4 functions/alterations I would like in the next version of Zotero
Here are 4 functions/alterations I would like in the next version of Zotero.
1) The ability to select a default style, like APA 5th ed., in Zotero - not just before inserting citations, then this step should be left out because Zotero should rely on the style selected as default.
2) When citing multiple sources, it should be enough to highlight them in Zotero's middle column, switch to Word, and there click on the insert citation button. It is this simple in Endnote.
3) Include the same functions under the format bibliography button like Endnote has, such as the possibility to insert a blank space between the items in the bibliography.
4) The possibility to alter and save a style, like APA 5th. Now, for example, Zotero includes the first name when citing an author with several writings, such as "Motivation improves learning (George Smith, 1994; G Smith 1998), when it according to APA style should type (Smith, 1994, 1998). In Endnote, this can be corrected by doing the following: "In Endnote Go to Edit > Output Styles > Open Style Manager and find the style APA 5th and then click Edit. You would then go to Citations > Author Name > Under the Citation Author Name uncheck Use initials only for primary authors with the same name. Go to File > Save Go to Word and try the Format Bibliography command." I see no way, however, to make the same correction in Zotero.
If these things can be fixed in the next version of Zotero, I uninstall Endnote right away and switch to Zotero since it is great otherwise, especially its online integration.
1) The ability to select a default style, like APA 5th ed., in Zotero - not just before inserting citations, then this step should be left out because Zotero should rely on the style selected as default.
2) When citing multiple sources, it should be enough to highlight them in Zotero's middle column, switch to Word, and there click on the insert citation button. It is this simple in Endnote.
3) Include the same functions under the format bibliography button like Endnote has, such as the possibility to insert a blank space between the items in the bibliography.
4) The possibility to alter and save a style, like APA 5th. Now, for example, Zotero includes the first name when citing an author with several writings, such as "Motivation improves learning (George Smith, 1994; G Smith 1998), when it according to APA style should type (Smith, 1994, 1998). In Endnote, this can be corrected by doing the following: "In Endnote Go to Edit > Output Styles > Open Style Manager and find the style APA 5th and then click Edit. You would then go to Citations > Author Name > Under the Citation Author Name uncheck Use initials only for primary authors with the same name. Go to File > Save Go to Word and try the Format Bibliography command." I see no way, however, to make the same correction in Zotero.
If these things can be fixed in the next version of Zotero, I uninstall Endnote right away and switch to Zotero since it is great otherwise, especially its online integration.
2) Wouldn't it make more sense to allow selecting multiple citations at once in the plugin? Going back between Word and Zotero seems clumsy. (my understanding would also be that the plugin is the only part of Zotero that actually "talks" to the word processor - which might have the advantage of allowing Zotero to be compatible with different word processors - I'm guessing a little here).
So very much yes to the idea of selecting multiple references at once - but lets have that in the plugin rather than Zotero itself. I also believe this has been requested before.
3) I would be inclined to say yes, but other people might feel that all formatting should be done through the styles, rather than in an ad hoc fashion for each document (which is a very "Word" approach to text-editing). There are some simple options in the csl file that allow modifying the Bibliography (if you mean an extra line between references, e.g. <option name="entry-spacing" value="2"/>
4) you can edit and save styles in Zotero, it's just, as of now, less comfortable than e.g. in Endnote, but this is being worked on.
For a brief example of how to modify and save a style (csl) file see here:
http://forums.zotero.org/discussion/5104/modifying-word-plugin-using-journal-abbreviation-instead-of-publication-name/#Item_2
but people are very much aware that an easy to use style editor would be highly desirable.
Regarding #4, it is great to hear that an easy to use style editor would be desirable--I'm tyring to work from zotero now, but find the question of styles very daunting... Very few of the styles I'd really like to see are actually available now in Zotero. I've looked in the forums, and have watched somewhat complicated discussions of how to create them (discussions taking days and weeks). So it is good to know that there is work being done on this.
Regarding requesting a style, I was browsing the forums to see the experience of other users in requesting styles. I noted the thread here: http://forums.zotero.org/discussion/4265/anthropologistsarchaeologistsstyles-please/
In that instance, the users seeking anthropological styles have requested styles, and there is significant delay, between the request, the decision to create the style, and the creation of a draft style. It is that delay that causes me a bit of trepidation about how I will be able to create an appropriate citation style in time for deadlines. In my post, I simply hoped to note my support for your statement that "people are very much aware that an easy to use style editor would be highly desirable." I agree: a simple interface for creating styles would be very useful (and would relieve some of the burden on those who are volunteering their time to create styles for the zotero community).
If you have an open message in Apple Mail, you don't go back to iPhoto. You click Photo Browser in the toolbar and browse your photo library from a specialized window that allows you to insert photos in the context of your message. That's a long, complicated thread that required significant discussion and even new features to be added to the CSL processor. It also mostly predated the Requesting Styles page, which is designed to guide end users through the initial steps of outlining a style's requirements (which the user would have to do anyway even if there were a style editor). Still, one of the initially requested styles on that thread was produced within a day.
Regarding styles, point taken--first time I need a new style, I will work through the Requesting Styles instructions and see how that goes. Even so--my trepidation is not yet alleviated... I like the idea that I'd be able to make my own style as necessary through a simple style-generation utility.
There are other enhancements that could be made to allow quicker insertion of citations in a document, but that doesn't seem like a good one.
(Context: http://forums.zotero.org/discussion/7839/ I've never actually used RefWorks, so I don't know exactly how the feature you mention works, but I'm going on your description in that thread.)