Is there a list of field codes for RIS import (Procite to Zotero)?

Alejandro Paz

Hi,

I'm a relatively new Zotero user. I'm trying to convert my nearly 4000 record Procite database to Zotero. I've read as much as I could find here on the basics of RIS import (including 1429 and 17941 on Procite, and several others on Endnote, including the lengthy 17). I downloaded the RIS-Endnote.pos for outputting a text file from Procite, and began editing it to ease the import to Zotero. For example, I corrected the T1/T2 problem with Book Sections, and part of the Editor being read as Contributor with Book Sections (still getting the second editor showing up as Contributor, but the problem is the POS, not RIS.js).

The problem I have as I get the output ready is that several items are being converted in the process from fields to notes. I could edit the RIS-Endnote.pos to produce something more recognizable to Zotero RIS importer if I knew what field codes would be recognized. (I've been trying to go through the RIS.js file, but it's logic isn't intuitive to me.) For example, what code should I have the RIS-Endnote.pos output for Call Number so that the RIS.js would import that to the Zotero field for Call Number? Does a list of such codes exist, beyond what is at Refman.com for RIS? Or would I have to edit the RIS.js? (Editing is probably beyond me at this point.)

Thanks for your help.

ajlyon

The RIS import doesn't yet support call numbers; I'm not sure the RIS standard even has a way to represent them. I made a custom version that imports callNumber from ZZ:

Go to http://github.com/ajlyon/zotero-bits/raw/master/RIS.js and save the file to the translators directory of your Zotero data directory (http://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data).

Alejandro Paz

Great, thanks so much for the info for call numbers, and for the latest RIS.js (assuming that's the latest). I tried to figure out if I had the latest RIS.js, and hit a link in an another thread, but it had been removed.

I'm nearly there in converting my Procite database to maximize the useful info that I'll get into Zotero. One thing I'm still missing is a way to identify the translator of a work. I've managed to get the editors identified as editors using "ED", but I have an idea of how to preserve translators if I had a code, say "TR". I looked at what is written in your RIS.js for editor, and I was wondering if the following would work for translator, if added:

} else if(tag == "TR") {
var names = value.split(/, ?/);
item.creators.push({lastName:names[0], firstName:names[1], creatorType:"translator"});

Then later, under // creators, would I add:

} else if (item.creators[j].creatorType == "translator") {
risTag = "TR";

I think that would make my conversion as complete as possible. Btw, I doubt there are many Procite users still out there, but I'm happy to upload the edited version of RIS-Endnote.pos, if there's a good place for this. It has these mappings already edited in for the major workforms that I use.

ajlyon

What I posted is a modified version of RIS.js that I made to fit your needs. The change you suggest for translators looks correct.

I don't know where to suggest you upload the Procite export file-- it's not directly related to Zotero, and I don't know the license status of the ouput filters.

bdarcus

Is TR valid RIS? I don't think so.

Rintze

I would try the ProCite forum if you want the makers to update the output style:
http://community.thomsonreuters.com/ts/?category.id=procite

ajlyon

bdarcus: I'm suggesting that Alejandro customize RIS.js for this one-time import. I don't think RIS has ways of representing translators and call numbers-- but here we just need a way to get the data into Zotero fairly cleanly. Inventing tags for one-time use is the easiest way to make that happen.

bdarcus

@ajlyon - so is ProCite exporting those tags by default, or is this some custom thing on that end?

Would be nice to know what other apps do with translators.

ajlyon

It appears that Alejandro is modifying the ProCite export schema to include those fields.

Alejandro Paz

Hi, thanks again. Yes, as ajlyon notes, this is customizing the RIS.To answer bdarcus, it is possible to edit the output in Procite by editing the RIS-EndNote.POS (I believe that this was initially developed to help Procite users to migrate to Endnote).

Now the stuff I added to the RIS.js to try and get the names of translators to transfer didn't work. That's not a big deal, since I only have 123 such works. Strangely however, the call number fix that ajlyon gave me no longer works! I re-downloaded the RIS.js that ajlyon set up, and tried to re-import the same document that had previously worked, and it still won't work again. I can't imagine why. Here's an example of an entry that worked yesterday (before my additions to the RIS.js for translator), and now won't work (with RIS.js from ajlyon):

TY - BOOK
N1 - Record ID: 16360
A1 - Strathern, Marilyn
T1 - The gender of the gift: problems with women and problems with society in Melanesia
CY - Berkeley
PB - University of California Press
PY - 1988
N1 - Extent of Work: xv, 422 p
T3 - Studies in Melanesian anthropology
N1 - Series Volume ID: 6
SN - 0520064232 (alk. paper). 0520072022 (pbk)
N2 - none yet
ZZ - GN668 .S69 1988
305.4/0993 19
KW - Agency Practice
KW - Melanesians -- Social life and customs
KW - Women -- Melanesia -- Social conditions
KW - Feminism
KW - Sex role -- Melanesia
KW - Antropologia Cult Social
KW - Mulher E Feminismo
KW - Society
KW - Role of
KW - Women
KW - Melanesia
ER -

I've tried re-opening Firefox several times. I can't think what else might have happened. Does Zotero use some kind of cache in Firefox?

Thanks

ajlyon

No, there's no cache. Try reinstalling one more time from Github-- not sure what's causing this.

What is happening when the import fails? Does anything show up in "Report errors" in the gear menu?

Alejandro Paz

Ah! Yes, in the report errors it had errors because it was using the RIS.js that I had renamed (e.g., RIS-old.js) instead, and showing an error that RIS-old was already loaded. Now the call numbers work. I'm going to try the translator stuff again.

Thanks!

Alejandro Paz

Just for sake of completeness, now that I only have one file, RIS.js, the extra information I added for names of translators, listed above, does work. (The problem is still with the Procite, which for some reason won't assign more than one TR or ED. Here I'll just import in different stages and edit the text file.)

Thanks for all the help. I'm going to miss certain aspects of Procite (groups and global edits), but I think Zoteros advantages are clear. Not to mention that it's still being developed.