How can I copy correct bibtext entry for a given paper which I imported from the web?

shahensha

If I import a paper into Zotero from the web using the Zotero connector (say something like this: https://jmlr.org/papers/volume21/20-074/20-074.pdf)

It automatically tries to retrieve metadata for the paper. Many times this works just fine. Whenever I need to use it in my LaTeX document, I simply export the bibtex to clipboard and use it in my document. But sometimes, as it happens in the link above, most of the metadata entries are blank! I would like to manually copy paste the bibtex entry from the journal webiste into Zotero. How can I do that?

Thanks

adamsmith

For one, the recommended way to import the paper is from the abstract page, which also attached the PDF, i.e. click the save to Zotero button here:
https://jmlr.org/papers/v21/20-074.html

If you have a paper imported with poor metadata and you have bibtex, you can copy the bibtex, use "Import from clipboard" in Zotero and then merge that with the item that includes the PDF.

shahensha

Awesome. Thanks! This worked. I tried both the methods and they work. The second one gets everything whereas the first one still missed one entry, which is not a big deal except there is one small annoying detail though. After I clicked on "Import from clipboard", even though the import succeeded, there was a small pop-up window which says: "Import Incomplete: 1 item was imported". And this window refuses to close and keep on hovering over the main window.

dstillman

The second one gets everything whereas the first one still missed one entry

Which are the two methods you're referring to, and what do you mean "missed one entry"?

You should always use the save button when possible. And even if that doesn't work well somewhere, if a site is serving BibTeX properly, you should only need to click on the BibTeX link on the page to have the Zotero Connector prompt you to import it into Zotero, which is what happens on the above page. (The embedded metadata via the save button here also gets you the ISSN, which is missing in the BibTeX, and it includes saves the PDF itself and a snapshot of the page.) There shouldn't be any need to import via the clipboard for the above site — it would just be a waste of time.

shahensha

@dstillman I was referring to the two methods recommended by @adamsmith namely clicking save on the abstract page instead of the pdf and merging manual bibtex entry with existing saves done on PDF.

After your message, I checked again. Saving on the abstract page actually got everything and didn't miss anything.

Thanks for your reply.