Advanced search - item not appearing

101james
This has happened a number of times over the last months. I use either advanced search or the quick search (in the Firefox plugin) to search for a paper. The search window shows no results. However, the particular paper is in my database. Today, typing in advanced search the predictive function even suggested the name of the paper and having selected that it still does not load the paper as a research result.

Any thoughts?

Thanks, in the meantime, for implementing a duplicate checker. Much appreciated!

I am still wondering why there are any distinctions, though, made between group and local libraries on my machine? This seems so artificial and impedes duplicate checking and management.
  • dstillman
    What are the exact search conditions you're using, and what's a Debug ID for the search attempt?
    I am still wondering why there are any distinctions, though, made between group and local libraries on my machine? This seems so artificial and impedes duplicate checking and management.
    Not sure what you mean by that.
  • 101james
    Thanks for the response. Report submitted with ID: D1142770501. A similar experience occurs with other entries in the database. It is not a frequent event, though frustrating when it occurs.

    On the group and local libraries.
    My local library (i.e., "My Library") is a summary of database entries excluding those in my groups. This is tiresome because I end up up duplicating references across groups. So, tags, for example changed in a group are not updated in the my library. Corrections in entries have to be done multiple times. References that are in the database take more time to find etc. So this 'line' that separates my library and the group library seems to represent the user managing two rather separate not integrated libraries.
  • adamsmith
    More integration of group and my library is planned but it's not as simple as you make it out to be - not everyone would want edits in groups to reflect back to their library and vice versa.
    What are you using all those groups for? Generally the expectation is that you'd have one large library for your work and use groups for sharing and collaboration.

    Also, you didn't answer:
    "What are the exact search conditions you're using"
  • 101james
    It is good to hear integration of the libraries is being considered. That will be a big plus point from a user's perspective. Please do not mistake me: I have not suggested anything is "as simple as you make it out to be". The point I am making is not an off-the-cuff idea but one that has troubled me as a user over time and therefore I imagine others too. It is meant in the spirit on continuing to improve the usability of Zotero - an already great research tool. With colleagues that work on coding I am well aware that even apparently (to users) simple changes mean critically evaluating those changes across the system, working out potential solutions and then painstakingly and iteratively implementing them.

    The groups are either collaboration with other academics or graduate students. I would hope to have one large library ("My Library") and have groups connected to this library (sub-folders).

    Search conditions? I am using the advanced search from the Zotero plugin in Firefox. Then either choosing the 'title' or 'tag' field (usually as a singular search). I hope this answers the question.
  • dstillman
    I'm going to guess that the autocomplete result is coming from an item in one of your group libraries, but you're searching just your personal library. That can be considered a bug—terms from other libraries shouldn't appear.

    If you want to do an advanced search in a group library, you currently need to create a saved search.
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