Free online RIS to TEXT converter

A submission portal, script, archive system, or editor may accept .txt but reject .ris. Converting the file makes its citation records available as ordinary plain text without requiring reference-management software.

What the RIS format is

RIS is a tagged bibliographic exchange format used to transfer references between academic databases, library catalogs, publishers, and citation managers. Research tools such as Zotero, EndNote, Mendeley, RefWorks, Web of Science, and Scopus can import or export RIS files.

An RIS record uses two-letter tags at the start of each line: TY identifies the reference type, AU an author, TI the title, and JO the journal. ER marks the end of a record. A file can contain one or many records, usually with each field on its own line.

What the TEXT format is

TEXT usually means unformatted character data stored with a .txt extension. It can be opened by Notepad, TextEdit in plain-text mode, code editors, terminal utilities, word processors, and automated scripts.

A TXT conversion normally leaves the RIS tags and record separators visible; it does not automatically create a formatted bibliography. Plain text is useful for inspection, manual editing, archival copies, and systems that accept only text files.

How to convert RIS to TEXT

Using the 101convert.com converter

1. Open the RIS-to-TEXT converter on 101convert.com.
2. Upload the file ending in .ris from your device.
3. Select TXT or TEXT if the output-format selector is displayed.
4. Start the conversion and download the resulting .txt file.
5. Open the output in a plain-text editor and verify that records still contain tags such as TY, field values, and ER terminators.

The converter can be used on 101convert.com for free without installing desktop software.

Saving a local copy manually

RIS is already a plain-text-based format, so no field transformation is required when the destination only needs the same tagged data in a TXT-named file.

1. Open the RIS file in Notepad, Notepad++, a code editor, or TextEdit configured for plain text.
2. Choose File → Save As.
3. Enter a filename ending in .txt, select UTF-8 when available, and save.

Changing .ris to .txt in the filename also works when the file contents are valid plain text, but it changes only the name, not the encoding or line endings. Do not save through a word processor as .docx, PDF, or another rich-document format.

When to use a reference manager instead

If the required result is a numbered reference list, an author–date bibliography, or a different citation style, import the RIS file into Zotero, EndNote, or another citation manager and generate the bibliography there. A plain TXT conversion preserves the interchange structure; it does not format citations or correct incomplete metadata.

Quality and compatibility checks

• Check accented names, symbols, and non-Latin characters after saving. UTF-8 usually prevents character loss, although older software may require Windows-1252 or another legacy encoding.
• Confirm that every record retains its ER terminator and that a multi-record file has not been truncated. Some RIS files include an optional EOF marker; retain it if the receiving system expects it.
• Preserve the original RIS file before editing. Removing tags, changing line structure, or altering delimiters can make the text unusable for later RIS imports.
• Use the local method for confidential citation files; use an online conversion only when the file can be uploaded safely.