Intended usage for preprint type

I have some questions about the intended usage of the new preprint type in Zotero 6. (The kb article has not been updated. I apologise if this is already documented elsewhere.)

If I understand correctly, preprints/working papers that are distributed through preprint servers (Arxiv, SSRN, etc.) or institutional working paper series should now go into the new preprint type. Working papers distributed in a less persistent way (e.g. on the author's website) still use the manuscript type and organisational reports (that meant to be 'final') use the report type.

I'm not quite sure how I should use the fields that are available for the preprint type (genre, repository, archive ID, series, series number). If I have an Arxiv paper, is Arxiv the 'repository' and the Arxiv number 'archive ID'? Is it the same for a working paper in a working paper series (say NBER working papers)? Or do I use 'series' and 'series number'? How should I understand the field 'genre'?

Also, currently if I convert an existing report-type item to preprint, the 'report number' is not mapped to anything. (Is this fixed by issue #2481?)

Thanks in advance!
  • If I understand correctly, preprints/working papers that are distributed through preprint servers (Arxiv, SSRN, etc.) or institutional working paper series should now go into the new preprint type. Working papers distributed in a less persistent way (e.g. on the author's website) still use the manuscript type and organisational reports (that meant to be 'final') use the report type.
    Yes, pretty much. I think preprints distributed via authors' websites could go in either manuscript or preprint; I don't think it matters much.
    I'm not quite sure how I should use the fields that are available for the preprint type (genre, repository, archive ID, series, series number). If I have an Arxiv paper, is Arxiv the 'repository' and the Arxiv number 'archive ID'?
    Yup.
    Is it the same for a working paper in a working paper series (say NBER working papers)?
    I'd use the same for working papers published directly by the repository such as NBER...
    Or do I use 'series' and 'series number'?
    ...and reserve series information for working papers published by a repository but in a series, like many SSRN papers. That's not 100% settled though. E.g. the NBER translator writes essentially the same information in both: https://github.com/zotero/translators/blob/master/National Bureau of Economic Research.js#L203
    How should I understand the field 'genre'?
    That allows you to specify a specific type of preprint: a working paper, say, or something fancier (I dunno, "Video preprint"?). I imagine it will often be empty, but we wanted to keep the flexibility.
  • cc @AbeJellinek @bwiernik we should probably agree on this
  • This is the guidance given in the CSL Specification
    article
    A self-contained work made widely available but not published in a journal or other publication;
    Use for preprints, working papers, and similar works posted on a platform where some level of persistence or stewardship is expected (e.g. arXiv or other preprint repositories, working paper series);
    For unpublished works not made widely available or only hosted on personal websites, use `manuscript`
    I don’t think it matters too much, but for a paper just posted on an author website, I would use manuscript.



    I generally agree about the other questions. For ID vs series/series number, in most cases, preprints won’t have a series or series number. Working papers more commonly have a named series they are part of and have a number in that series separate from their individual item ID. @adamsmith @AbeJellinek I think we probably should not record “Working paper series” in series from NBER.


    For genre, it’s the same as the Type field on Report. If it would just be “Preprint” I would leave it blank. If it’s a working paper, that is usually cited as something like “Working Paper No. 17577” so I would put “Working Paper” in the field. And if there is anything more specific, that would go there.


    @dstillman The localized label for the field mapped to `genre` for Preprint is wrong. It should be “Type” not “Genre”
  • (@dstillman That is, the field should be the same as 'reportType')
  • Thanks everyone for the clarification. I'm still a little confused about working paper series that are not distributed through something like SSRN.

    Take the following example from the 17th edition CMoS (14.218)
    Bronfenbrenner, Kate, and Dorian Warren. “The Empirical Case for Streamlining the NLRB Certification Process: The Role of Date of Unfair Labor Practice Occurrence.” ISERP Working Papers Series 2011.01, Columbia University, New York, NY, June 2011.
    If the goal is to reproduce this ('ISERP Working Paper Series 2011.01'), what would be the 'correct' way to fill the Zotero entry? A combination of Repository, Type/Genre, and Archive ID? Just Repository and Archive ID? Or Series and Series Number?
  • Either
    Genre/Type: ISERP working paper
    Archive ID: 2011.01

    Or
    Series: ISERP Working Paper Series
    Series Number: 2011.01
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