Getting bib details into Zotero on an Android device

richard.masters

I carry a powerful Android phone with me at all times and assumed that I would be able to add items to my Zotero library using only that device.

Rather surprisingly it looks like I cannot.

I search my university library (yorsearch.york.ac.uk) and get to the details of the item of interest. At that point I:

1. Tried to use the Zotero bookmarklet for Chrome on Android - didn't work.
2. Tried to use the Zotero bookmarklet for Internet browser on Android - didn't work.
3. Saved the details in RIS format - no way to import this to Zotero library on Android / web.
4. Saved the details in BibTeX format - no way to import this to Zotero library on Android / web.

It seems that my Library is doing its bit in supplying the details in a number of ways (and I could get these into EasyBib, EndNote and RefWorks with little friction) but Zotero does not provide a way of capturing any of them when on Android.

Given that so much of what we do now is handled quite capably by Android, I am surprised that Zotero has not developed that way. Or have I missed something?

bwiernik

The bookmarklet generally works. Can you give more detail about what "didn't work" means?

richard.masters

I followed the instructions here ( https://www.zotero.org/downloadbookmarklet ) to get the bookmark in Chrome on my Android phone (S8).

When I go to yorsearch.york.ac.uk and search for any book (e.g. this one http://yorsearch.york.ac.uk/44YORK:LS_44YORK_ALMA_DS:44YORK_ALMA_DS21222107950001381 ) and then use the "Save to Zotero" bookmark, nothing (literally nothing) happens.

If I go to the same URL in Chrome on Windows and click the "Save to Zotero" extension icon, the item is saved in Zotero.

fcheslack

Unfortunately the instructions are for older versions. The android browser and Chrome for android have changed how they treat bookmarklets many times over the years.

As far as I can tell, the current version of chrome for android no longer supports bookmarklets at all. The location bar isn't actually a location bar and any javascript in it gets interpreted as a search. And as you saw, if it's triggered from the bookmarks menu it just can't figure out what to do with it at all.

noksagt

This workaround worked for me:

• Enable chrome syncing on desktop and android
• Add bookmarklet on Desktop Chrome and wait for it to sync with android
• When on the page you'd like to save, begin typing the name of the bookmarklet ("Save to Zotero") in Chrome on Android & click the bookmarklet when it comes up.

fcheslack

Indeed. It seems you don't need to force the sync to get it to work. I just couldn't get it to suggest the bookmark at first when typing into the bar.

@noksagt did you actually get the save to go through?

noksagt

fcheslack: yes, the save goes through. I tried an amazon book. Naturally, you need to be logged in to the Zotero site.

Some pages give an error, but the import still happens.

richard.masters

@noksagt Many thanks for the advice - it's not a process I would have thought to try and it deserves to be more widely advertised in the Zotero community! I've just tried it and it worked for the main use case I have: my university's library catalogue.

Thanks again.