LaTeX & BibTeX

This guide provides resources/tips for using LaTeX & BibTeX commands. While this Libguide is intended for any users, we can’t assist non-members of UTSA with any specific questions about using BibTeX and LaTex software programs or coding.

LaTeX: What, Where, How & Why

  • What:  LaTeX is a software system for document preparation, especially used as an editor for scientific documents while it makes easy to typeset complex mathematical formulas.
  • Where: There are many LaTeX editors freely available on the internet, one of which, Overleaf (used to be called ShareLaTex), is a widely used  because it is a collaborative cloud-based version.
  • How: You type the content (with LaTex commands) into a LaTeX editor's document  - any document created by LaTex editor ending with file extension .tex - then LaTex system can compile the source code in the .tex document, and finally generate a PDF file.  In a sense of its finished product, the LaTex system is acting like MS-Word, yet in need of LaTex commands/coding. 
  • Why with BibTeX  (file extension .bib):  Within a LaTeX .tex document, through the use of a package called BibTex, you can automatically generate and format a bibliography (the reference list) in the chosen bibliography style, with corresponding in-text citations. 

BibTex: What, Where, & How

  • What: BibTeX stands for a file format - with file extension of .bib -  that contains input data, structured, bibliographic input data, or a list of your references, with each of reference entries in the bib file coming from different sources you have used at different time
  • Where is .bib file - as input data of your references, where you accumulate, export and store them  
    • Stored in one place - in Reference Management Software Program such as EndNote, ​Zotero, and even Google Scholar's My library
      • Zotero Online > My Library > Highlight the item title - either single one or multiple by "ctrl + right click" - you want to export as .bib file > click "Up Arrow "so to see the pop-up menu > then select "BibLaTex" in order to Export > now you can open a file ending with .bib in your "Downloads" folder ("Downloads" folder is accesible from your browser, such as Chrome)
    • Accumulate one by one or on the fly when you just find them from resources/databases of interest:
      • Google Scholar > My library > "Export all" frop-down menu > select "BibTeX" > then
      • UTSA subscription databases e.g.: IEEE Xplore >  any search reuslt > on top of the result page > click "CITE This" tab > 2nd tab "BibTex" in the "CITE This" pop-up > select "BibTex" tab > copy/paste it into your .bib file
  • Whereabout of BibTeX -  transitory: even stored in EndNote or Zotero, in the end, the .bib file must be uploaded / imported into a LaTeX editor program if you want to cite them in your paper. 
  • How: as part of software program, it interacts with LaTeX program in order for in-text citations to correspond to sources listed in a bibliography at the end of your paper 
    • Each reference in .bib file is automatically formatted with first line having a "key" (key = unique identifier of a bibliographic entry)
    • It is that key - to be used in a .tex file -  that allows LaTeX program to identify and retrieve a specific, unique sources in the .bib file, and then generate the result of a list of Works Cited at the end of your paper with the help of interaction of three BibTeX-related Commands:
    1. \cite{variable-XYZ} 
    2. \bibliography{variable-XYZ} and 
    3. \bibliographystyle{citation_STYLE_name}  

LaTeX:

 

Video: What is LaTeX

Video: LaTeX Tutorial pt 1 - Creating Your First Document