Importing RIS files (or Bib, Txt, or any other)

SampsaLaaksoAtAalto

When I import RIS files (among others), they appear in Zotero as an attachment, not as the document type that the RIS defines e.g. journal paper, book, etc. This happens also with the Folder Import plugin. Therefore, I can't import my reference library to Zotero without double clicking each individual attachment/file separately. I have thousands of references in my library, so this is not feasible approach.
I also tried merging just the RIS files, but those appear as random strings in Zotero, most cases the string was the RIS filename.
I am running Win 11 machine.
Any tips on importing thousands of citation files to Zotero?

dstillman

You import RIS/BibTeX/etc. files via File → Import…, not by dragging them in.

But also, can you explain exactly what you're doing? Why do you have thousands of citation files? From where?

SampsaLaaksoAtAalto

In Windows, there are few alternatives to add RIS files to Zotero, one is to double click the RIS file in Windows file browser, which then prompts Zotero dialogue, to import citation. This works for individual RIS files, each containing reference to one journal article, or book or conference paper, etc.

Alternatively, I can import the file from Zotero/File/Import... this also works for the RIS files containing only one reference.

Third option is to use the Folder Import plugin, which also imports each individual RIS file as an attachment. Each attachment can be double clicked in Zotero, and then it will be imported again as a proper reference, but again the issue is the number of double clicks and dialogue "ok's" that I would have to manually do.

Last option is to merge all the RIS files into one using the windows command line, (as described in this thread: https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/62415/is-there-a-bulk-import-function-for-many-references) but that imports the citations all messed up, mostly with the RIS filename in the title field, with all the other fields being empty.

My library contains thousands of RIS files, for references that I have used over the years of research, I have been in academia since 2004, so I have accumulated quite a few. I have always downloaded the RIS file for each paper while I have downloaded the PDF file. These I have downloaded from the publishers' online services or scopus, some even from Google Scholar.

AbeJellinek

that imports the citations all messed up, mostly with the RIS filename in the title field, with all the other fields being empty.

Could you open one of the merged RIS files with this issue in a text editor, copy part of the content, and paste it here? Or upload the entire file to a site like Pastebin and post a link.

SampsaLaaksoAtAalto

Here's first two references in the file. Total file size is a bit over 1GB so can't share it here as whole.

______________________________________

TY - JOUR
T1 - Determination of rake face stress distribution in orthogonal machining
JO - International Journal of Machine Tool Design and Research
VL - 22
IS - 1
SP - 75
EP - 85
PY - 1982
DA - 1982/01/01
T2 -
AU - Barrow, G.
AU - Graham, W.
AU - Kurimoto, T.
AU - Leong, Y.F.
SN - 0020-7357
DO - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0020-7357(82)90022-1
UR - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0020735782900221
AB - The stress distribution over the chip-tool contact region of the rake face of a carbide cutting tool has been determined subsequent to the completion of cutting tests involving the machining of a nickel-chromium steel workpiece. The tool support system incorporated a two-component split-tool dynamometer which enabled both the normal and the shear stress distributions to be established for a range of cutting conditions. It was found that both the normal and shear stresses were essentially constant until a certain distance from the cutting edge had been reached after which they decreased exponentially to zero at the point of chip separation. From these results it was possible to evaluate both the sticking length at the chip-tool interface and the greater overall contact length. The ratio of sticking length to contact length was found to increase with increase in undeformed chip thickness but remained more or less constant with change in cutting velocity. The split-tool technique for measuring stress distribution is described in some detail.
ER -
TY - JOUR
T1 - Slip-line fields for explaining the mechanics of polishing and related processes
AU - Challen, J.M.
AU - Oxley, P.L.B.
JO - International Journal of Mechanical Sciences
VL - 26
IS - 6
SP - 403
EP - 418
PY - 1984
DA - 1984/01/01/
SN - 0020-7403
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/0020-7403(84)90030-4
UR - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0020740384900304
AB - Two-dimensional rigid cylindrical asperities are used in modelling the friction and material removal mechanisms occurring in moving contact between engineering surfaces and particularly between abrasive or polishing grits and softer work-pieces. The contact zone of the circular section of the cylinder is approximated by a single chord or by two chords, thereby permitting slip-line fields to be constructed to represent the plastic deformation of the softer material. Account is taken of lubrication conditions. The single chord model is associated with low normal loads, low coefficients of friction and no wear but plastic working of the traversed surface. As normal load is increased there is a transition to the double chord model where the coefficient of friction is higher and where wear occurs due to a cutting action in conjunction with working of the traversed surface. Under certain conditions of lubrication and high loads wear can occur by a tearing mechanism. Experimental findings are cited which confirm that there can be no wear but working of the surface with low loads and wear plus working of the surface with high loads as predicted by the theory.
ER -

AbeJellinek

When you copy that text, switch to Zotero, and run File → Import from Clipboard, do the items it creates have corrupted titles/metadata?

If not, it's most likely other entries in the file that are corrupted.

SampsaLaaksoAtAalto

Yes, this imports fine. Yet the same issue prevails, as there is no way I can manually audit the whole merged file or each individual RIS file.

AbeJellinek

Can you locate one of the corrupted entries in your library, then find it in the merged RIS file (Ctrl-F, paste in the title)? What does it look like in the RIS?

SampsaLaaksoAtAalto

I can't unfortunately because I already deleted all the entries from the Zotero and importing the whole thing again takes longer than I have patience.