I wonder whether it would be possible to have a tool in Zotero (btw, thanks for a nice program!) that automatically scans an odt or doc file for "formatted" references and replaces them with proper Zotero references.

Say, for some reason, possibly problems when using OO and Word for the same text, the field codes have gone and all that is left is the reference "(Smartguy, 1998: 3)", or when a backup is made by exporting and not copying the original files, it would be a huge help if Zotero by itself could check whether it has a reference like "Smartguy 1998" in its database and then replace it, so the field code would be restored.

I am aware of the fact that citations may look differently in different disciplines, but in social science they tend to have a rather distinct character setting it apart from the rest of the text.