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Guide: Import from PubMed

Conferences, articles, and discussions generate ideas. Pilus connects them before you forget.

Why Use PubMed Import?

Manually entering article information is tedious and error-prone. With Pilus's PubMed integration, you can import all metadata in seconds:

  • Title and full author list
  • Abstract
  • DOI and PMID
  • Journal name and publication year

Step 1: Find Your Article

Go to PubMed and search for the article you want to import. You can search by:

  • Title or keywords
  • Author names
  • PMID (PubMed ID)
  • DOI

Step 2: Copy the Link or PMID

Once you find your article, you have two options:

Option A: Copy the URL

Copy the full URL from your browser:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12345678/

Option B: Copy the PMID

The PMID is the number in the URL. You can just copy:

12345678

Step 3: Create an Article Card in Pilus

In Pilus, tap the + button and select Article as the card type.

You'll see a search field at the top. Paste your URL or PMID there and tap Search.

Step 4: Review and Save

Pilus will fetch all the article data from PubMed. Review the information:

  • Check the title is correct
  • Verify authors are listed
  • Read the abstract
  • Add any personal notes

When satisfied, tap Create to save your article card.

Step 5: Link Authors Automatically

After creating the article, Pilus can automatically suggest linking to existing researcher cards or help you create new ones for each author.

This creates a powerful network where you can see all papers by a specific researcher, or find who collaborated on what topics.

Pro Tips

Batch Import: You can import multiple articles in sequence. Each takes just a few seconds.
Link to Genes: After importing, manually link the article to the genes it studies using the "works on" relation.
Add Your Notes: The abstract is imported automatically, but add your own notes about key findings or criticisms.

Supported Formats

Pilus can import from:

  • PubMed URLs — pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12345678
  • PMIDs — Just the number: 12345678
  • DOIs — 10.1000/xyz123 (via CrossRef)

Start Importing Now

Ready to build your research library? Import your first article in under a minute.

Open Pilus