Importing from Reference Manager

sjones0123 · 2024-10-21T06:28:07+00:00

I have a Reference Manager database with 33,000 entries that dates to the early 1990's that is indexed by "Reference ID #" (RID) with many very-useful-to-me printed out pdf's filed by RID#. These files take up more than a couple of file cabinet drawers. Is there any way preserve access to this filing system with Zotero? Can this RID# be imported into a Zotero database and retained as the primary method of indexing, searching, and filed-pdf access?

bwiernik · 2024-10-21T13:09:15+00:00

What export formats does Reference Manager have available (RIS, XML, BibTeX, etc)?

adamsmith · 2024-10-21T13:26:56+00:00

Whether the RID can be imported depends on whether it's exported -- you'd want to look at the Reference Manger export (likely RIS?) and open it in a text editor to see if the RID is there. If it isn't, that'd pretty much the end of it.

If it is, it can likely be imported and stored somehow, though would almost certainly require customization to do so.
I'm not sure what

retained as the primary method of indexing, searching, and filed-pdf access?

exactly means -- Zotero has its own item keys, so I guess the answer would be no, but really depends on what, specifically, you need in terms of functionality..