[Tex/LaTex] How should I handle bibtex files of the co-authors

bibtex

I have my own master bibtex files that I use in all my research papers, which I strive to keep up-to-date.

However, I have numerous co-authors with whom I am writing papers, and they sometimes send me their bibtex files as they contribute to our common article tex file. Occasionally, their files contain entries for the same articles in my master file, with the same bibtex reference name (whatever that is called).

Can I just save their file in my bib folder and then use it like this in my tex file? 

\bibliography{MyBiblioFile,MySecondBibliofile,CoAuthorsBiblioFile}

What I would want is that in the cases that our bibtex names are the same, then it uses my bibtex file first. Is that what occurs?

I am on a grant deadline, so I'd really appreciate a fast answer. And I'd rather not have to sort through the bibtex file comparing entries, if I can be confident that my file will get preference by being first on the list, since there are hundreds of entries in the files.

Thanks very much and I'm very happy for this resource.

Best Answer

I'm sure it took you longer to write the question than it would have taken for you simply to test it yourself... but yes, that is how it works.

EDIT: here is a testcase:

\begin{filecontents}{b1.bib}
@ARTICLE{a,
  author = {a1},
  title = {a1},
  journal = {a1},
  year = {a1},
  volume = {a1},
  pages = {a1}
}

@ARTICLE{b,
  author = {b1},
  title = {b1},
  journal = {b1},
  year = {b1},
  volume = {b1},
  pages = {b1}
}
\end{filecontents}
\begin{filecontents}{b2.bib}
@ARTICLE{b,
  author = {b2},
  title = {b2},
  journal = {b2},
  year = {b2},
  volume = {b2},
  pages = {b2}
}

@ARTICLE{c,
  author = {c2},
  title = {c2},
  journal = {c2},
  year = {c2},
  volume = {c2},
  pages = {c2}
}
\end{filecontents}
\documentclass{book}
\bibliographystyle{unsrt}
\begin{document}
  \cite{a,b,c}
  \bibliography{b1,b2}
\end{document}
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