate detection, and alphabetical sorting by author name.
- 2URL Citation Extraction
Extract citations automatically from arXiv papers, DOI links, PubMed articles, and generic web pages. Uses specialized APIs for reliable metadata extraction.
- 3Multiple Citation Styles
Support for five major academic citation styles: APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and IEEE. Dynamic style switching with instant reformatting.
- 4Flexible Export Options
Export references in multiple formats: Plain Text, Numbered List, Markdown, BibTeX, and RIS. Copy to clipboard or download files directly.
Technical Architecture
Built with modern Python and Flask, designed for serverless deployment and scalability:
Backend Stack
Built with Flask 3.1.2 for the web framework,rispy for RIS file parsing, and BeautifulSoup for HTML parsing. Uses requests for API calls to arXiv, CrossRef, and PubMed.
Frontend Design
Minimal, clean interface built with vanilla JavaScript and custom CSS. No external frameworks or dependencies. Real-time search, dynamic style switching, and responsive design for all devices.
Deployment & Infrastructure
Designed for serverless deployment on Vercel with session-based storage (no database required). Also supports Heroku, AWS Lambda, and Docker deployments. Session management ensures references persist across page reloads.
Open Source Philosophy
This project is built on the principle that academic tools should be accessible to everyone. The MIT License ensures:
- ✓Commercial use - Use in any commercial project
- ✓Modification - Modify the code to fit your needs
- ✓Distribution - Share and distribute freely
- ✓Private use - Use in private projects
- ✓No restrictions - No fees, no hidden costs
Contributions are welcome! The project is open to improvements, additional citation styles, support for more URL types, and any other enhancements that benefit the research community.
Who Benefits
RIS Reference Sorter is designed for anyone who works with academic references:
Researchers
Manage large bibliographies, extract citations from papers, and format references for publications.
Students
Organize references for theses, papers, and assignments with multiple citation style support.
Academics
Process RIS files from reference managers, merge collections, and export in required formats.
Librarians
Help patrons format references, convert between formats, and manage citation collections.
Get Started
Try the application live or explore the source code on GitHub:
Version 2.1.0 • Last Updated: December 2, 2025 • MIT License