Research and publication examples
Rename and organize research papers and publications on Mac and Windows
Papers arrive as downloads named paper.pdf, download (3).pdf, or an opaque DOI string. NameQuick reads each one and builds a consistent filename from the publication year, first author, short title, and status.
Use this workflow for journal articles, preprints, conference papers, theses, working papers, and PDFs downloaded from databases. NameQuick reads each paper PDF, pulls the publication year, first author, and title off the page, and builds a citable filename that sorts by year then author before import or archive. It does not verify citations or replace a reference manager.
For example, paper.pdf can become 2024_Smith_Neural-Networks-Healthcare_Published.pdf.
What arrives in a research folder
Journal and database PDF exports saved to Downloads with names like 1-s2.0-main.pdf or an article number.
Preprint downloads named after an identifier rather than the author or title.
Papers and drafts shared by co-authors or colleagues, usually named paper.pdf or download (3).pdf.
Printed articles run through a scanner, often saved as scan_001.pdf or an image-based PDF.
Start with the paper filename format
Start with a filename format when every file should follow the same field order. Go to Presets → New Preset → Filename template and build this spec with Add part → New field…, one part per field. Then test it under Test this Preset with a sample file.
Fields - Publication year - First author - Short title - Publication status Pattern {year}_{author}_{short_title}_{status} Field rules - Use the publication year as four digits. - Use the first author's last name. - Shorten the title to 3 to 6 meaningful words. - Use status only when it is visible: Published, Draft, Preprint, Accepted. - Do not invent missing citation details. Do not include - full author lists - DOIs or long identifiers in place of a title - guessed years or venues
Filename format variants
Pick the variant that matches how you sort these files. Each keeps the same structured pattern.
For journal articles, conference papers, and downloaded PDFs.
- •Put the four-digit year first so papers sort by year.
- •Use the first author's last name, not the full author list.
- •Keep the short title to 3 to 6 meaningful words.
Fields NameQuick reads from a paper
| Field | Useful for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Publication year | Sorting papers chronologically | 2024 |
| First author | Finding papers by lead author | Smith, Chen |
| Short title | Recognizing a paper without opening it | Neural-Networks-Healthcare |
| Publication status | Separating published work from drafts and preprints | Published, Draft, Preprint, Accepted |
| Venue or type | Grouping papers by where they appeared (optional) | Journal, Conference, Thesis, Preprint |
Keep sensitive data out of filenames
These details should never appear in a filename. The template and written instructions on this page exclude them explicitly. Still check the names, because the AI can make mistakes.
- full author lists
- long DOIs or identifiers used in place of a title
- guessed years or venues
- unpublished or embargoed details that should not appear in a shared folder
A practical workflow
Collect papers in one folder
Put new downloads, preprints, emailed manuscripts, and scans into a single review folder, such as ~/Documents/Papers Inbox/, or your reference-manager import folder.
Apply the paper filename format
Use the paper naming filename format so every file follows the same pattern. The filename format keeps the year, first author, short title, and status in a fixed order. Set Apply suggestions from files you add to Review first before you add the files, so nothing is applied without your check.
Preview the suggested names
Check the four-digit year, the first author's last name, a clear short title, and a status that the paper actually shows. Confirm no full author list or raw DOI appears in the name.
Rename the batch
Apply the renames together so search in Finder or File Explorer and your backups all see consistent filenames that sort by year then author.
Route by year or topic
Rules work only in watched folders: add your papers inbox under Settings → Folders → Add folder (set to Review first to start), and let Rules under After a file is renamed move renamed papers into year or topic folders. Set tags adds tags; on Mac they show up as Finder tags.
Hand off to a reference manager
Citable filenames are easier to import into a reference manager such as a Zotero or Papers import folder. Keep the reference manager as the system that holds your citation metadata.
Optional: use written instructions
If free-form instructions suit this folder better, paste these into Presets → New Preset → Written instructions. A filename format remains the more consistent starting point when every file should follow the same structure.
