Importing/exporting Zotero RDF results in loss of fields

francois_thibeault_UdS

When I exported my bibliography, I chose Zotero RDF (including attachment and notes). Then, after reimporting on another drive, and opening in Zotero, all <Publication>, <Volume>, <Numéro> (in French) fields were lost.

My bibliography includes over 3000 references... so manual editing would be a nightmare.

I've opened the RDF file in a text editor, and the fields that correspond to <Publication>, <Volume> and <Numéro> seem to be there. See the example below.

How can I recover the lost fields in my reimported bibliography?

EXAMPLE OF AN ENTRY IN THE RDF FILE

<bib:Article rdf:about="#item_5786">
<z:itemType>journalArticle</z:itemType>
<dcterms:isPartOf>
<bib:Journal>
<dc:title>Int J Palliat Nurs</dc:title>
<prism:volume>15</prism:volume>
<prism:number>10</prism:number>
</bib:Journal>
</dcterms:isPartOf>
<bib:authors>
<rdf:Seq>
<rdf:li>
<foaf:Person>
<foaf:surname>Gielen</foaf:surname>
<foaf:givenname>J.</foaf:givenname>
</foaf:Person>
</rdf:li>
<rdf:li>
<foaf:Person>
<foaf:surname>van den Branden</foaf:surname>
<foaf:givenname>S.</foaf:givenname>
</foaf:Person>
</rdf:li>
<rdf:li>
<foaf:Person>
<foaf:surname>van Iersel</foaf:surname>
<foaf:givenname>T.</foaf:givenname>
</foaf:Person>
</rdf:li>
<rdf:li>
<foaf:Person>
<foaf:surname>Broeckaert</foaf:surname>
<foaf:givenname>B.</foaf:givenname>
</foaf:Person>
</rdf:li>
</rdf:Seq>
</bib:authors>
<link:link rdf:resource="#item_5787"/>
<dc:subject>2013-04-24-1426</dc:subject>
<dc:subject>attitude-opinion</dc:subject>
<dc:subject>infirmière</dc:subject>
<dc:subject>PAD dementia</dc:subject>
<dc:subject>palliatif</dc:subject>
<dc:title>Flemish palliative care nurses' attitudes toward euthanasia: a quantitative study</dc:title>
<dcterms:abstract>AIM: To adequately measure the attitudes of Flemish palliative care nurses toward euthanasia, and assess the relationship between these attitudes and demographic factors and the (perceived) influence of experience in palliative care on death anxiety. METHOD: An anonymous questionnaire was sent to all nurses (n=589) employed in palliative care in Flanders, Belgium: 70.5% of the nurses (n=415) responded. RESULTS: A majority of the nurses supported the Belgian law regulating euthanasia but also believed that most euthanasia requests disappear as soon as a patient experiences the benefits of good palliative care. Three clusters were discovered: staunch advocates of euthanasia (150 nurses, 41.1%); moderate advocates of euthanasia (135 nurses, 37%); and (moderate) opponents of euthanasia (80 nurses, 21.9%). An absolute opposition between advocates and opponents of euthanasia was not observed. A statistically significant relationship was found between the euthanasia clusters and years of experience in palliative care, and (perceived) influence of experience in palliative care on anxiety when a patient dies. CONCLUSIONS: Flemish palliative care nurses' attitudes toward euthanasia are nuanced and contextual. By indicating that most euthanasia requests disappear as soon as a patient experiences the benefits of good palliative care, the nurses applied a 'palliative filter' a standard procedure in the case of a euthanasia request.</dcterms:abstract>
<bib:pages>488–497</bib:pages>
<dc:date>2009</dc:date>
<dc:description>undefined
Oct
Flemish palliative care nurses' attitudes toward euthanasia: a quantitative study
1357-6321 (Print)
1357-6321 (Linking)
20081721
Gielen, Joris
van den Branden, Stef
van Iersel, Trudie
Broeckaert, Bert
England
International journal of palliative nursing
Int J Palliat Nurs. 2009 Oct;15(10):488-97.
Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Religion and World View, Catholic University Leuven, Belgium. Joris.Gielen@theo.kuleuven.be
NLM
eng</dc:description>
</bib:Article>
<z:Attachment rdf:about="#item_5787">
<z:itemType>attachment</z:itemType>
<rdf:resource rdf:resource="files/5787/Gielen et al. - 2009 - Flemish palliative care nurses.pdf"/>
<dc:title>Gielen et al. - 2009 - Flemish palliative care nurses.pdf</dc:title>
<dcterms:dateSubmitted>2013-10-21 16:19:32</dcterms:dateSubmitted>
<dc:identifier>
<dcterms:URI>
<rdf:value>http://content.ebscohost.com/pdf23_24/pdf/2009/GHF/01Oct09/44935557.pdf?T=P&amp;P=AN&amp;K=2010465362&amp;S=R&amp;D=rzh&amp;EbscoContent=dGJyMMvl7ESeqK84zdnyOLCmr0uep7BSr6+4SrGWxWXS&amp;ContentCustomer=dGJyMPGusUu0qLVKuePfgeyx44Dt6fJJ&lt;/rdf:value&gt;
</dcterms:URI>
</dc:identifier>
<link:type>application/pdf</link:type>
</z:Attachment>

