Print out Edited/Selected Fields in Zotero

I've been reading an excellent guide to writing a dissertation. In it the author offers a guide to formatting bibliographic notes so that a limited selection of fields can be printed out to further order with an outline in mind.

The instructions given are for EndNote. I'm hoping to do the same for Zotero. I'm a complete newbie, however, and would appreciate a few pointers as to whether possible and how. And if not possible any suggestions on how to achieve a similar outcome would be most helpful.

Here are the instructions for EndNote:

The author went for an available field she would never use for own writing - in this case called Research Strategies.
* In Edit Styles Manager menu she then reformatted all the templates in the bibliography.
* Only Author, Date and Research Notes fields to be printed out.
* Author and Date unique identifier and printed on one line
* Research Notes field prints out below. In Research Notes field are the citeable notes so they are printed as one per line.
* Check Modifying Style templates in the Help Index if you need help creating this style for citeable notes.
* Then when ready print out using ‘research strategies style’.

Thanks


  • Something like that should be possible with a custom .CSL style. Happy to help.

    What do you want to print out? Just author, date and whatever you got in the extra field?
  • Thanks very much for response.

    Yes, looking to print out author and date on the one line as identifier.

    Then, in field below, as many entries as I require, each on their own line. That last is important. These entries need to be distinct from one another to enable further sorting.
  • edited May 29, 2020
    Please be more specific. Exactly what fields do you want?
  • Author, date in one line.
    Another field comprising as many distinct entries as I wish, each entry able to be both entered and printed out on their own separate entry line.

    That's it. If you'd like to help suggest how I might do this in Zotero. If I could be more specific I would be.

    The instructions given for EndNote are above and are no more specific than this.

    Thanks.
  • Again, “comprising as many distinct entries as I wish”—which fields specifically? The fields have to be coded into a citation style if damnation is going to be able to help you. So which fields specifically do you want?

    Otherwise, you might find Zotero reports meet your needs;
    https://Zotero.org/support/reports
  • edited June 1, 2020
    Thanks for continuing to engage. The report suggestion is appreciated. Unfortunately, it’s way too detailed for my purposes.

    The citation style I intend using is Chicago (full note). And the link below to an image probably best helps explain what I'm after.

    I’m looking to create a list of simple summary notes with a single identifier. These summary notes point back to more extensive notes that are linked to the full bibliographic detail. These 'summary notes' are a means to more simply and easily sort my data and notes into a workable outline.

    For this purpose I need a document that can be printed out containing a number of entries consisting of the unique identifier. With each unique identifier is a subfield into which—on separate lines—are typed the note summaries pointing back to more extensive notes.


    The table linked here shows two columns. The column to the left headed 'List of Citable Notes' is what I'm looking to create - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DeoN9i2mGZ0UhMC4kcDRjad4FuloSny3/view?usp=sharing

    Thanks again.
  • Bump to this.

    If what I'm asking doesn't really make sense, I'd appreciate a heads-up and a nudge in some direction. Crickets is not much use.

    Thanks
  • We have no access to your example.
  • Your Google Doc isn't publicly viewable.

    What field are you storing your unique identifier in? Call Number? Extra?
  • Extra sounds appropriate as a field to store the unique identifier in.

    I'm seeking to create a template in Zotero as below (apologies for the share snafu).

    The aim is to creat these notes and then periodically print out for analog sorting.

    They are an aid to organising in the writing/drafting process. They are not for inclusion in the final referencing/bibliography.

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DeoN9i2mGZ0UhMC4kcDRjad4FuloSny3/view?usp=sharing

  • edited June 7, 2020
    You can customize the report (removing and reordering fields) using a plugin: https://github.com/retorquere/zotero-report-customizer

    If you just want the notes and/or the extra field, the BBT plugin (https://github.com/retorquere/zotero-better-bibtex/) includes one extra translator called "Collected notes" that exports a list of notes ordered by the collection they're in, with their title, author, and year. It may very well be that I'm its sole user, so its particular to my needs. It only includes items which have a non-empty extra field and/or attached notes.
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