PDF Text Extraction for Research | Rune

Researchers work with hundreds of PDF documents. Extracting text efficiently is essential for literature reviews, data collection, and analysis.

Research Use Cases

Literature Reviews

• Extract key findings from papers
• Compile quotes and citations
• Build text databases for analysis

Data Collection

• Pull numerical data from reports
• Extract tables for processing
• Compile information across sources

Note-Taking

• Extract relevant passages
• Create searchable notes
• Build reference libraries

Content Analysis

• Prepare text for NVivo or similar tools
• Create text corpora
• Enable computational analysis

Extraction Workflow for Researchers

1. Collect PDFs from databases (JSTOR, PubMed, etc.).
2. Open Rune's PDF Text Extractor.
3. Upload each PDF.
4. Select relevant pages (Abstract, Methods, Results).
5. Use Clean Mode for readable text.
6. Download as TXT or Markdown.
7. Compile extracted texts.

Mode Selection for Research

Research Task	Mode	Why
Quote extraction	Clean	Readable, no formatting clutter
Table data	Exact	Preserves column alignment
Full text analysis	Clean	Streamlined for processing
Layout preservation	Exact	Maintains original structure

Organizing Extracted Text

Naming Convention

Use consistent naming:

• Author_Year_Title_pages.txt
• Smith_2023_Methodology_p5-10.txt

Folder Structure

Organize by topic, source, or project.

Metadata Tracking

Keep a spreadsheet linking extractions to original PDFs.

Privacy for Research

• Unpublished manuscripts
• Embargoed data
• Confidential reports

All processing happens locally—sensitive research materials stay private.

Tips for Research Extraction

• Use page selection for specific sections
• Extract abstracts first for quick screening
• Keep both clean and exact versions when needed
• Verify extracted text against original

Conclusion

PDF text extraction is a core research skill. Rune's PDF Text Extractor provides fast, accurate, private extraction for academic work.