Skip to main content
RefPack
Sign inGet started free

Prepare

In Prepare you add the manuscript and its reference PDFs. RefPack finds each cited statement and matches each reference to its PDF, and you correct anything it got wrong.

Add your files

Open the Files tab.

  • Manuscript. One Word (.docx) or PowerPoint (.pptx) file works as it is, or a PDF with selectable text. For a Word or PowerPoint file, RefPack shows a reading copy, with one page per slide for PowerPoint. A scanned PDF needs text recognition before RefPack can read it.
  • Reference PDFs. Add as many as you need, with any file names. You can drop a whole folder.

Your files stay on your computer. Nothing is sent anywhere in Prepare.

Find the cited statements

Choose Find citations. RefPack reads the manuscript, finds each cited statement and reads the reference list. What it finds is marked Auto · unconfirmed until you approve it. It doesn't replace anything you added or approved yourself.

If you only need the references, choose Read reference list only.

To stop a run, choose Stop. Your saved work is unchanged.

Check the statements

Open Citations and go through each statement.

  • Approve a statement when it starts and ends in the right place and cites the right reference.
  • Choose Adjust start / end if it starts or ends in the wrong place.
  • Choose Split into two if it holds two claims.
  • Reject text that isn't a claim to check, and pick a reason, for example "Background statement, not a claim".

RefPack sets aside pointers to tables and figures, and figure and table source credits. They are listed under Set aside and are not checked.

To add a citation RefPack missed, select the text in the manuscript and add it as a citation.

Match references to their PDFs

Choose Match PDFs. RefPack links a PDF to its reference when the match is certain. In References you can:

  • confirm a suggested match,
  • add the PDF yourself,
  • mark a reference No PDF if you don't have it.

References without a PDF stay listed, so the gap is visible in Review and in the pack.

Undo and what's left

Undo with ⌘Z (Ctrl+Z on Windows) and redo with ⇧⌘Z (Ctrl+Shift+Z). Undo and redo cover the whole project.

What's left before Review lists what remains: statements to approve, citations without a reference and references without a PDF. These are reminders. You can continue to Review at any time.

Continue to Review

Choose Continue to Review. Statements you haven't approved go to Review as a flagged group, so you can confirm them there.