Javascript error bibtext not found

teunavandijk
Zotero downloaded many items from Google Scholar, but suddenly stopped downloading (saying there was a translation problem) and the following error message was displayed:

[JavaScript Error: "BibTeX not found. Got page with title "https://scholar.googleusercontent.com/scholar.bib?q=info:47olaGk_cT8J:scholar.google.com/&output=citation&scisig=AAGBfm0AAAAAWCeDZ5Zm-KQeGi5zljYWkc-cFdPY5eDS&scisf=4&ct=citation&cd=-1&hl=es"" {file: "eval at eval (chrome-extension://ekhagklcjbdpajgpjgmbionohlpdbjgc/inject/translate_inject.js:50:4), " line: 570}]

Similar message for each new Google Scholar Page.

Have downloaded and installed Better Bibtex etc but nothing helps - I can't download anything with Zotero anymore

Teun A. van Dijk (Rio de Janeiro / Barcelona)


  • adamsmith
    My guess is that you're getting locked out of downloading bibtex from google after too many attempts. Click on Cite --> Bibtex (or the equivalent in Portuguese) for an item in question and see what it says. I'd assume you get a robot warning. It'll go away in ~1day
  • DWL-SDCA
    A reminder: Although the metadata from Google Scholar has somewhat improved over the past year, there are still frequent problems with (very) incorrect and incomplete metadata. I highly recommend using GS as an index, clicking through to the publisher's site, and getting your metadata there. An added benefit is that you will not get blocked for making too many requests within a short amount of time.
  • teunavandijk
    Thanks for your comments.

    Yes, I downloaded a few hundred titles and PDFs from Scholar. But don't understand what the error message [JavaScript Error: "Bibtex not found ..." has to do with Google Scholar's blocking my downloading to Zotero, since I don't ask for items in bibtex format.

    By the way the Google Scholar block happened in Firefox, which doesn't let me search anything now.

    I then searched in Chrome (using Zotero connector), and although it signals that there is too much traffic from my "network" (sic!) I can search Google Scholar after several checks that I am not a machine (recognition of squirls and pictures).

    BUT, unfortunately, also then I can't download anything to Zotero - The same message down right says there are translation problems... and the Zotero Extension of Chrome gives me the same error message about bibtex not found.

    Question 1: How long does Google Scholar's blockage last?
    Question 2: IF (via Chrome) I can search Scholar, why can't I download those items?
    Question 3: Is there a way to "correct" the Javascript error, so that I can download what I can search?

    Thanks for your help

    Teun A. van Dijk (Rio de Janeiro - Barcelona)



  • adamsmith
    1. As I say, usually about 24hs
    2. Zotero needs access to the bibtex -- that's the only way to import those items as structured data
    3. No. The Javascript error is just a symptom of Zotero's inability (due to google's blocking) to get to the bibtex.
  • teunavandijk
    Thanks Adam for the explanation that Zotero needs access to bibtex data.

    Yes, today I had access again to Google Scholar and could download items... But after downloading several pages of references of Google Scholar I was blocked again - and (in Firefox) no option to prove I am not a machine (unlike in Chrome).

    I now know what to expect - and need to spread downloads over several days.

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