Word edit bibliography problem

I am running Zotero V1.5b1 on Windows XP and using Word 2003 with the Zotero Word integration 1.0b4 plugin.
When I 'edit bibliography' none of the edits I make in the bibliography edit/preview box get implemented in the bibliography.
I am wondering if it normal
Thanks
  • I have the same problem.
  • I am having a related problem.

    When I click "Edit Bibliography" on my Zotero toolbar within Word, and select an additional reference to be included, all of my previous references are REPLACED by this new one, instead of being added to.

    The only fix to this is that every time I want to add a reference to my bibliography, I have to re-select ALL of the items I want included, and this is a challenge to remember what all of them are.

    Another problem I just ran into today was when I went to insert a new citation, it inserted correctly, but my entire bibliography disappeared. And I am working on an annotated bibliography, so all of the text I had written went along with it.

    I am new to Zotero and have spent considerable time reading the support pages and looking on the forum for a fix, to no avail. Can I please get some assistance? This is my first term in grad school, and so far I feel like I have been spending more time figuring out how to use Zotero than the actual subjects of my studies!

    Thank you,

    Florentine
  • @Florentine - please fully specify your system (Which OS, Zotero, Word Processor, FF, plugin)

    How this _should_ work (and does in Ooo) is that all cited references are already included in the right had panel of the "edit bibliography" window. Might be helpful for dev team if we can find out if this is a broader Word plugin problem or just pertains to one specific.

    For the second problem - that's difficult to solve if it isn't reproduceable - I've certainly never seen something like that happen and it's certainly not supposed to - can you reproduce that particular error?

    The original problem - i.e. that text written in the "edit bibliography" field isn't actually included in the bibliography - none of the changes made there are, not even for the you switch between two different citations - exists under Ooo with 1.5b2, too.
  • The original problem - i.e. that text written in the "edit bibliography" field isn't actually included in the bibliography - none of the changes made there are, not even for the you switch between two different citations - exists under Ooo with 1.5b2, too.
    This may have been fixed. The new plugin versions haven't yet been released, but you can download them from SVN for testing if you're feeling bold.
  • Please discuss a work-around for those who are not developers. I have a bibliography, which I have already inserted using the plug-in. Now, how can I work with this? Every time I click in the biblio area in my Word doc, the fields become active.

    I have a paper due and I don't know how to deactive this biblio in my paper! Then, what's a manual procedure, not using the plug-in, that I can use to build that biblio- thanks in advance.
  • bradco: Are you experiencing one of the problems above, or something else? If the former, you'll need to explain what exactly is wrong. I have no idea what "Every time I click in the biblio area in my Word doc, the fields become active" means.

    If the latter, start a new thread.

    If you just want to remove a bibliography, just highlight it and delete it. You can then either reinsert a new one using the plugin or, if you just want a plain text, unlinked bibliography, use Quick Copy. If you're having further problems, start a new thread.
  • Re: adamsmith. Thank you for your response. Let me provide more detailed info.

    MY SYSTEM:
    I am using Windows XP, Word 2003, Zotero 1.5b2 (I believe--originally installed 1.0 and updated soon after so I could sync, but having probs with syncing too, so not sure. I don't even know how to find out which version of Zotero is currently installed. But that will have to be another thread soon to come . . .) I do not know the version of the plugin. It was just the plug-in for Word and I installed it a few days ago. I don't know what 'FF' stands for.

    WHAT I DID:
    First of all, I am working on an assignment which includes within it an annotated bibliography. (What this means is that I inserted a bibliography with items that were not necessarily "cited" within the text.) From within Word, I selected "Zotero Insert Bibliography," and I selected which of my sources I wanted included. So far, so good. But when I later went in to "Zotero Edit Bibliography" to add a source to my bibliography, none of the items that are showing up in the bibliography in the Word document were in the right hand column. So when I selected the ADDITIONAL sources I wanted to insert, they were the only ones in the right hand column, and in the Word document, it REPLACED the other sources.

    When I insert a citation, I get a "Run-time error '5825': Object has been deleted" message. I click on "End." And then the entire bibliography disappeared from my document. Fortunately, I closed the document without saving changes, and was able to re-open it and start again, but the same thing occurs. The error repeats every time. If it would be helpful for me to send the document to someone, I would be glad to do so. That way it could be determined if the problem exists in that particular document or the plug-in itself.

    MY WORKAROUND:
    For others who might be in a similar boat, here is how I have worked around this problem:
    1. I went into Zotero from within Firefox and I created a new file in my Library specifically for sources I wanted to include in this annotated bibliography.
    2. Then I right clicked on the new folder and selected "Create bibliography from collection." It created an .rft file of my bibliography sources, which I saved on my hard-drive.
    3. I then opened the .rtf file and cut and pasted the bibliography into a new Word document.
    4. I cut and pasted the text I needed from my other word document (the one that was malfunctioning) into this new document.

    So far everything seems to be working fine. Phew!

    Thanks so much guys, for all that you are doing to improve and trouble-shoot this product and work out the little kinks!

    Florentine
  • Dan, it is exactly the issue abarbu started this thread with. Exactly. Except, I'm in v 1.5b2 & plug in v 1.0b4(2). And I'm using plug in in Word 2003. The plug in seems to work fine until I try to "Edit Bibliography." Then I experience what abarbu is describing above:

    "When I 'edit bibliography' none of the edits I make in the bibliography edit/preview box get implemented in the bibliography.
    I am wondering if it normal"

    I'm looking for a work-around *after* "Insert Bibliography" has been done. I often need to delete off extraneous elements or some other minor changes. I don't know how to explain better that the "bibliography area becomes active." I click on them & they become active (selected or highlighted) and won't allow modification. When I go into the plug in & try to modify- changes, just don't take.

    The plug in is extremely convenient. "Edit Bibliography" doesn't work. I'm trying to figure out how to edit after biblio is fully built. I guess I can just close Zotero & FF and make manual changes directly to the paper. How will Zotero reconcile this after I open Z back up?
  • edited April 23, 2009
    It'll be fixed in the next beta. OpenOffice and Word 2008 users will also need a new version of the plugin.

    In the meantime, you can finish your document, save a separate copy, flatten all the fields (Zotero's and others) with Ctrl+Shift+F9, and edit the plain text bibliography manually before submitting. Keep the original.
  • Hi,
    I'm having the exact same problem (when I edit the bibliography the changes are not saved into my document) using Word Plugin 1.0b4-Win in Word 2007 on Windows Vista Home Premium. Thought it might be useful for you to know, if so I have contributed something at last instead of just making requests on these forums!

    Thanks for a brilliant piece of software. Any ideas when the next beta will be released? I'm not brave enough for the developer version.
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