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My workflow is: 1. Come across paper pdf on the web. 2. Use Zotero firefox plugin to import it into Zotero. Zotero is able get citation data, and automaticall

My workflow is: 1. Come across paper pdf on the web. 2. Use Zotero firefox plugin to import it into Zotero. Zotero is able get citation data, and automatically exports it to a bib file. 3. Use emacs helm, which reads the bib file, to cite papers in my documents. I would have really loved to have this workflow during my Phd, but I was doing everything manually back then. My only complaint is this recent silent change in Zotero, where the exported bib file has entries in alphabetical order, rather than in last-added order. With the last-added order, when I popped open emacs helm, the last added paper would be on top. Now I have to search for it.

zneveu 7y ago
Check out the "better bibtex" extension to zotero for exporting to bib files, I find it helps with unicode/utf-8 characters and might fix that alphabetical problem.
- abdullahkhalids 7y ago
  I am indeed using that. The bug reports claim it is a Zotero problem and not a better bibtex problem.
tmalsburg2 7y ago
Hi, helm-bibtex author here. Helm-bibtex has support for importing citations directly from CrossRef: Fire up helm-bitbex, type search terms (e.g., title of paper), select CrossRef option, select paper from search results and press "c" to copy BibTeX entry, "q" to close, then paste entry into your .bib file.
- abdullahkhalids 7y ago
  Thanks for the response. I am aware of that functionality. I, however, usually find papers using the browser (either searching google scholar or on arxiv/scirate). Zotero, then lets me click one button (most of the time), and the entry is available to be cited using a nice citekey (firstauthorYear), and the pdf is placed in my pdf folder with the right filename. With all due respect to the excellent work you do (many thanks for that), my workflow does not require any manual work most of the time.
  - tmalsburg2 7y ago
    I guess you have to manually export your bibliography, but, still, that's a pretty streamlined workflow. There's definitely room for improvements within Emacs.
    - BostonEnginerd 7y ago
      The BetterBibTeX plugin for zotero automatically keeps the BibTeX file in sync with the database.
retorquere 7y ago
That last thing is fixable. Open an issue on github for BBT and I'll get you sorted (heh)

zneveu 7y ago

Check out the "better bibtex" extension to zotero for exporting to bib files, I find it helps with unicode/utf-8 characters and might fix that alphabetical problem.

abdullahkhalids 7y ago
I am indeed using that. The bug reports claim it is a Zotero problem and not a better bibtex problem.

tmalsburg2 7y ago

Hi, helm-bibtex author here. Helm-bibtex has support for importing citations directly from CrossRef: Fire up helm-bitbex, type search terms (e.g., title of paper), select CrossRef option, select paper from search results and press "c" to copy BibTeX entry, "q" to close, then paste entry into your .bib file.

abdullahkhalids 7y ago
Thanks for the response. I am aware of that functionality. I, however, usually find papers using the browser (either searching google scholar or on arxiv/scirate). Zotero, then lets me click one button (most of the time), and the entry is available to be cited using a nice citekey (firstauthorYear), and the pdf is placed in my pdf folder with the right filename. With all due respect to the excellent work you do (many thanks for that), my workflow does not require any manual work most of the time.
- tmalsburg2 7y ago
  I guess you have to manually export your bibliography, but, still, that's a pretty streamlined workflow. There's definitely room for improvements within Emacs.
  - BostonEnginerd 7y ago
    The BetterBibTeX plugin for zotero automatically keeps the BibTeX file in sync with the database.

retorquere 7y ago

That last thing is fixable. Open an issue on github for BBT and I'll get you sorted (heh)