Moving files from academic databases to DEVONthink 3
Based on DEVONThink for Historians's video on YouTube. If you like this content, support the original creators by watching, liking and subscribing to their content.
DEVONthink 3’s sorter works best for publicly accessible web content that doesn’t require login.
Briefing
Getting JSTOR (and other password-protected academic database) PDFs into DEVONthink 3 is often blocked by authentication, which makes the usual “capture content” workflow fail. The practical workaround is to bypass the protected web capture by first obtaining the PDF file directly—either via Safari’s Preview/share flow or by downloading the PDF to the computer—then importing it into DEVONthink 3.
In the standard DEVONthink 3 workflow, users rely on the DEVONthink sorter in the browser toolbar to capture content from Safari. For publicly accessible web pages, this works smoothly: the captured item can be named, tagged, and sent into a chosen location inside a DEVONthink database. But when the source is a journal article or book chapter hosted in systems like JSTOR or ProQuest, the capture attempt can produce unusable “gibberish” or fail entirely because the database requires a university or user login. In those cases, the capture process effectively redirects into an authorization login page, so the article never arrives in the DEVONthink inbox.
The first workaround targets Safari users. When viewing a JSTOR page that offers a PDF, the user hovers near the PDF area and uses the browser’s PDF options to open in Preview or download. If the PDF is opened in Preview, the user can then use the macOS share sheet to choose “Add to DEVONthink 3.” The item lands in DEVONthink’s global inbox. This method has trade-offs: it doesn’t allow tagging or choosing a destination folder before import, and the item can’t be renamed during the share step. Renaming and tagging must be done after it appears in DEVONthink.
The second workaround is more manual but flexible. The user downloads the PDF to the local Downloads folder, then drags the file into DEVONthink 3. Once imported, the user can rename the document and add tags before removing the PDF from Downloads. This approach avoids the authentication problem because it relies on getting the PDF onto the machine first, rather than trying to capture the protected content through the sorter.
Both solutions hinge on one principle: the sorter works best for content that isn’t behind password protection. For JSTOR-style sources, the key is to locate the standalone PDF version of the article (often by clicking “Download PDF” on the JSTOR page), obtain the file through Preview or direct download, and then import it into DEVONthink 3. The result is a reliable way to keep essential research sources inside the personal database even when the original platforms restrict direct capture.
Cornell Notes
DEVONthink 3’s browser capture (the DEVONthink sorter) works well for public web content, but it often fails for JSTOR/ProQuest-style sources because those sites require authentication. When capture redirects to a login page or produces unusable results, the fix is to get the article’s standalone PDF onto the computer first. On Safari, users can open the PDF in Preview and then use the share sheet to “Add to DEVONthink 3,” which imports the item into the global inbox (renaming and tagging afterward). Alternatively, users can download the PDF to the Downloads folder and drag it into DEVONthink 3, where they can rename and tag during import. This preserves a dependable workflow for password-protected academic materials.
Why does the DEVONthink sorter fail with JSTOR or other academic databases?
What’s the Safari-based workaround using Preview and the share sheet?
How does the download-and-drag method work in DEVONthink 3?
What does “find the standalone PDF version” mean in practice for JSTOR?
When should users use the sorter versus the workaround?
Review Questions
- What specific failure modes occur when trying to capture JSTOR content with the DEVONthink sorter?
- Describe the steps to import a JSTOR PDF into DEVONthink 3 using Safari’s Preview/share workflow.
- How does the download-and-drag approach differ from the share-to-DEVONthink method in terms of tagging and renaming?
Key Points
- 1
DEVONthink 3’s sorter works best for publicly accessible web content that doesn’t require login.
- 2
Password-protected databases like JSTOR can block direct capture, causing redirects to authorization pages or unusable captured output.
- 3
For Safari, opening the PDF in Preview and using the share sheet to “Add to DEVONthink 3” imports the item into the global inbox.
- 4
The Preview/share method limits pre-import tagging and renaming; those tasks must be done after import.
- 5
Downloading the PDF to the local Downloads folder and dragging it into DEVONthink 3 allows renaming and tagging during import.
- 6
The reliable workflow is to obtain the article’s standalone PDF file first, then import it into DEVONthink 3.