Right now, if I'm in Zotero and I I want to import biblio info, I have to leave Zotero then open a browser window and go to Worldcat or some other database then search for the book/article, then import to Zotero then switch back to Zotero. I'd like to cut down all the switching back and forth.
I'd like to be looking at my Zotero window and have a little window pop up where I can search on Worldcat then downlowd to Zotero -- all without having to flip back and forth.
No, and it's unlikely to be added. Zotero has always been based on the idea that people do most of their research in their browsers and take advantage of the various specialized features of library catalogs and scholarly databases.
Of course there are the lookup engines in Zotero, but they do *take you* to your browser, ie out of Zotero. Worldcat can be added to your engines list AFAIK (I have about a dozen engines in my list). https://www.zotero.org/support/locate#managing_lookup_engines
But I suspect the lookup engines are under-used, because they are only available via the navigation bar, and don't operate on any selected text. I find that I am rarely able to use them in situations when I would like to.
Could easier, more universal access to the lookup engines be added via the right-click menu, everywhere in Zotero ?
For example if I want to search for a reference cited in a paper in the PDF viewer, I should be able to select that text and then right-click to invoke one of my lookup engines like Google or Google Scholar or Worldcat from the list, and be taken to that engine to look up the selected text in my browser.
As it is, I often have to select the reference text (when there is no DOI link), right-click Copy it, then go to my browser, open a new tab to get my search engine, paste the text into the search box, hit Enter, and then finally see the results. Then I can open the reference's web page from the results list, and finally add the PDF via the web connector.
@tim820: You'll be able to perform more actions on detected references (DOI or not) in documents in upcoming versions. Supporting lookup engines for those could make sense.
For selected text in general, I think a single configurable search engine, as in browsers and email clients, may be more appropriate.
(But I'm not sure this is really what @tbrobert was asking about. The general request of being able to open a window to search and save from WorldCat will indeed not be happening, other than for ISBNs via Add Item by Identifier, for the reasons @adamsmith gives.)
Just to be clear, I meant how to look up the full biblio info for a book whose title I know, while I'm already in Zotero, without having to switch to a browser.
Upgrade Storage
I'd like to be looking at my Zotero window and have a little window pop up where I can search on Worldcat then downlowd to Zotero -- all without having to flip back and forth.
Thanks!
https://www.zotero.org/support/locate#managing_lookup_engines
But I suspect the lookup engines are under-used, because they are only available via the navigation bar, and don't operate on any selected text. I find that I am rarely able to use them in situations when I would like to.
Could easier, more universal access to the lookup engines be added via the right-click menu, everywhere in Zotero ?
For example if I want to search for a reference cited in a paper in the PDF viewer, I should be able to select that text and then right-click to invoke one of my lookup engines like Google or Google Scholar or Worldcat from the list, and be taken to that engine to look up the selected text in my browser.
As it is, I often have to select the reference text (when there is no DOI link), right-click Copy it, then go to my browser, open a new tab to get my search engine, paste the text into the search box, hit Enter, and then finally see the results. Then I can open the reference's web page from the results list, and finally add the PDF via the web connector.
For selected text in general, I think a single configurable search engine, as in browsers and email clients, may be more appropriate.
(But I'm not sure this is really what @tbrobert was asking about. The general request of being able to open a window to search and save from WorldCat will indeed not be happening, other than for ISBNs via Add Item by Identifier, for the reasons @adamsmith gives.)
Thanks!!