PaperLabSee which paper a citation is, without losing your place
When a PDF links its numbered citations, PaperLab turns each one into a card. Hover [51] to see which paper it is: its details once the references are looked up, with Open in PaperLab when it is in your library or Add to library when a free PDF exists, and otherwise the entry exactly as the reference list prints it. Click to jump to the entry, and Back to page N returns you to where you were.
What you can do
- Hover a numbered citation to see its paper’s details.
- Open in PaperLab when the cited paper is in your library.
- Add to library in a click when a free PDF exists.
- Click to jump to the reference entry; Back to page N takes you back.
- Tab reaches every citation, for keyboard reading.
Tips
- Add the references you meet three times: they are usually the foundations.
- Use Back to page N instead of scrolling, so you never lose your place.
Questions people ask
Does it work on every PDF?
It works where the PDF links its citations to the reference list, which most publisher and arXiv PDFs do.
Can it download paywalled references?
No. It offers Add to library only when a free, legal PDF exists, and otherwise shows the entry as printed.
Can I use it with a keyboard?
Yes. Tab moves through every citation on the page.
Works well with
Guides
- How to read a research paper efficiently — The three-pass method, what to skip, and how to keep what you read.
- How to map the literature on a topic — Citation graphs, co-citation and coupling, and tools that draw the map.