Upgrade Storagemodifications to Zotero entries
While I am working on a document, I often get this window: "You have modified this citation since Zotero generated it. Do you want to keep your modifications and prevent future updates? Clicking 'yes' will prevent Zotero from updating this citation if you add additional citations, switch styles, or modify the item to which it refers, Clicking 'no' will erase your changes."
I find this a very difficult question to answer each time, often because it suddenly appears while I'm working on the document, and the reference is in another section. Also, I want to keep my modifications which are often a phrase such as "emphasis mine", and sometimes the so-called modification are when I've edited the citation and added more authors. That means that if I update my overall document or correct my Zotero entry such as correcting an authors name or something, then this citation will presumably not be updated when I refresh the document?
Can someone please advise how I should deal with these windows? Sometimes I have clicked "no" and sometimes "yes", and now I'm not sure what kind of information I've lost. Maybe I shouldn't add information into the citation once it's in the document? Then would I avoid getting these messages?
I find this a very difficult question to answer each time, often because it suddenly appears while I'm working on the document, and the reference is in another section. Also, I want to keep my modifications which are often a phrase such as "emphasis mine", and sometimes the so-called modification are when I've edited the citation and added more authors. That means that if I update my overall document or correct my Zotero entry such as correcting an authors name or something, then this citation will presumably not be updated when I refresh the document?
Can someone please advise how I should deal with these windows? Sometimes I have clicked "no" and sometimes "yes", and now I'm not sure what kind of information I've lost. Maybe I shouldn't add information into the citation once it's in the document? Then would I avoid getting these messages?
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https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/comment/344427/#Comment_344427
https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/comment/345045/#Comment_345045
You don't need to delete existing citations. You just shouldn't edit them in the document. The thread explains the different ways to edit them properly. And if you edit the citation using the citation dialog (e.g., to add a prefix or suffix), you can say No in that prompt to allow Zotero to update the citation properly.
The only citations I'm currently deleting and replacing are the ones I've previously changed in the document (which is something I will not do again in the future)
I don't know what the citation dialog is, and I've never seen anything referring to adding a prefix or suffix. When I go to the top of my computer to the drop down menu, then sometimes I will chose "edit citation" because I have to add some references to the existing citation, that usually works fine I believe, but it's often only weeks later in that same document that I get a pop-up window out of the blue where it starts asking me those questions about "do you want to keep your modification... yes or no... " and at that point, I usually no longer remember what I did or why - though I assume I want to keep my modifications, so I'd like to say "yes" but then I'm afraid that it will never update again in the future if I make changes to the base bibliographical information in Zotero.
I found that place to edit and add suffix and prefix - so great. I never knew about this feature. It will be super helpful!
I appreciate your persistence in helping me understand this!
happy new year!