Importing from Google Scholar

[mtzmtz]

Has anyone used the new Google Scholar feature that allows exporting of citations?

The preferences for Scholar allows the creation of link to import citations in these formats: BibTex, EndNote, RefMan and RefWorks.

Any suggestions on how to do this?

Thanks,
mtz

[thecritic]

Any suggestions on how to do this?

I just tried it. Use RefMan (with the Bookends RIS import filter), and make sure you change the text encoding to "Western (MacOS Roman)" if you have references with accented characters.

[mtzmtz]

Thanks. that works for me too. But I'm wondering if there are any shortcuts. My process is as follows:

1. Click the "Import into RefMan" link
2. Save file to desktop
3. Rename file to add a ".txt" extension, clicking to confirm when Finder prompt appears.
4. Import into Bookends

it would be super-cool if the saving to desktop & adding .txt steps could be eliminated. Any suggestions?

[Jon]

I doubt you can avoid saving to the desktop. But if you drag and drop on a Bookends database with the Shift key held down, Bookends will offer to import it (rather than attach it).

Jon
Sonny Software

[nicka]

Thanks for pointing this out, mtzmtz.

I'm not sure if it is totally clear from Jon's answer, but if you drag with shift held down, Bookends assumes the file you are dragging is a reference, regardless of its extension, so offers to import it rather than attach it. (Jon explained this in more detail in a recent thread.)

I think I may have found a minor problem, though. Since Google Scholar currently exports citations one by one, when I tried this out I ended up with a lot of files in my download folder. I selected the lot and dragged to Bookends with the shift key held down. The first one was imported, but Bookends offered to attach the others, not to import them.

[Jon]

I see that, too. I'll fix it in the next update.

Jon
Sonny Software

[ToniW]

When using firefox and importing using the RefMan option, the google scholar source is imported straight into my open Bookends database, ie., I don't have to save the file to the desktop. Not sure if it works with the other filters and I haven't been able to do this with Safari.
Toni

[K1]

I may be an idiot, but I couldn't make the drag-and-drop work. I was able to import by changing the .ris file to .txt and importing in Bookends.

Can someone give me step-by-step instructions if it's working for you?

Thanks...

[Tim Jacka]

[quote="ToniW"]When using firefox and importing using the RefMan option, the google scholar source is imported straight into my open Bookends database, ie., I don't have to save the file to the desktop. Not sure if it works with the other filters and I haven't been able to do this with Safari.
Toni[/quote]

Cool, thanks for the tip, Toni

tim

[rward]

Firefox asks what application can help with .ris files downloaded from google scholar. I can select Bookends and have these files imported into Bookends automatically.

However, I prefer to use Safari or Camino. Using the Get Info dialog I've tried to set Bookends as the application to open all .ris files. However, I'm not able to choose bookends from the dialog. I suppose ths relates to being unable to drag .ris files onto the Bookends icon.

Still, if it were possible to select Bookends as the helper application it would be very useful.

[Jon]

I don't know why you can't choose Bookends -- perhaps because it's a bundle (.app)?

Jon
Sonny Software

[rward]

I'm not sure what happened, but everything seems to be working now.

I used MisFox to set Bookends as the creator and helper of .ris. That didn't seem to do any good. "Import to RefMan" from google scholar still tried to open bibdesk.

But oddly enough, after that, I was then able to select Bookends from the Get Info dialog. I don't know that there was anything causal here. BUt now I can automatically import google scholar references, which is great.

[K1]

I'm not sure what happened, but everything seems to be working now.

I used MisFox to set Bookends as the creator and helper of .ris. That didn't seem to do any good. "Import to RefMan" from google scholar still tried to open bibdesk.

But oddly enough, after that, I was then able to select Bookends from the Get Info dialog. I don't know that there was anything causal here. BUt now I can automatically import google scholar references, which is great.

So you were able to choose Bookends to open .ris files? It is greyed out for me.

[rward]

So you were able to choose Bookends to open .ris files? It is greyed out for me.

Eventually, yes. Here's what worked for me, although what parts are critical and what are coincidental I have no idea.

I set up a new file mapping entry in MisFox for .ris files, and set Bookends as both the creator and the helper application. MIsFox is a free application to help set up helper applications. This didn't solve the problem on its own: dl'ing an .ris off google scholar still wouldn't open Bookends.

However, after setting up this entry in MisFox, I was then able to set Bookends as the application to open .ris files in the finder Get Info window. Now everything works really well.

[yaxpac]

So you were able to choose Bookends to open .ris files? It is greyed out for me.

While working with Firefox today using the technique above for FireFox (thanks for the tip!) it was successfully working. Bookends then crashed (no idea why it just did while importing another file). So when I went back to re-associate the download with the .ris file I ran in to this same problem, i.e. Bookends being grayed out. Bookends had automatically restarted after its crash so it did not make sense. So I suspected maybe when it closed out ungracefully something was not closed properly. So I politely closed the opened version of Bookends, then reopened it and it showed up fine in FireFox.

R. Joe