newly-added items not available for citation

pm486

I'm using a Mac, running OS 10.8.5, all Zotero versions and plug ins are up to date. If I add a new reference to my library, it is unavailable when I want to plug a citation into my Word document. A couple of times, I've restarted the computer, and the most recent item shows up and is citeable--but that's really cumbersome!! Any suggestions for how to do this more readily? Thank you!

dstillman

I'd guess that you're using the Chrome or Safari connector but have Zotero Standalone closed, in which case the connector saves to the server. (This could also happen if Zotero shows as offline from the connector for some reason.) You'd then have to sync to get the items back into your local library for citing.

Make sure you have Standalone open and that it shows as online from the connector (if you hover over the toolbar icon in Safari or if you go the connector's options in the Chrome extension preferences),

adamsmith

How are you importing items to Zotero? Which Zotero versions do you have installed? One way this could be happening is that you have two Zotero databases on your computer (e.g. one in Firefox one on Standalone), connected by syncing. In that case, new items would only show up after sync and a restart would be one way to trigger that.

edit: or what Dan says. Depends on whether you're checking your database locally when you're trying to cite something.

pm486

I'm using Firefox; Zotero standalone is open.

Zotero version is 4.0.12; Zotero Word for Mac Integration is 3.5.7.

How do I find out if I have two databases...?

Also, I just restarted (again!), but the item I had just added is still not showing up on the list of available resources to cite once I've made a place for it in the document.

aurimas

Can you open both Zotero Standalone and Zotero in Firefox at the same time? (Don't worry if you can't)

pm486

I've logged into the stand alone, so I'm in my library there. I can also go up to the Firefox menu bar and under Tools I can click on Zotero, which opens a different window--that window does not reflect changes I've made in the library (eg, some deletions, some additions, some changes to collections contents).

(I've been using the standalone library--I'd just as soon get rid of the other one, to avoid confusion. Though this doesn't affect the situation I have w/ unciteable items.)

adamsmith

I think when you're saying "logged into the standalone" you're misunderstanding something - Standalone is a separate program that may or may not be installed on your computer (i.e. in the applications folder). There is no such thing as logging into Standalone. Is Zotero Standalone installed?

pm486

Yes, Zotero Standalone had been installed, but you're right, I hadn't been using it. I've now opened it from my Applications folder and imported all the everything from the other one; I also restarted Word.

I was feeling very hopeful, but the item I'd added still shows up in my library and in the collection, and I still can't cite it.

pm486

I'm not clear about the function of the Zotero I can reach from Firefox--which does require that I log in. When I do that, it seems I have a whole bunch of additional tools available to me that don't show up on the app.

The standalone application (which I've just synced) doesn't show all the materials I'd loaded into the other one.

(Also, how the heck do I edit a reference once I've loaded it into Zotero, w/o deleting it and re-entering all over again?)

adamsmith

hmm- somehow you seem to be rather confused about Zotero. To be quite honest I have a hard time even following your questions. So the easiest would be if you're around an academic library that supports Zotero or if you have a friend or colleague who knows Zotero decently well to ask for in-person help. This is much easier in person.

I can try to clear this up a bit, but this will take a while to disentangle.

Let's start with this:
There is absolutely no functionality in Zotero that requires you to log in.

There are three ways you can be looking at your Zotero library:
1. In Zotero standalone (ZSA), a standalone application accessible from your applications folder

2. In Zotero for Firefox (ZFF). A Firefox add-on that you can access by clicking on the "Zotero" logo at the bottom right of your Firefox browser. In a normal set-up this will require Standalone to be closed.

3. Online on zotero.org by clicking on My Library

You only need to log in for 3., but there is absolutely no reason to use it on a computer where you have 1. or 2. installed.

1. and 2. provide you with pretty much equivalent - and complete functionality. You can just edit item information for any item in the right hand panel.
They're also the only components that interface with the Word plugin. There is no way to have the online library interact with your word processor.

