Zotero standalone not saving references from internet

tractor

I have the Zotero connector extension for Chrome and the icon shows up where appropriate. When I click to save something to my library, a popup appears at the bottom, as normal, saying it is saving to my library. However, I cannot find the item in my library either in the standalone version or my online account.

Please help.

adamsmith

OK, for troubleshooting, let's work with this item:
http://www.worldcat.org/title/wealth-of-nations-books-i-iii/oclc/8424650&referer=brief_results
First, of course, check you see the same behavior on that page.
Then,
1. when you get the "Saving to Zotero" popup--does it display the title of the item or not?
2. In Chrome chrome://extensions/ when you click on "Options" for Zotero: What does it say below "Zotero Standalone"?
3. What's your operating system and what is the version number of your Zotero Standalone (under "About Zotero" in the Gears Menu).

tractor

1. I did not get the same behavior; the title did appear in the popup for this item, and it did appear in my library on the standalone.

2. I see "Zotero Standalone is currently available."

3. Operating system: PC, Windows 8.1
Zotero Stantalone version 4.0.26.1

adamsmith

OK, then please provide a sample URL of an item that doesn't import.

tractor

I am connected to my University by VPN. However, I have been able to successfully use the extension to download citations into the standalone via the VPN, previously.

A sample URL: http://www.jstor.org.proxy2.library.illinois.edu/stable/40101003?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=(housing+displacement)&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3D%2528housing%252Bdisplacement%2529%26amp%3Bprq%3D%2528housing%2Bdisplacement%2529%26amp%3Bgroup%3Dnone%26amp%3Bsd%3D1800%26amp%3Bwc%3Don%26amp%3Bso%3Drel%26amp%3Bhp%3D25%26amp%3Bfc%3Doff%26amp%3Bed%3D1950%26amp%3Bacc%3Don&seq=7#page_scan_tab_contents

adamsmith

when you say VPN - is that the page at https://shibboleth.illinois.edu/idp/Authn/UserPassword where it says "Illinois Login" or an actual VPN client (which could be CISCO or could be through your operating system)?

And does this affect every database you access through your university, best you can tell?

tractor

No, the VPN isn't the shibboleth login; I use a cisco VPN client. In order for me to access the databases of academic articles through my university, I need to have a university IP address, which is what I get by accessing via VPN. Then I also have to login with my credentials on the shibboleth page.

Yes, this affects every database I access through my university as far as I know. I am able to access very few academic articles without these credentials, say, via Google Scholar.

adamsmith

it would be highly unusual if you had to login through Shibboleth and use VPN to access gated resources (Shibboleth routes you through university servers so that those specific requests do have UIUC IPs -- that's why the URL has the proxy2.library.illinois.edu part in it).

Could you try this without VPN?

tractor

I know. But that's how it is. I used to try to access those resources simply by logging in, but it would send me in a login loop. The solution, even according to my university's technology helpdesk, is to always use the VPN when accessing resources off-campus.

adamsmith

OK, then let's try the reverse. Could you try this without Shibboleth? I.e. run VPN and then use

http://www.jstor.org/stable/40101003?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=(housing+displacement)&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3D%2528housing%252Bdisplacement%2529%26amp%3Bprq%3D%2528housing%2Bdisplacement%2529%26amp%3Bgroup%3Dnone%26amp%3Bsd%3D1800%26amp%3Bwc%3Don%26amp%3Bso%3Drel%26amp%3Bhp%3D25%26amp%3Bfc%3Doff%26amp%3Bed%3D1950%26amp%3Bacc%3Don&seq=7#page_scan_tab_contents

If there's something weird going on with your proxy/VPN combination, that's almost certainly also what's breaking Zotero import, so the best strategy is to try to reduce the weirdness there.

tractor

Well, I restarted the computer just to make sure all the login information was gone, and I was able to successfully import the information from that link. I was also able to do a search of several JSTOR articles without logging in through shibboleth. I'm going to see if I can access a few more things without logging in...

