From Procite to Zotero

Pierre M
Hello, I want to import an old Procite database (small one +/- 600) in Zotero.
Procite for Mac, 1992 version open in MAc OS 9.4 (classic).

I can open Procite on an old MAC running OS 9.
I did not find how to transfer the files in a format readable by Zotero.
i tried http://www.refworks.com/rwathens/help/Exporting_from_Bibliographic_Programs_and_Importing_into_RefWorks.htm#ProCite
but it is not working.
My version of Procite is too old. I do not have RIS output style.
What can I do ?
Thanks
Pierre
  • adamsmith
    Can you export in any format? Which?
  • noksagt
    Unfortunately, I think the first version or two of ProCite have have come with no useful export formats. If that's the case, it would make this a question not about Zotero, but "how do I leave ProCite 1 for ANYTHING ELSE?"


    I've not used versions of ProCite that old, nor do I have manuals. Thus, I could be mistaken. But I believe the "punctuation file"/"output style" format changed at least once since then and I do have limited experience in dealing with someone else's legacy ProCite for MacOS database. Many years ago (as a student), I was tasked with importing a 10,000+ record database of this format into refbase. We had no money for this, of course. After a lot of back-and-forth with the original database owner, the best solution ended up being to follow instructions we found on getting ProCite to export a comma-separated format (or, possibly into the old dbase-III format (!))...

    So...you likely have these options:
    • Find a more modern version of ProCite (I believe there are still demo versions on ISI's servers) and follow the migration instructions you've found
    • Figure out how to get a flat tile/text (e.g. CSV) out & follow instructions on how to massage that kind of data into something Zotero can import.
    • Try to create a punctuation file to allow you to export your data into e.g. BibTeX or something that you can convert into RIS
    The first is likely the easiest and will retain the most data. I knowthe second will actually work, but is a struggle. The last is likely more difficult than it sounds (I haven't created punctuation files, but (from what I recall of trying this route before giving up) there are fundamental limitations that make punctuation files for export really hard (e.g. lack of ability to make line-endings or other rare/protected, poor handling of fields that are missing or poorly formatted (different author delimiters, for example)).
  • DWL-SDCA
    edited November 18, 2015
    I remember helping someone do this a few years ago. The trick was to print instead of export from Procite.

    I found a post to this forum that I made in 2012:
    It is near the bottom of the thread so I reproduce it for you below--

    https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/17941/importing-from-procite-to-zotero-standalone/
    If I recall correctly:

    Within ProCite, select Print Bibliography from the File menu.

    Select the RIS output style and configure the RIS output to include the fields you want. Abstract is off by default; so select it.

    Select Save, and Text Only as your file type.
    Edit: Please let everyone know if this works for you.


    At the time (about 3 years ago) I received an email from someone who recommended an AWK utility to do the same task. The link still works but I have no idea if the utility is useful.


    http://www.mackichan.com/index.html?bibdb/tools.html~mainFrame
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