If you add data at to 3. it will only show up in 1. and 2. (and thus your Word plugin) after you sync:

So that's the basic structure.
I'm not even sure how and where you've been adding items, so that would be the first thing to clear up.

pm486

Re: logging in: having received your note, I clicked on the link to respond--this was not an option, without logging in (I could only see the messages back and forth up to that point--there was no "Add your comments" box until I'd logged in). If you have a way for me to get them to you, I'll send you screen shots.

I'm in the middle of a paper--admittedly not the best way to learn this stuff, but it's really not an option to go find a tutor right now. So I do appreciate your hanging in here with me.

You mention ZFF should require that ZFA be closed--it doesn't. I wonder if some of the problem is I'm using a Mac and that's not a platform you guys use very much?

Does it matter if I use ZFA or ZFF? Can I use them both at the same time or is there a sync problem? (Not clear why there should be two versions to begin with...seems an invitation to confusion)

Finally, with which one, and how, do I edit an entry that's already been made?

Thanks so much for your help~

Patience

adamsmith

Re: logging in: having received your note, I clicked on the link to respond--this was not an option, without logging in

sure, you need to log in to use the forum. Just not to use Zotero itself.

You mention ZFF should require that ZFA be closed--it doesn't. I wonder if some of the problem is I'm using a Mac and that's not a platform you guys use very much?

at least one, if not both of the main developers use Mac principally, so that's certainly not the issue. I would recommend for the time being to make sure that ZSA is closed and only use ZFF, that will make things easier for you. Once you're done with your paper we can revisit this, but that's just complicating things right now and there's no particular reason to use ZSA if you're using Firefox anyway.

Next question is - how exactly are you adding items to Zotero?
That might help us understand where your Zotero items are going.

Finally, with which one, and how, do I edit an entry that's already been made?

You click on an item in the middle panel and edit it in the right-hand panel.

pm486

I've closed ZSA.

In answer to your question: I added some things by dragging them to the Zotero screen. Others I've been able to add by clicking on the icon in the url bar. Others I've added manually.

I found the editing function--thank you!

Patience

adamsmith

OK, so far so good.

Now add a new item using the url bar icon, check that it is in ZFF and then see if you can cite it in Word.
For files that you drag to Zotero, you first need to attach them to a Zotero item, else you won't be able to cite them. You can do so either by using right-click-->retrieve metadata for PDF or using right-click --> Create Parent Item

pm486

This is really helpful--do I have to attach them as I create them, or can I do it after? I used the plus in the green circle to add an item, but it didn't offer a "parent" option. I'm using a Mac, so no right-click available.

When I do click on the item, I can add it to a collection, delete it from a collection, move it to the trash, or edit it--where should I be looking for the "parent" function?

Thanks!
p

dstillman

Control-click is right-click on a Mac (or two-finger click on a trackpad, depending on settings).

pm486

perfect!! thank you!!

P

adamsmith

If right-click isn't available on your Mac (you should be able to configure "secondary click" on your Trackpad, though, e.g. as two finger tab or a right-click ), ctrl+click is the same as right click.

So you need to be able to distinguish between files and Zotero items.
Files in Zotero typically have a file-icon (you can easily recognize the PDF icon, e.g.), whereas Zotero items have the same type of icons you see in the URL bar - the blue book for books, the lined page for articles etc. Zotero items have many fields to add metadata in the right hand panel. Files just give you a couple of fields like Filename, Accessed, Modified that you can't directly edit.
Zotero items you can cite. Files you need to attach to a Zotero item before you can cite them.
Right clicking on a file will open a context menu that includes the option "Create Parent Item" towards the bottom.

If you create a new item using the green plus sign, then select an item type and manually enter the information you're good. Those are ready to cite. If you drag a file to Zotero from Finder or your Desktop, you need to follow the steps to attach it to a Zotero Item.

You can do this at any time.

pm486

I'm engraving this response on my desktop for future reference--this is exactly what I needed to know (clears up confusion on so many fronts)--thanks so much! Have a great evening!

P

adamsmith

glad that worked out.