tractor

That seems to be a solution! I don't know why the shibboleth login is a problem now when it wasn't before, but I'll just try to remember to not log in.

adamsmith

yeah, there's clearly something wonky going on with Shibboleth--else you wouldn't need the VPN in the first place.
My guess is that somehow Shibboleth is misconfigured and sends the data you're trying to send to Standalone to your university server, which has no idea what to do with them, so they get lost in Nirvana. That's just a guess, though.

tractor

Well, anyhow, thank you very, very much for your help

aurimas

Shibboleth is a web-based proxy, so it should have no ability to interfere with connections that don't explicitly go through proxy2.library.illinois.edu (e.g. the localhost connection from Chrome connector to Standalone)

If you're still interested in troubleshooting, can you try importing one of the pages that worked above without Shibboleth, but after logging in to Shibboleth. Please provide the exact URL as you see it and Debug IDs from both Chrome and Standalone covering this attempt.

Zebracorn

Hi

I use Zotero online within FIrefox. At my old uni I had no problems getting citations into zotero but I have now moved uni and their system uses Shibboleth. Every time I try to download a citation, all that appears in my library is "Shibboleth AUthentication Request" - that phrase is inserted into the Title section of the citation. I had a look at my preferences and disenabled the proxy redirection but it made no difference. ANy ideas? I could really do with being able to make this work quite soon!!

Many thanks

adamsmith

Could you walk us through the steps of what you're doing? And for which database that is?

Zebracorn

Hi, ok so I accessed the university's online library resources and carried out a search using Ovid ( I think, the page crashed so I have lost that now). I got three articles up which are with Wiley Online Library - I opened up the pdf and then clicked on the little manuscript icon - and it just keeps downloading "shibboleth AUthentication request" instead of any metadata. I couldn't get Zotero to download any metadata data off Crossref.org either, but that has always been temperamental. Was that the sort of info you needed?

adamsmith

I couldn't get Zotero to download any metadata data off Crossref.org either

that part I don't follow.

For Wiley -- what's the URL as you see it? And when you hover over the icon in the URL bar (the one you use to import to Zotero), what does it say?

Have you tried any other databases?

Zebracorn

Hi adam

the WIley URL is http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezproxye.bham.ac.uk/doi/10.1111/j.1600-0447.1994.tb01481.x/pdf
When you hover over the icon it says "save to Zotero (wiley online library) - but when you click on it the only info that is saved is "shibboleth authentication request"

I have spoken to the ITservices and Zotero works fine with them - but they're on campus - so it's something to do with security and not being able to download metadata when using their system remotely (even though I can access the journal articles find). Apparently there's nothing that can be done from the uni's end of things, is there anything I can do from mine?

(Re: crossref - it's a website for getting DOIs for journal articles., I have found it very temperamental, sometimes it downloads citations fine and others it just seems to get stuck on the little pop-up saying "saving to My Library" but nothing actually happens.)

adamsmith

And this is on Firefox, right? I'd maybe try playing with cookie settings as per 10.I here:
https://www.zotero.org/support/troubleshooting_translator_issues

For Crossref -- you know you can input DOIs directly into Zotero using the magic wand icon? (which then queries CrossRef). We've found the CrossRef API to be very reliable, so you really shouldn't see anything temperamental about that.

Zebracorn

Ok great, I'll try that then.

I have not yet found the magic wand icon, I'll look for that and have a play! I don't know why the crossref website doesn't always work, I think I have a detrimental effect on computers...!

Thanks very much for your help

Chen42

I am having all the problems above and have tried every fix and PLOS entries don't save and the test link also does not save.
I am using the Chrome stand-alone and have updated 5 times since I downloaded yesterday. As I write this and try other pages, I am getting error messages saying that Zotero is unreachable. Also getting save messages, but nothing is saved. This is happening against a wide range of sites.

dstillman

@Chen42:

I am getting error messages saying that Zotero is unreachable. Also getting save messages, but nothing is saved.

Start here: https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/connection_error

And start a new thread if you're still having trouble.