Add reference type for business cases and other class projects

FLMontabon
I have very much enjoyed playing with Zotero. However, I am heading back to EndNotes due to its ability to create custom reference types. I realize that perhaps custom reference types are a feature that is beyond Zotero's current stage of development. In the interim, I would like to see a reference type added for "business case". This would refer to things like Harvard Business Press cases that are used as class projects. This reference type could include any other type of document that is used for class projects or assignments. I realize there is a "case" type available right now, but that refers to legal cases.
  • bdarcus
    I have very much enjoyed playing with Zotero. However, I am heading back to EndNotes due to its ability to create custom reference types. I realize that perhaps custom reference types are a feature that is beyond Zotero's current stage of development.
    Endnote's support for custom types and fields is an absolute hack. Better to do it right, or not at all, and to do it right takes time.
    In the interim, I would like to see a reference type added for "business case". This would refer to things like Harvard Business Press cases that are used as class projects. This reference type could include any other type of document that is used for class projects or assignments. I realize there is a "case" type available right now, but that refers to legal cases.
    This makes no sense as a solution. A "business case" is not a reference type.

    May I instead suggest you consider another approach, which is to make use of tags and/or collections? Use those to group documents related to the case.
  • FLMontabon
    >This makes no sense as a solution. A "business case" is not a reference type.

    I would argue that it is, which is why I suggested it. I am referring to documents that are created explicitly for use as class assignments or can be used to create such. I suggested “business case” as the name for the reference type because that is primarily what I track with this type. See http://hbsp.harvard.edu/discipline/operations-management for examples of cases. There are magazines (e.g., Inside Supply Management) that have a case in them that can readily be used as an assignment. There are some journal articles that give instructions for class exercises or projects (e.g., Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education).

    I have found bibliographic software to be very useful in allowing me to keep notes on which exercises (cases) work well and which exercises I have reviewed, but decided not to use. I recognize that it is somewhat unlikely that one would cite such documents in a research paper, unless that paper was going to a pedagogy oriented journal (again, Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education). Alternative type names might include “class exercise” or something similar.


    > May I instead suggest you consider another approach, which is to make use of tags and/or collections? Use those to group documents related to the case.

    Tags (keywords) or collections in Zotero would be reasonable work-arounds. However, I view this type of document as distinct in much the same way a book chapter is different than an interview. Thus I believe a reference type is a better solution.
  • bdarcus
    edited July 6, 2009
    So why aren't "Document" or "Article" types with some added tag(s) not sufficient?

    What is it about a business case or other sort of case study document that requires that it be privileged with its own type?
    Tags (keywords) or collections in Zotero would be reasonable work-arounds. However, I view this type of document as distinct in much the same way a book chapter is different than an interview.
    But how? It has a title and likely one-or-more authors, and might be published or distributed informally, or more formally as part of a collection of documents (in a journal or other periodical).

    Seems pretty generic to me.
  • carrieswoods
    I'm fine with using the Document type for Business Cases (because I, too, have a need for referencing them), but I would request that auto info downloads from business publication sites such as Harvard Business School Publishing be enabled, so the information doesn't need to be typed in manually.
  • adamsmith
    "enabled" means someone has to write a translator - you can request that in the respective thread, but be aware that there is more demand for translators than supply of coders and there are a huge amount of outstanding requests - the best chance would be to actually find someone to write the translator.
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