Rename this research paper based on its visible contents. The file is a journal article, preprint, conference paper, thesis, working paper, or a PDF downloaded from a database. Create a concise filename that works on Mac and Windows. Preferred pattern: {year}_{author}_{short_title}_{status} Rules: - Use the publication year as four digits. - Use the first author's last name only. Do not include the full author list. - Shorten the title to 3 to 6 meaningful words. Join the words with hyphens. - Add the status only when it is visible: Published, Draft, Preprint, Accepted. - Do not invent missing details such as a year, author, venue, or DOI. - If the year or author is unclear, use Unknown for that field. - Do not put a DOI or long identifier in place of the title. - Remove unsafe filename characters: / \ : * ? " < > | and line breaks. - Preserve the original file extension. Fallback: - If only a year and author are reliable, use {year}_{author}. - If almost nothing is readable, do not invent a name. Return only the filename, with no explanation.
Rename first, then route
Once names are stable, Rules in watched folders can move and tag files after renaming. They test the finished name and file properties, not the content. Keep the first Rules narrow.
Rename with the paper filename format
Build names from the publication year, first author, short title, and status.
Tag the topic or status
Use a Rule with Set tags to add tags such as a topic, Preprint, or To-Read once the filename is clear. On Mac they show up as Finder tags; on Windows they reach only formats that store properties in the file, and for PDFs they stay in NameQuick's History.
Route reliable papers
Move clear papers into year or topic folders. Leave papers with an unclear year or author in the review folder.
| Rule | Trigger or condition | Action | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year archive | name matches ^2024_ (one Rule per year) | Move the file → move it into a folder: Research/2024, plus Set tags. Do not use {year}: it is the processing year, not the publication year | 2024_Smith_Neural-Networks-Healthcare_Published.pdf |
| Preprints and drafts | name contains _Preprint, _Draft | Move the file → move it into a folder: Research/Preprints, plus Set tags: To-Read | 2023_Jones_Climate-Model-Review_Preprint.pdf |
| Needs review | name contains Needs-Review, Unknown (markers from your Preset, for example via If not found → Use text) | Move the file → move it into a folder: Research/Needs-Review, plus Set tags | Needs-Review_1-s2.0-main.pdf |
Example folder structures
Papers grouped by year
Use this when you sort your library chronologically.
Naming emphasis: {year}_{author}_{short_title}_{status}
What NameQuick does not do
NameQuick creates readable, consistent filenames for local files on Mac and Windows. For these files it does not:
- verify citations or bibliographic accuracy
- replace a reference manager such as Zotero, Mendeley, or Papers
- detect plagiarism or retraction status
- guarantee error-free reading of scanned or two-column PDFs
- invent missing metadata such as a year, author, or venue
Common questions
How does it pick the first author and year?
NameQuick reads the visible text of the paper, including the title block and the publication line, to find the first author's last name and the four-digit year. When either is clear it uses it directly. When the author or year is not clear, your Preset decides: with If not found → Use text the field reads, for example, Unknown; with Skip file the file is held for review instead of a guess. The AI can still misread, so check the names.
What if the PDF has no clear title?
NameQuick shortens whatever title text is visible into 3 to 6 meaningful words. To keep a DOI or filler out of the name when no title is present, set If not found on the title field to Skip file: the file is then held for review and you name it by hand.
Can it read scanned or two-column papers?
For scanned PDFs and images, the AI model reads the text from the page image (there is no separate local OCR step) and then proposes a filename from the year, author, short title, and status. With Managed, only the first 15 pages of a long PDF are sent. Two-column layouts and low-quality scans are harder to read, so preview the results before applying them.
Does this replace Zotero or a reference manager?
No. NameQuick names the files so import is cleaner and the folder sorts by year then author. Keep Zotero, Mendeley, Papers, or another reference manager as the system that stores your citation metadata and builds your bibliography.
Organize one folder of papers
Try NameQuick with 30 renames. Check every citation-style name before applying, then import into your reference manager.