Using Notes DURING WRITE UP of paper

bradco
I'm fairly new to Zotero, so maybe I'm overlooking the obvious. When I have my Word document open, and I want to start writing my paper, well, Zotero lives in FireFox, not in my open Word doc. So, how do I access all my Notes ?? I realize there is a convenient Word Plug-in for citations & bibliography. My question is more mundane: Getting my Notes visible and available DURING THE WRITING PROCESS (not during collecting from sites). Thanks in advance for this newby question- hopefully others may have wondered this.
  • erazlogo
    http://forums.zotero.org/discussion/1526/notesonly-display/
  • bradco
    Hm. Let me get this straight: Seems that Zotero is a great collection tool, but then when it comes time to write . . . Seems you have to print off a "Note report" and work from it. Is that right? . . .It sure would be nice if FireFox could open an MS Office doc. Then you write and have Zotero open along the bottom of your Word doc. . . then the 3 X 5 cards are truly replaced in the writing process. . .
  • bdarcus
    Seems you have to print off a "Note report" and work from it. Is that right? . . .It sure would be nice if FireFox could open an MS Office doc.
    The reports are in HTML, and Word opens HTML, so you can already do that yourself. Try it.

    I use Zotero for note-taking and for writing. There is a significant cognitive hiccup that accompanies having to move back-and-forth between a word-processor and a bibliographic database like Zotero. But I don't think it's much better to have to switch documents.

    I've long been saying that the ideal implementation uses a browser from within the word-processor, with optional features like auto-filtering based on surrounding document content.

    But that has certain implementation challenges I suppose.
  • Tjowens
    bradco: You might also try using Google Docs, then you use Zotero and your document in the same window. With Google Docs you can then also just drag and drop your references in. See Google Docs Screencast.
  • bradco
    Yes, thanks. I was just looking at some of the web word processors. I'm in an MBA program, so our study group used Google Docs last semester with some real disappointment with lack of formatting and cumbersome navigation. Zoho.com appears to be a "better" alternative with some additional features. However, after reviewing several applications, I'm going to give ThinkFree.com a whirl, a java-based app that seems to be getting strong reviews for almost seemless integration with Word 2003: http://www.pcworld.com/printable/article/id,125504/printable.html
  • bdarcus
    TJowens: but using Google Docs is only viable if you never have to change citation styles. Since I and many users do, I consider that approach unworkable.

    YMMV of course.
  • erazlogo
    edited January 8, 2008
    Bruce--
    I've long been saying that the ideal implementation uses a browser from within the word-processor, with optional features like auto-filtering based on surrounding document content.
    How would that work exactly (especially the auto-filtering)? And how would that relate to your other suggestion, on being able to drag a content of the note into a word doc to have it automatically display enclosed in quotation marks and with the relevant footnote? Do you envision these two features working together?
  • bdarcus
    Elena -- let's take Word. Imagine a customization of the research panel that allowed browsing of citations and notes from within Word, as well as insertion of citations from there.

    I know Dan doesn't favor creating dedicated UIs for word-processors because it would (at least ATM) involve duplicating work, but that's at least the idea.

    But yes, they would be complementary: two different sorts of features really.
  • jimdelaney
    If you have a wide-screen display, then dragging from Zotero's note windows into your word processor, outliner or text editor works fine, but is a little clunky. It would be nice, however, if dragging a note from the middle pane copied the entire note rather than its first line only.
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