Insert attached files into Bibliography list

norambello

I would like to know how to set up my bibliography list in a Word document so that each item listed in the bibliography has a link to the file that I attached to the corresponding item in the Zotero library.

In this way, anybody I share the Word document with can have access to the actual files that are cited and referenced in the Word document.

Is this possible? Thank you.

bwiernik

There isn't a straightforward procedure, but it may be possible. What exactly is your use case here? What do you want to do with such a document?

norambello

In a Word document, I need to be able to click on each item in the bibliography list and have the (pdf) file attached to that item open up. Alternatively, clicking on the citation and having the (pdf) file come up would also work. Each item in the Zotero library has a pdf file attached to it.

Thank you for your help.

norambello

Maybe there is some other way to attain the same objective of being able to access the file attached to a Zotero item directly through the citation or bibliography? I am open to suggestions.

bwiernik

But is this for you, or for you to share with a colleague? What is the reason you want to make such a list in Word instead of, say, using a collection in Zotero? What is the purpose of such a document?

If you insert a citation using the Zotero word plugin, you can place the cursor in it, click the Add/Edit Citation button to open the citation dialogue, then click the blue bubble for the item and then click the Open in My Library button.

Alternatively, you could copy references to Word by dragging them from Zotero or using the Quick Copy shortcut Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+C. Then, using the Zutilo plugin, you can “Copy Zotero select link” (for the desktop Zotero program) or “Copy Zotero URI” (for a link to the web library) from the right click menu.

norambello

Let's see:

This is the overall objective: I want to be able to print the Word file I am working on as a pdf, then share that pdf with a colleague and have this pdf include a link to each file that is being cited in the document and included in the reference list.

I tried the first suggestion above "If you insert...". I open the citation dialogue, then click on the blue bubble for the item, then click on Open in My Library button. Nothing happens. The pdf file is not shown in the citation dialogue. I am not sure it should be?

For the second suggestion above "Alternatively...", I downloaded the Zutilo plug-in, but I cannot find the options to "Copy Zotero select link" or "Copy Zotero URI" when right click. BTW, am I right-clicking on the right thing?

Thanks in advance.

norambello

The alternatives provided above do not seem to do what I need.

I wonder if there might be another alternative to reach the same objective, i.e. when I submit my Word document, have it be so that the reader can click on a citation or an item in the reference list, and open the pdf file attached to it.

Do Zotero groups do this? Other options? Thank you.

adamsmith

There's no available option to do this, I'm afraid. There are also significant obstacles, both technical and legal.

norambello

I understand.

I wonder if maybe there is another way to share the file attached to a library item, and thus to a citation, with another person I am working with on the Word doc? Thanks.

adamsmith

They typical way to co-author would indeed be in a group, which allows you to share attachments. When items are cited from the group, you can get to the item in the group library with a couple of clicks from the add citation dialog.

norambello

This is helpful. Thank you.

Now if I already have a library with multiple items and I want to make it a "Group library" to be able to share it with other, how do I do so?

adamsmith

You can just create the group library, it will show up in your Zotero, and you can drag items over. Note that, ideally, you'll want to do that before you start citing in a document and the use the items in the group library for the citations.

norambello

I see... the issue is that I already have a document with many citations (~100) from a Zotero library. I would like the library that contains the items for those citations to be transformed into a "group library". Are there any attributes of an existing library that can make it go from individual to group?

dstillman

It's not currently possible to automatically relink citations in a document to point to another library, no.

adamsmith

However, you _can_ use https://rintze.zelle.me/ref-extractor/ to select all items in your cited in a document in your current library and then copy those to a group. They won't be linked to the document, but the other group members will have access to the attached documents.