Manage LaTeX References with BibTeX and biblatex

Keep bibliography data separate from presentation. Follow the publisher or university template first, then choose manual entries, traditional BibTeX, or biblatex. The complete examples below use matching citation keys and real books rather than invented DOI records.

Choose a Workflow

This manual example needs no .bib file. Reference numbers may still require repeat LaTeX passes managed by the platform:

\documentclass[a4paper,11pt]{article}

\begin{document}
For typesetting background, see~\cite{knuth1984}.
\begin{thebibliography}{9}
\bibitem{knuth1984} Donald E. Knuth. \emph{The TeXbook}. Addison-Wesley, 1984.
\end{thebibliography}
\end{document}

Create refs.bib

Create refs.bib in the file tree with these two published books. Their keys are knuth1984 and lamport1994:

@book{knuth1984,
  author = {Donald E. Knuth},
  title = {The TeXbook},
  publisher = {Addison-Wesley},
  year = {1984}
}
@book{lamport1994,
  author = {Leslie Lamport},
  title = {LaTeX: A Document Preparation System},
  edition = {2},
  publisher = {Addison-Wesley},
  year = {1994}
}

Reuse the database across projects, but check field and style compatibility when changing bibliography systems, especially for specialized fields.

Use biblatex and Biber

Keep that database at the project root and use this main file:

\documentclass[a4paper,11pt]{article}
\usepackage[backend=biber,style=authoryear,maxcitenames=2]{biblatex}
\addbibresource{refs.bib}
\usepackage{hyperref}
\begin{document}
Background on typesetting is given in~\parencite{knuth1984}.
\textcite{lamport1994} describes document preparation with LaTeX.
\printbibliography
\end{document}

• backend=biber selects the bibliography processor.
• style=authoryear selects an author–year presentation.
• maxcitenames=2 controls the author names displayed in citations.
• \addbibresource{refs.bib} uses the full database filename.
• \parencite, \textcite, and \printbibliography provide parenthetical citations, textual citations, and the list.

Choose pdfLaTeX in the editor settings and compile. EasyLaTeX handles the LaTeX/Biber dependency passes. If [?] remains after the job finishes, check the current log, keys, and paths.

Use BibTeX for a .bst Template

This example uses plainnat. For a supplied .bst, use its basename without the extension and retain the template's package setup:

\documentclass[a4paper,11pt]{article}
\usepackage{natbib}
\begin{document}
For typesetting background, see~\citep{knuth1984}.
\bibliographystyle{plainnat}
\bibliography{refs}
\end{document}

\bibliography{refs} is the traditional BibTeX database command. Do not mix its setup and output commands with biblatex's in the same configuration.

Change the Style

These alternatives replace the existing biblatex loading line; choose one, not both:

\usepackage[backend=biber,style=numeric]{biblatex}

\usepackage[backend=biber,style=authoryear]{biblatex}

Use a publisher-specific style such as IEEE or APA only when it matches the actual requirements and available template configuration. A style determines presentation; database fields determine the information available to display. Check names, dates, ordering, volume, pages, and DOI after a change.

Common Problems

Further Operations

A short list can remain manual; do not migrate a working publisher template merely to change tools. \printbibliography[type=book] filters by type; refsection can organize separate lists. Begin with a working minimal project before adding those features.

See checking citations in both directions for completeness checks.