Mushtaq Bilal, PhD Profile picture
Feb 3, 2024 7 tweets 3 min read Read on X
How to move a list of references from a paper/book to Zotero without typing them all manually: A screenshot of a list of references in a PDF and Zotero.
1. Copy the references you want to export to Zotero and paste them into ChatGPT with the following prompt:

Please convert this list of references into a BibTeX file.

ChatGPT will do the needful.
2. Copy the code ChatGPT generates and paste it into Notepad.
3. In Notepad, click on File and then Save as. Save this file as .bib

I am saving the file as References.bib
4. Open Zotero and click on File and then Import.

Select the first option "A file" and click on Next.

Navigate to the References.bib file you just saved and click on Open.

Zotero will ask you if you want to put the items in a new collection.

Click Next and that's it.
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mushtaq-bilal-phd.ck.page/f911adb5fbA screenshot of Reseach Kick waitlist.
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More from @MushtaqBilalPhD

Mar 5
A lot of academics still think AI apps generate fake references to papers that don't exist.

They are living in 2023.

You can easily integrate a database of 280M research papers with Claude and ChatGPT to get answers with references to published papers.

Here's how to do it:
1. Go to scite[.]ai/mcp and select Claude ai

Copy the URL given in the second line. Then click on the blue "Add Scite" button.

This will open Claude Connectors. Type in the name Scite and paste the URL in the "Remote MCP" field.

Then click on "Add."
2. This will add a Scite Connector to your Claude.

Scroll down a little and you will see a Scite Connector. Click on "Connect" and log in to your Scite account.

Give Claude permission to access Scite. And that's it.

You will need a paid subscription for Scite to do this.
Read 7 tweets
Mar 4
Claude Code will fundamentally change the nature of academic research.

But most academics don't know how to use it.

Here's how to get started on Claude Code (even if you've never coded).

Claude Code for Academics 101:
Before getting started, we need to understand what Claude Code (CC) is.

It's not a simple chatbot.

Think of it as a general-purpose work enviroment that lets you create customized features for your own specific purposes.

It'll become clear by the end of this thread.
1. To get started, go to claude[.]com/download and download the Claude desktop app.

You will need a paid plan.

Select the $20/m one. That'll be enough to get you started.
Read 17 tweets
Mar 3
Academics are abandoning ChatGPT for Claude, and for good reason.

Claude is way better than ChatGPT for intellectual work.

But moving to Claude risks losing your work history and memory in ChatGPT.

Here's how to move all your work history and memory from ChatGPT to Claude:
1. Open Claude and click on your profile in the bottom-left corner.

Then click on "Settings" and select "Capabilities."

In Capabilities, look for the "Start Import" button.

Click it and then copy the prompt given on the top.
2. Open ChatGPT and put it on "Thinking."

Then run the prompt you just copied from Claude.

ChatGPT will give you an answer. Copy that.
Read 6 tweets
Mar 2
Claude Cowork is set to revolutionize intellectual and academic work.

But most academics don't know how to use it.

Here's how to set up Claude Cowork as your research assistant:

(This workflow will take you only 15 min.) Guide on setting up Claude Cowork for academic research.
1. To use Claude Cowork, you'll need to download Claude desktop app.

Go to claude[.]com/download

and download the Claude desktop app.

You'll also need a paid plan for $20/m or $100/m.

Start with $20/m plan.
2. Once you've installed it, open Claude desktop app.

On the top, you will see three options: Chat, Cowork, Code.

Click on "Cowork." Claude user interface displays options for chat, coding, and co-working, with prompts for user interaction prominently featured.
Read 13 tweets
Jan 5
How to build an academic writing habit (to write a lot and publish a lot):
In his book "Atomic Habits," James Clear writes about habits that are so small we don’t even notice them, but the power they have over us is immense.

He calls them atomic habits.

Although they are small, building atomic habits is VERY DIFFICULT.

Why? A photo of James Clear's book "Atomic Habits."
Clear calls the time between the point we start a habit to the point we start seeing its first results "the plateau of latent potential."

Most people remain stuck within this plateau.

To see the results of any habit, we must cross the plateau of latent potential. A photo of "The Plateau of Latent Potential" from James Clear's book "Atomic Habits."
Read 21 tweets
Dec 25, 2025
Don't use Sci-Hub — it's a "controversial" website with 84M+ research papers freely available.

We should all try to make billion-dollar academic publishers richer.

Anyway, here's a thread on how to integrate Sci-Hub with Zotero to get free papers.

🚨DO NOT DO IT!
1. Don't go to this link:
github(dot)com/syt2/zotero-scipdf

But if you do, replace the word "dot" with an actual [.]

Don't scroll down and click on "latest release xpi file."

This will download an "xpi" file to your computer.
2. Don't open your Zotero. But if you do, click on "Tools."

In "Tools," click on "Plugins." This will open Zotero's Plugin Manager.

In the Plugin Manager, click on the gear-like icon and select "Install Plugin From File."

Navigate to the XPI file you downloaded and add it.
Read 6 tweets

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