downloading *.ris files directly into Zotero : not recognized

DWL-SDCA · July 14, 2009

The SpringerLink site translator seems to be broken. I tried to download (individually) several articles using the RIS export link. In the past I believe that Zoptero would recognize these files and automatically import them. However, instead I am now offered a save dialog box (Windows XP SP3, Firefox 3.5, Zotero b2.0b6.2). Is there a way to get these RIS files to directly import into Zotro? The tick box in the preferences is set to use Zotero for downloaded RIS files. I checked and the files have the ris extension. Indeed, Zotero imports the article from the ris file. Is there a setting that may have been changed when I updated Mozilla?

I can save and import the file but when I do it goes directly into the My Library file and not into the open collection. To get the record into the collection requires finding it in My Library and then manually moving it into the proper collection. Tedious!!

Thank you.

adamsmith · July 15, 2009

I have the same problem -
I don't have a link for a page where the Zotero translator is broken, but on this one, for example, the RIS export doesn't work (i.e. doesn't open with Zotero, but instead opens a download dialogue).
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/exportCitation?fromPage=online&componentIds=103914

Obviously I do have the respective box checked in the preferences and this used to work fine.
This doesn't seem general - clicking on "import to endnote" in google scholar still works.

dstillman · July 15, 2009

I checked and the files have the ris extension.

File extensions are generally irrelevant on the web. File types are identified through MIME types in the Content-Type HTTP header, and journals.cambridge.org (and presumably SpringerLink) is returning "Content-Type: text/txt" for the RIS/etc. downloads rather than application/x-research-info-systems or application/x-endnote-refer (though, as adamsmith notes, the translator works fine for that site, so this isn't necessary).

We could perhaps look for a .ris or .enw extension in the Content-Disposition header (which provides a download filename), but this would really have to be considered a bug on their end. (Some sites differentiate between download and direct import, with the former using text MIME types and the latter using the application ones, but journals.cambridge.org doesn't make this distinction.)

I can save and import the file but when I do it goes directly into the My Library file and not into the open collection. To get the record into the collection requires finding it in My Library and then manually moving it into the proper collection.

Not really. In cases where the translator is broken and you have a RIS file that doesn't import directly, you can save the file, drag it back into the Firefox browser window, and use the address bar icon rather than using Import or Import from Clipboard. It should then save into the currently selected collection.

adamsmith · July 15, 2009

In cases where the translator is broken and you have a RIS file that doesn't import directly, you can save the file, drag it back into the Firefox browser window, and use the address bar icon rather than using Import or Import from Clipboard. It should then save into the currently selected collection.

huh - cool, didn't know that. That works fine indeed.