Section comparison table

Put the abstract, methods, results, conclusions and other sections of many papers into one table, one row per paper, to compare them side by side. No AI is involved; Rectoly lays out the opening of each section as the paper has it.

Applies to Mendeley and Zotero editions Windows · Mac · iPad Included in the purchase

Make a comparison table

  1. Start it:
    • Mac · iPadIn the library, choose Compare sections…. Choose which papers: All papers, Select papers or Current collection only. Then press Export.
    • WindowsIn the library's menu, choose Extract sections from the papers shown into a comparison table… (the list as it is filtered now).
    • WindowsOr, in the Across papers tab, choose Extract sections from every paper on this PC into a comparison table….
  2. WindowsChoose the folder to write to.
  3. Progress shows as "Extracting sections: N of M". You can stop at any time.
  4. When it is done, you see "Compared N papers in “…” (comparison.md, comparison.csv)."
    • Mac · iPadThe share sheet opens with Share the folder.
    • WindowsOpen the table beside shows the table next to the paper you are reading.
  • Only papers whose PDF is on this device are read. Download the others first. See Downloading PDFs.
  • One paper failing does not stop the rest. Papers that could not be read are listed in comparison.md.

The section comparison table is included in the purchase. It is free during the 14-day trial.

What you get

FileWhat is in it
comparison.mdOne row per paper: year, authors, source and pages, then the opening of each section
comparison.csvThe same table with each section in full, to open in a spreadsheet
sections/…mdOne Markdown file per paper with its sections

The sections are Abstract, Introduction, Related work, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Limitations and Future work, when the paper has them. Papers are listed newest first, then by title. Nothing is ranked or judged.

Good to know

  • Sections are found from the paper's own headings, the same way Reading Mode rebuilds the paper. A paper with unusual headings can leave some columns empty.
  • WindowsA paper you have already opened in Reading Mode is read faster.
  • For the figures and tables of many papers, see Exporting figures and tables.

Updated September 20, 2026