The RIS (File Format) Explained

The RIS (file format) is a standardized tag format developed by Research Information Systems company. The tag includes two letters, two spaces, and a hyphen to express bibliographic citation information. Each tag supports a different field. Below are some examples of tags for various field codes in a reference.

TY  -        "Type of reference" (eg. JOUR - always first tag)
AU  -        "Author"
PY  -        "Publication Year"
T1  -        "Primary Title" 
T2  -        "Secondary Title" (eg. journal title)
SP  -        "Start Page"
EP  -        "End Page"
VL  -        "Volume"
IS  -        "Issue"

Most citation management tools use the RIS file format to properly tag information to the correct field (i.e. Author, Title, Journal Title, etc.). Most scholarly databases also include RIS format as one of their export options. See below for a list of RIS compatible tools and databases.

Therefore, the RIS file format can be used to transfer references to and from different programs. The most common use of RIS format is for exporting search results from a database into a citation management tool. In this example, the search results from an RIS-compatible database are exported by selecting RIS format, or occasionally a format specific for a software program (e.g. EndNote, RefWorks). In the latter case, it is using RIS format behind the scenes, but making it clearer to the user which option should be chosen. The database then converts the selected references into a raw format that the citation management tool can interpret. The user than either imports the file into their software program or they have their browser settings set to open an RIS file automatically in a specified program.

RIS files (file extension is .ris) are also a great option for long-term preservation. You may want to archive an EndNote Library you no longer use to save space, by preserving the citation records in an RIS file, if needed in the future, the file can simply be imported and repopulated in EndNote (or another software program). The same goes for if somebody sends you an RIS file of references, you can keep it in your records and, when needed, simply import it into an EndNote Library.

When doing this, it is best to have the target EndNote Library (most often a newly created one) already open on your computer so that when you double click on the RIS file the references are imported directly into that Library, otherwise EndNote may default to the most recent used library. If you want to preserve your own RIS files you can get them from Downloads (for example, in Chrome go to Downloads and then click Show in Folder, then copy to/save the RIS file where you want it to be) and rename it as needed.

What about PubMed??

One notable database that does NOT use RIS file format is PubMed. PubMed uses their own proprietary file format created by the National Library of Medicine. This “PubMed format” also known as MEDLINE tagged format, replaced RIS format so that it could better accommodate specific fields of information only found in PubMed (such as PMID). The file extension for the PubMed format is .nbib and it is essentially a .txt file format that can be opened and modified – this is not advised!

Still, you can easily convert Pubmed references to the .ris file format, if need be. To do that you need to export the references from PubMed to an Endnote Library first, then, in Endnote go to File>Export.. Type a file name in a File Name box and replace the extension .txt with .ris, Then choose Text File (*.txt) from Save as Type and RefMan (RIS) Export from Output Style drop down boxes. If you don’t see the RefMan (RIS) Export in the Output Style drop down box, click on Select Another Style and scroll to select it. Then Save your .ris file where you’d like it to be located. This .ris file can be now used for keeping and for export to and import by other software.

There are also other file formats that can be used to import and export to and from various products, such as BibTex (.bib), and EndNote format files (.enl, .enlx, .enlp, and .xml).

Takeaways: The RIS file format is a tagged file format used for bibliographic information, in both a variety of scholarly databases, journals, and library catalogs, as well as in certain citation management programs.