Summary of styles

shannf
Is there a summary of the styles available in Zotero?
www.zotero.org/styles is helpful, but there are several problems.
1. I have to hover over each style to see what it does, so I cannot print out a list of the format of selected styles to look at in the future.
2. The "tip" that appears when hovering over the first few styles (AMA, APSA etc) goes off the top of the screen in Firefox (I have to look in Internet Explorer).
3. I cannot tell whether a given style arranges the bibliography in alphabetical order then puts the numbers in the text in that order, or numbers the references in the order in which they first appear in the text and then lists them in that order in the bibliography.
Thank you for producing such a useful program.
  • adamsmith
    there is no summary and a better style repository would definitely be desirable - I don't think it could be devised in a way that all questions about sorting etc. are answered, but at least rough distinctions would be helpful.

    Two things might still help you shannf:
    1. Uncheck the "Show dependent style" option - dependents styles are just doubles of existing styles.

    2. Use the preview panel at
    chrome://zotero/content/tools/csledit.xul
    though it only works for installed styles it is immensly helpful - and it's very easy to install and uninstall styles.
  • dstillman
    For installed styles you can also use chrome://zotero/content/tools/cslpreview.xul
  • migugg
    there should be a link on top of the style repository-page:
    http://www.zotero.org/styles
    to the zotero reference test pane preview page mentioned by Dan/adamsmith.

    the only mention of the test pane in the documentation is here:
    http://www.zotero.org/support/csl_simple_edits
    but I doubt that ordinary users ever get there.
  • adamsmith
    well, it's also here:
    http://www.zotero.org/support/dev/creating_citation_styles
    but I'll be the first to admit that doesn't really make thing better.
    Agree 100% with migugg - preview and edit panel should be linked to from the top of the repository.

    Dan: Any plans to restructure the repository site? We're up at 200 independent styles soon, wouldn't that be a cool way to celebrate.
  • shannf
    Thank you both for your prompt replies. I have prepared a pdf file that shows the format of all the default styles (plus the American Physiological Society style, which lists a numbered bibliography in alphabetical order). Is there any way I can email the pdf to one of you so you can decide whether it would be worth posting somewhere on the Zotero website? Perhaps you could send me a private message?
  • shannf
    Can anyone tell me a style that is like the American Medical Association one (with superscripted numbers in the text), but with a (numbered) bibliography that is in alphabetical order? The American Physiological Society style produces a (numbered) bibliography in alphabetical order, but the numbers in the text are in brackets and not superscripted. Thank you.
  • shannf
    Sorry, not like the AMA style, but like this, "Crowcroft NS, Booy R, Harrison T, et al: Severe and unrecognised: pertussis in UK infants. Arch Dis Child 88:802, 2003.", with superscript numbers in the text, and a numbered bibliography arranged in alphabetical order.
  • adamsmith
    no, alphabetical bibliographies for numbered styles are quite rare. But it's very easy to swithc APS to superscript - is this a specific style requirement for anything?
    http://www.zotero.org/support/csl_simple_edits
    tells you about simple edits. You may be able to just copy the citation section of e.g. Vancouver superscript to the APS style (and delete that ones section.
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