Moving items from My Library to a group library containing another version of the item

megguttmacher

When I drag an item from My Library to a group library containing another version of that item (i.e., one with slightly different metadata), what is supposed to happen? Currently, it looks like the item isn't moved, and the version in the group library remains. Is there a threshold of metadata differences that must be reached in order for Zotero to believe the dragged item is distinct from the version in the group library?

adamsmith

The item isn't moved if it originates from the same item, regardless of how similar or different the metadata is.
i.e. moving an item to group, then modifying item (either in group or personal library), the moving again doesn't work. Same if the item was originally created in the group.

megguttmacher

Got it, thanks!

adamsmith

(changes for this have been talked about for a long time -- it's neither very intuitive nor very useful, but I don't know when those are going to land).

margaretha

I have a problem potentially connected to this: I created a document with citations from my library, then moved all items to a group library and reconnected citations in the text to the items in the group library. now in the bibliography still one item appears from my library, although non cited in the text (Miller, 1990a and Miller, 1990b, but in the text only Miller, 1990a is cited). Any suggestion of how to get rid of that entry in the bibliography?

adamsmith

Guess would be that there's a hidden copy of the item that's not fully deleted in the document. Set your word processor to show field codes and track it down:
https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/word_field_codes

margaretha

thanks, that works!