Zotero and EndNote

Yochicc

Hi, I have been using Endnote since their 2nd version (sometime in the 90s). My library now has nearly 22,000 references. EndNote has become very slow recently, and it has become impossible to work with it. Their customer support says it is because I am using TimeCapsule to backup my computer to an external drive. I am working on Endnote from my computer, and it is not backed up on any cloud server.

So, I am considering a transfer to Zotero.

1. Is it possible to sync the data across Endnote and Zotero regularly so regardless of what happens, I can continue my work?
2. If I sync my Zotero to your servers and something happens to my laptop library, will it also affect the synched files on Zotero servers and hence my other computers?
3. Will I face the same issues with Zotero as I have with EndNote due to backing up my computer to an external HD?
4. Any suggestions or ideas about the best way to conduct this move?
5. If there is an issue that requires a high level of support (including phone), can I get it in Zotero?

Thank you so much,

Yochi

adamsmith

1. Is it possible to sync the data across Endnote and Zotero regularly so regardless of what happens, I can continue my work?

Not really, no. You can regularly export new items from Endnote and import them into Zotero, but there's no meaningful sync.

2. If I sync my Zotero to your servers and something happens to my laptop library, will it also affect the synched files on Zotero servers and hence my other computers?

That depends on the meaning of "something happened" -- if you accidentally delete an item and then empty the trash then yes, that'll also get deleted on all synced machines. (Though you would be able to restore from a local back-up). If something external happened, e.g. a harddisk failure or a typical ransomware attack, that wouldn't affect synced instances.

3. Will I face the same issues with Zotero as I have with EndNote due to backing up my computer to an external HD?

I'd suspect that Endnote support is wrong about this, but regardless, backing up Zotero via TimeMachine is not a problem. It's recommended and I suspect lots of people do this.

4. Any suggestions or ideas about the best way to conduct this move?

https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/endnote_import
Note, and this might be quite relevant in your case, that there is no reasonable way to transfer citations in documents you're currently working on from Endnote to Zotero.

5. If there is an issue that requires a high level of support (including phone), can I get it in Zotero?

All support happens here on the forums, and you always get high level support: https://www.zotero.org/why#unparalleled-support

Yochicc

Thank you SOO much. I very much appreciate your answers and help.
It seems that I will need to pay $120 due to my library size, so in the meantime, I will put the transfer on hold, but your information is very valuable to me.

All the best,

Yochi

adamsmith

Note that this isn't the cost of using Zotero, so you'll never need to pya it. It's only necessary for syncing file attachments to the Zotero servers and between devices, so you can fully use Zotero without ever paying a cent.

bwiernik

And for your personal library, you can also sync files using a WebDAV service, rather than Zotero servers. There are many WebDAV services that provide free storage space. https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/webdav_services

Yochicc

Thanks, Adam and bwiernik (sorry, I can't figure out your name).
Our library liaison gave me some info on these servers, but it seems as though DropBox is the best option for me due to the size of storage I need. But, linking files to records seems to be very complicated, and it seems as though I will need to do it for each record separately, which, of course, will not work for me. Since I use my citation manager constantly, user-friendliness/efficiency is the name of the game.
So yes, I understand that it is not using Zotero that I will be paying for, but it will be moving away from Endnote that I will ;-). Mentally, I am nearly there, but financially not really, at least for now...

bwiernik

I suggest a platform other than Dropbox https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/webdav_services

Yochicc

Yes, but I will need to pay for all of them because I have lots to store, so it is not worth it. If I have to pay, I say with Zotero...

bwiernik

If you want to use Dropbox, option 1 here is pretty straightforward to set up https://www.zotero.org/support/sync#alternative_syncing_solutions

We can help you can that set up if you have questions

Yochicc

OK, I will give it another look. Can you tell me what are the downsides of working with this method? Will it sync every time I am working with a PDF it adding a PDF?

It is the end of the semester and I am flooded, but I do want to try it. I will get back in touch with you in a week or two to set it up. Will that be OK?

Thank you so much,

Yochi

bwiernik

The major downsides are you won’t be able to access files from the zotero.org web library, and it’s a little more fragile because it depends on an outside sync service.

Yochicc

Got it. Thank you!! the question is how it will influence my daily work.

bwiernik

I don’t think you will notice

Yochicc

Sounds good. I will contact you in a week or two when things calm down a bit here.