Unable to add web citation

jennywalker
The last few times I've tried, I cannot add a Web page citation to a document. I click on the "Save to Zotero" icon, but nothing happens. In the past, I haven't had this problem. Any idea what has happened? Thank you.
  • DWL-SDCA
    Please tell us more. You wrote "citation to a document" but then wrote "save to Zotero". These are different things.

    I have no trouble with importing web page metadata but for this to be useful I have to do some editing once I get the info into Zotero.

    If you are asking about citing a webpage in a document when you already have the info as a Zotero record, please say what citation style you are using. Also, I assume that you aren't having issues citing sources other than webpages.

    I cannot reproduce this problem when I use APA or Vancouver. I am using beta versions of Zotero.

    You should also reply listing the Zotero version number.
  • dstillman
    @jennywalker: Generally, for saving problems, start here Troubleshooting Translator Errors.
  • jennywalker
    To clarify, I'm trying to add the following website to one of my Zotero collections:

    https://www.fda.gov/downloads/drugs/guidances/ucm425885.pdf

    When I click on the Save to Zotero button at the top of the website, nothing happens, ie, the reference is not added to the collection. Zotero is open and the correct collection chosen. I am using Zotero version 5.0.60. My collection style is AMA. I have never had this problem in the past, but the last few times I've tried to add a website to the collection, this (nothing) happens. I am able to add refs from PubMed with no difficulty.
  • jennywalker
    I just tried this with another FDA website and a non-FDA website. The latter worked, but not the FDA website.
  • DWL-SDCA
    edited February 21, 2019
    I cannot reproduce your problem. The URL you provided is for a PDF document. I can download the document to my computer and drag the downloaded document to Zotero. Zotero recognizes the title of the document and creates a record but the record must be edited to properly fill the source type and other fields for this report.

    I was, with a bit of effort, able to find the page on the FDA website that contains the link to the PDF file. When I click on the Zotero import icon a record is made for that webpage as expected. You _may_ have found a different page from the one that I found. The page I located has links to multiple PDF documents. Zotero will not identify and follow those hyperlinks to obtain the documents nor the metadata for those linked documents. I visited multiple webpages within the FDA website but had no problem with getting Zotero webpage-type records from any of the pages I visited.

    For example:
    https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/ucm121568.htm

    https://www.fda.gov/default.htm

    https://www.fda.gov/Food/default.htm

    If I have misunderstood what you did that led to the failure, please take the time to further explain what you did.
  • adamsmith
    I'm understanding that Jenny is trying to import the PDF from https://www.fda.gov/downloads/drugs/guidances/ucm425885.pdf directly into Zotero using the Save to Zotero button. That should absolutely work without the need to download and drag to Zotero.
    One question would be if this problem is limited to PDFs or if it occurs with regular websites (FDA or elsewhere, too). Also, which browser?
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