aurimas

There's currently an issue with those fields and we're aware of it. Fix should be coming soon, but part of the issue is the way the data is exported, so you would have to re-export after this is fixed (Edit: will probably take a few days, we'll post an update here).

But why are you using Zotero RDF to transfer so many items? Are you migrating a library? If so, see http://www.zotero.org/support/kb/transferring_a_library Perhaps you are trying to share your data with someone else? In which case you should use groups http://www.zotero.org/support/groups

adamsmith

could I first ask why you want to export/import a massive library in Zotero RDF? That's not a good way of transferring your library:
http://www.zotero.org/support/kb/transferring_a_library

francois_thibeault_UdS

Thanks for the advice. I'm migrating the library from Drive A to Drive B on a different computer. No sharing is involved here.

Gosh! I should have thought about simply copying/pasting my Zotero folder... It's basically what I'll do right now!

Solved.

francois_thibeault_UdS

Oups! Not solved.

The issue is that I have one library A and one library B. Library A is on computer One and library B is on computer 2.

I want to add all references contained in library B to library A, and keep library A. Therefore, I just cannot simply copy/paste the Zotero folder from computer Two to computer One, since that would erase my library A.

Advices?

francois_thibeault_UdS

The whole folder on computer B is 979,7 Mo. Thus Zotero sync is out of the question.

francois_thibeault_UdS

I'd need to merge the two sqlite files, but I suppose this is only for experts!

I suppose I can't only copy the "locate", "storage", "styles" and "translators" folders. The sqlite file must be essential, right?

francois_thibeault_UdS

Could I create two separate Firefox profiles instead? Say, one profile for library A and one profile for library B?

This would not be perfect, but workable...

adamsmith

You can't merge the sqlites yourself, no, and yes, it's essential.

Why not use Zotero sync? That's designed for that purpose. Syncing of the database is always free.
You can then copy over the contents of the storage folder for the attachments.

francois_thibeault_UdS

The solution posted here would not work, obviously:
http://www.zotero.org/support/kb/merging_libraries

This solution depends on RDF import/export, which is the cause of my problem!

aurimas

The solution on that page is also not ideal (we should fix it).

You should merge by syncing as per adamsmith's suggestion. Disable file syncing, upgrade your Zotero storage, or use WebDAV to sync files. http://www.zotero.org/support/sync#file_syncing

adamsmith

yeah, that article shouldn't exist anymore. It predates the existence of Zotero sync.

francois_thibeault_UdS

I could use my own WebDav to sync the two libraries, but WebDav will only be used to share the attached files, not the entry fields (Zotero server is the default for syncing entry data).

aurimas

correct

francois_thibeault_UdS

adamsmith wrote
You can then copy over the contents of the storage folder for the attachments.

If I simply copy/paste the storage folder, will the item ID be kept in the process? Will there be conflict with the other, already existing library?

aurimas

If I simply copy/paste the storage folder, will the item ID be kept in the process? Will there be conflict with the other, already existing library?

The IDs would remain the same. There's a very very very very small chance (and I mean very small) that there may be the same id in the other library.

I'm still not sure why you're against using zotero.org to sync

Edit: err. sorry, you're not. misread

aurimas

But also note that you don't want to copy the storage folder itself and replace existing storage folder. You want to merge the contents.

adamsmith

copying over the contents of the storage folder is the 2nd part of a two-step operation:
1. Sync both libraries with Zotero (with file sync disabled)
2. Copy over the contents of the storage folder

Step 2 does nothing without step one.
You're also doing this all at a bit frenzied pace - take some time to read & digest the various suggestions, maybe read the sync documentation etc. Then decide what you want to do, if you unsure if it'll work, just ask.

francois_thibeault_UdS

The issue is not that I'm against Zotero sync. It's because I really thought that syncing the library database (not the attachment) was limited to 300 Mo, and I was against buying more space. But if syncing the database alone is always free, and if I can use my own WebDav for the file attachments, then I'm OK. Or, I can simply copy/paste the content of the storage folder, as told above.

adamsmith

if you do have a webDAV and you're going to keep using both computers, I'd definitely use that, so that attachments stay in sync. If you only want to do this once, copying might be faster.