Lean Library Workspace is a research and reference management tool for gathering, organizing, citing, and writing research. It captures links and citation details from Google Scholar and PubMed, and can save PDFs when available. Users can annotate PDFs and webpages, then search their notes. Workspace works with Microsoft Word and Google Docs, supports reference imports in PDF, BibTeX, RIS, NBIB, and XML formats, and can create bibliographies in more than 7,000 styles. Suggestions for relevant articles and related-article searches support research, though those features are not included in the free basic plan. References and PDFs are available across computers, phones, and tablets, including Android and iOS devices. The free tier allows up to three projects and three invitations per shared project. Libraries can arrange institution-wide access and receive usage statistics. Authentication includes IP and SSO methods. Workspace is available through a browser extension and on the web, Android, and iOS.
Who it is for
It suits students, researchers, faculty, and research groups managing references and collaborative projects. Libraries can also arrange institution-wide access for their communities.
What is good
- Captures references from Google Scholar and PubMed.
- Annotates PDFs and webpages, with searchable notes.
- Works with Word and Google Docs.
- Bibliographies available in more than 7,000 styles.
- Supports Android, iOS, web, and browser extension.
What to know first
- Free basic plan caps projects at three.
- Shared free projects allow up to three invitations.
- Free plan omits article and smart citation suggestions.
- External cloud PDF uploads are unavailable on free tier.
Verdict
Workspace combines reference capture, reading annotation, and writing support across devices. Check the free-tier project and feature limits, or contact Lean Library about premium subscription options.
Lean Library Workspace plans and pricing
All plansCompared on reference management software
- Free plan
- Yes
- PDF annotation
- Yes
- Browser extension
- Yes
- Word processor support
- both
- Mobile apps
- both
- Import formats
- PDF, BibTeX, RIS, NBIB, XML
- Team collaboration
- Yes
