error report 2031821285 couldn't import from Scopus

Hello, I was trying to import an RIS file from Scopus. I was on the Scopus page for an article. When I captured via the Zotero plugin the article, it worked just as expected. When tried to add the 135 cited references to my library, I had a problem.
In the Scopus interface, I selected all the references, RIS export, and the pop-up came up asking about direct import. I said yes (btw I rarely use this pathway), and there was an error message. Then I tried downloading the RIS file (seemed to work) and importing the file into my Zotero library; that's when I got the error report 2031821285.
I was able to import the downloaded file into EndNote but it seems to only have 80 records when I was expecting 135. I looked at the RIS file itself -- yes, only 80 TY fields. I'll write to Scopus about that and update this thread with their response.
Thanks
Kate
  • If you have the Scopus ID for the article in question and don't mind posting it here (or otherwise send as DM here or on Twitter), I can take a look. This sounds like something wrong with the RIS, but it's possible Zotero could be failing more gracefully (though it's not always clear what's better: assuming that you have all references for a pice what >1/3 ar missing also isn't great)
  • The Scopus Article number is e0188258, doi 10.1371/journal.pone.0188258.

    Some more insights:
    The same Scopus article page that says there are 135 cited references only *shows* 80 of them.
    If I use the Scopus link to see the cited references in search results format, now I can see 131 of them. The set of 131 includes some "secondary documents" but it's hard to tell how many.
    I checked the "all" button and tried to import to Zotero using the connector. I got 22 records and then it just kind of stopped.
    Then I downloaded a standalone ris file and tried to import that. It imported 22 records into a new group and then an error message came up, report ID 668299457.
    I imported the same file into EndNote and it had 131 records.

    So, I think that the 80 vs 135 or 131 records is Scopus weirdness. But not being able to import info from these ris files into Zotero, I don't know where that weirdness arises.

    If you want either ris file (the one from the first round with 80 records or the one from the second round with 131 records), I could provide them.

    Thanks

    Kate
  • The problem are the items with
    PY - 0000
    in them. If you remove them, the RIS imports.
    We can definitely work around this in the Scopus translator -- we can consider also addressing this in RIS itself. Obviously this is ugly RIS, but I think it's sufficiently clear to put an exception for it into the code unless @AbeJellinek disagrees.
  • I think we could make our date parsing system a little more resilient and just treat the 0000 as a placeholder for an unknown value, which we already support. But I'm fine with a workaround for just this translator for the time being.
  • OK, thanks to @adamsmith we've just pushed a fix for the RIS issue. Your Zotero Connector should auto-update within 24 hours, or you can update manually by clicking Update Translators in the Advanced pane of the Zotero Connector preferences. Once it's updated, saving that article should work.
  • I just want to say that I reported this issue to Scopus at the same time as I posted here, and Zotero developers have been a lot more helpful than the company that my institution is paying $$$$. Thank you for looking in to it.
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