Are you using mind mapping and reference management tools such as Mind Manager, FreeMind, JabRef, Endnote, or Zotero? And do you sometimes even make use of the bookmark functionality in your PDF Reader? Then you should have a look at FreeMind Scholar because FreeMind Scholar aims to integrate mind mapping with reference and pdf management.

FreeMind Scholar is a mind mapping tool based on the outstanding FreeMind but focusing on the special needs of researchers. In its current version, FreeMind Scholar offers two main functions in addition to the extensive functionality of FreeMind.

1. FreeMind Scholar allows you to assign BibTeX keys to the mind map's entries. This way you can structure ideas and results of academic articles in a mind map and directly reference to their origins. The allocation of BibTex keys to the mind map entries may happen even automatically: If you have linked an entry in your mind map to a PDF file and you link to this PDF file in your reference mangement tool, too, FreeMind Scholar automatically assigns the BibTeX key from your reference management software to the mind map entry. Currently FreeMind Scholar supports only the BibTeX format (we use JabRef) but the support of other reference management tools such as Endnote and Zotero are on the top of our priority list.

2. FreeMind Scholar enables the import of PDF bookmarks via drag & drop. The standard FreeMind only allows to drag & drop complete PDFs into the mind map. However, when we read a book or a paper in PDF format, we usually highlight all important passages and create a bookmark within the PDF (we use Foxit Reader 3). Up to now, we typed the same information into our mind map which means twice the work: Creating a bookmark within the PDF and typing the same (or similar) text of the bookmark into the mind map. Now, we just import the PDF bookmarks into the mind map and save almost half the time :-).

FreeMind Scholar is developed in Java and should run under Windows (95, etc., XP, Vista), Linux and Mac OS. All you need is to install Java 1.6 or later which is available for free. FreeMind itself is also 100% free and published under the GNU/GPL licence.