Library lookup with openurl resolver

mmckone
Hi Everyone:
I am trying to understand how library lookup works. I do not know if what I am seeing is the way it is supposed to work or if I do not have it configured correctly.

Typical session for me is to search pubmed, import citations in to Zotero. I have added our library's openURL resolver, Serials Solutions, to the library lookup preferences.

When I select a number of citations and invoke the library lookup--it will open browser tabs for each citation, some of them go to the correct site but many of them produce a "403" error. I am doing these searches on campus so I have disabled the proxy redirection.

I understand that pdfs do not download from databases like Pubmed that do not store them but what i am wondering is: if the lookup destinations are Pubmed Central, Proquest, etc. should the pdf download automatically?
  • bwiernik
    If you have access to the PDF on the site (e.g., PubMed central), it should be attached automatically. Verify that you have that setting enabled in the General pane of Zotero preferences. If it isn’t working, can you give some example URLs?

    Regarding some items not working with your library’s resolver, that is unusual. Can you post an example item that doesn’t work (export as Zotero RDF, paste to gist.github.com, and link here)?
  • tcdaly
    I am also trying to work out how library lookup is supposed to work. I have found one resolver that works. It opens the details of a book whose title I've entered in a web browser window. Is there any way of auto-populating the right-hand 'info' pane of Zotero with the data found? Having to copy and paste every field manually seems pretty cumbersome.
  • adamsmith
    There seem to be lots of misunderstandings surrounding the resolver/locate function. It's only role/functionality is to allow you to locate an item in your library (or in whatever other database you have specified for lookup). It doesn't automatically find PDFs and it doesn't automatically import metadata.

    The former is forthcoming in the next version of Zotero. The latter isn't possible at this time, but instead of typing the article into Zotero you can obviously just use your library's discovery tool and import into Zotero from there via the "Save to Zotero" button
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