Bug report: Anomalous Character in Automatic Google Docs Citations

S3rios
Report ID: 1290833249

When using the automatic citation feature in Google Docs, the extension is inserting an "F" at the beginning of of my footnotes. It does so before any citation has even been selected.

Steps to reproduce:
1) Create a google document.
2) Use the Zotero tab to attempt to add a citation.
3) Select "Chicago Manuel of Style 18th edition (notes and bibliography)
4) Once the window is up to select a citation, look at the bottom of the screen. You will see that the created footnote has an F in front of it.

I have attached a picture of this happening after the exact procedure outlined above. Note that I have blurred my citations for privacy reasons, but the F shows up before I have actually selected anything to cite, which means it is independent of my citations.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u6923776/pr52al7pk5aj9step7jb.png
  • jrmacd2
    Simply adding a comment to say that I am also experiencing this exact same problem.
  • James.Barnes
    I'm also having this issue, and further, my footnotes are being corrupted more generally (it's adding multiple citations following different formats when I add a citation).
  • adomasven Zotero Team
    @jrmacd2 @James.Barnes would you submit a Report ID from Zotero Connector?
  • jrmacd2
    Good afternoon. I have isolated my issue to Zotero Connector (I do not experience this issue with Microsoft Word, only with Google Docs in Chrome).
    Error report ID: 1209214753
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    This would be due to some change in Google Docs, but we'll likely need to wait until they've rolled it out to more people before we can reproduce it ourselves and fix it.
  • adomasven Zotero Team
    @jrmacd2 @James.Barnes Are you still seeing this? Does it happen if you disable all other extensions except for Zotero Connector and restart your browser? Alternatively, you can create a new browser profile with no extensions, only install Zotero Connector, and try there. Does it happen with other browsers?
  • carlosamagi
    I've already tried reinstalling the connector, clearing the cache, and even changing the document language, but the 'F' persists in every new citation. I'll just keep working with the damn 'F' for now and wait for a Zotero Connector update to fix this bug. (Using Microsoft Edge).
  • adomasven Zotero Team
    @carlosamagi would you comment on the questions I have asked above from other users? We are unable to fix this unless we are able to reproduce this, or figure out what causes it.
  • carlosamagi
    @adomasven I have just submitted a technical report through the Zotero Connector in Edge. Report ID: 362538168 ; Browser: Microsoft Edge (Chromium). Regarding your questions for reproduction:

    The 'F' character is injected at the very start of the Google Docs footnote as soon as the Zotero dialog is triggered.

    This happens even with a clean citation (no prefix/suffix).

    I am using Microsoft Edge and the Chicago 18th Edition style.

    I've tried reinstalling and clearing the cache, but the issue persists.

    Please check the debug logs in the Report ID provided above to see the interaction between the Connector and the Google Docs field.
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    @carlosamagi: You didn't respond to any of Adomas's other questions:
    Does it happen if you disable all other extensions except for Zotero Connector and restart your browser? Alternatively, you can create a new browser profile with no extensions, only install Zotero Connector, and try there. Does it happen with other browsers?
  • Clara.katherina.berger
    I experience this bug too using Firefox as a browser - I disabled all other extensions and experiences the issue nonethess
  • Clara.katherina.berger
    I wasn't sure which was the correct Error report: this is from the Zotero Programme:1052522077 and this is from Zotero connector: 1303841790
  • chris-scott
    I am having this problem also. Just installed Zotero app and connector in my Win11 machine running Edge. Never used this before.

    The “F” appears using Turabian 9th (notes/bibliography), Chicago and SBL 2nd Ed.
  • adomasven Zotero Team
    @chris-scott Does it happen if you disable all other extensions except for Zotero Connector and restart your browser? Alternatively, you can create a new browser profile with no extensions, only install Zotero Connector, and try there. Does it happen with other browsers?
  • chris-scott
    Hi @adomasven - Unfortunately, disabling all other extensions in Edge (Version 146.0.3856.59 (Official build) (64-bit) in Windows 11) and restarting the browser did not do it.

    It was interesting however, that for a while I worked on my Mac using Zotero, and when I deleted the current footnote, and replaced it with the Zotero version on my Mac, there is no "F". See attached pic (Footnote 49 created in Windows, Footnote 50 created in MacOS).

    I verified that on my Windows machine, using Chrome (Version 146.0.7680.80 (Official Build) (64-bit)) it also produces the "F".

    https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u19871758/0yu8ng1sa8137grg9u1x.png
  • adomasven Zotero Team
    How about using Chrome on Windows? What version of Windows are you using? Do you use autohotkey, or some other software that adds global hotkeys, etc?
  • mjthoraval
    edited 6 days ago
    A simple way to fix in the meantime:
    Switch to a non-"notes" Citation Style, for example "Chicago Manual of Style 18th edition (author-date)"
    Then back to "Chicago Manual of Style 18th edition (notes and bibliography)".
    → The "F" are gone.
  • chris-scott
    @adomasven - I tried on Edge (Version 146.0.3856.59 (Official build) (64-bit) in Windows 11) and Chrome (Version 146.0.7680.80 (Official Build) (64-bit)).

    Both produced the "F". I don't use the Hotkeys. I click the little "Z" in the Docs toolbar.

    @mjthoraval - Are you on Windows? I'll have to try that.
  • mjthoraval
    Yes, on Windows 11.
  • chris-scott
    @mjthoraval - You are a genius!!! That did it.

    At first when I switched to "Chicago Manual of Style 18th edition (author-date)" it removed my footnotes and I was bummed, but then I switched back to "Turabian 9th ed." they all came back and without the "F" in front of the footnotes.

    Hooray!!! Thank you so much!!
  • mjthoraval
    The new references added will still get the "F" though, so you will need to repeat the process to remove them. So it is only a temporary workaround until it can be fixed.
  • Clara.katherina.berger
    Another work-around for the time being is to first insert a footnote and then the citation ( I use the shortcuts Ctrl+Alt+F and then Ctrl+Alt+C to do so in Firefox on Windows 10).
    Interestingly, the "F" appears for a moment and then disappears again while editing the citation in the Zotero pop-up) - perhaps that helps to identitfy the error?
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