Reference list disappearing when I add a reference

dstillman
This discussion was created from comments split from: references disappear from document.
  • Wonganamapetilapilo
    The reference list in my thesis has also disappeared quite a few times. I work with a .docx document on a MacPro computer and it has happened at least five times when I add a reference in the text that an error message appears and the reference list is gone. The references are still there in the text. I have been able once to re-insert the reference list, the other times I've had to go back to an older version of the text (with a working reference list) and remake the latest changes in the text.

    Needless to say, this is quite nerve-wrecking as you try to finish a 300 pages thesis...
  • dstillman
    edited October 14, 2020
    when I add a reference in the text that an error message appears and the reference list is gone
    Could you say more about what exactly is happening? What's the error message? In what way is the reference list gone?

    Unless you've added uncited items, a Zotero bibliography in a document is just a representation of the citations that exist in the document. Even if the bibliography disappeared — which is very unlikely — why would you need to go back to an earlier version of the document? You could just reinsert a bibliography.

    Note that, if you have "Automatically update citations" disabled, the bibliography will disappear when you insert a reference and be replaced by a message saying that it will reappear when you click Refresh. So if that's all you mean, that's perfectly normal behavior.
  • Wonganamapetilapilo
    What happens is that I insert a reference in the text, but the reference does not appear in the text (what I see is "Citation"). At the same time, the reference list at the end of my document disappears. There is a pop-up message saying Zotero encountered an error updating my document.

    Reinserting the bibliography works sometimes, sometimes not.

    I have not disabled "Automatically update citations".
  • dstillman
    Can you provide a Debug ID from Zotero for that happening?

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