Date settings default YYYY?

DrDebbieEllen

Hello

I've checked the archive but not found the answer to my question. Can I set the date to default to Year only? When Zotero imports references it currently automatically assigns a date in full format DD\MM\YYYY.

Most of the time this isn't needed (journal articles) and I waste time editing the field. I know it doesn't get displayed like that for every reference type in bibliographies, but I'd like to be able to select a default date setting of YYYY but don't know how (if it is possible).

Thanks

Debbie

damnation

Which citation style are you using. This is easily changed.

DrDebbieEllen

Hello, thanks for your response. My question relates to the inputs into Zotero, not the citation style. I would like to be able to set the default as YYYY when references are automatically imported (e.g. from a journal site) rather than picking up DD/MM/YYY.

I know that when I generate a bibliography I won't get 1/1/2014 for a journal date, but I don't want the DD/MM/YYYY date format as default when references come into Zotero.

Debbie

mark

This is an old and thorny issue which as far as I know has seen little development over the years: https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/14572/a-ui-proposal-for-a-better-date-field/p1

DrDebbieEllen

Thanks for the back story :(

adamsmith

Well, but I don't think we'd ever have an import option that throws out data and I honestly don't understand why one would want that. For the middle panel, where I do understand this, there is a separate "Year" column that you may find useful.

DrDebbieEllen

Other software allows you to see the date in different ways. Its also about being mindful of non academic users of information in group libraries. Online unless I delete the full date that has been imported, it displays as February 1st 2005 but a citation for a journal article would generally just be 2005.

Most of the people I'm sharing the information with will only see if via a group library online. If they add references online I don't want them struggling to look for full dates on journal articles because they are modelling their new reference on one that reads 1 Feb 2005.... So back to my point about not wanting that date information.

I'm working on a project where most of the people I'm sharing with aren't academics (or have experience of referencing) but I do want them to add information, but also I don't want to be spending time supporting that or having to check their work. As the online library doesn't automatically import they will be working manually.

HTH

Debbie

adamsmith

I'm OK with different displays of dates (which is what mark links to and what Zotero in a limited fashion, via the Year column in the client, supports already).
I'm not sure how much that's going to make it to the online version even if it's implemented in the client, to be honest.

What I think is a bad idea is to provide an option to throw out metadata on import, even if you'd find it helpful for your particular use case.