Re: [Bibdesk-users] SAO/NASA ADS workflow

[Adam R. M. <ama...@ma...>]

On May 21, 2009, at 7:44 PM, David Nicholls wrote:


> As I new user of Bibdesk, I'd appreciate advice on whether the  
> workflow
> I've adopted to index and import PDF files in Bibdesk is the best  
> way to
> do things.
>
> What I want to do is find a paper in SAO/NASA ADS at
> http://adsabs.harvard.edu/basic_search.html, extract the bibtex data  
> and
> abstract, import the PDF file, and index it in the Bibdesk compendium.
>
> What I do now is:
>
> (1) In the Web window in Bibdesk, open the ADS URL (above) which I  
> have
> bookmarked.
>
> (2) Do the search and go to the ADS record for the publication I want.
>
> (3) Click on the bibtex entry link and select the Bibtex details on  
> the
> page that opens (starting with the '@').
>
> (4) in Bibdesk, Bibdesk > Services > Bibdesk > Add to bibliography

Note that you can also drag BibTeX text to the Library group, which  
might be easier if you're already in BibDesk.

Alternately, you could use the ADS search group.  Currently it's set  
up with the astronomy database as an example.  Go to Searches->New  
Search Group and set the type to z39.50, then choose ADS Astronomy.   
Other database names can be found here:

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs_doc/ads_server.html

You can use "au=nicholls" to find all entries with an author name of  
Nicholls.  More details of z39.50 search syntax are in the help.

>
> (5) Open the Edit screen for the newly imported bibtex entry
> (6) Go back to the Web screen, back to the main article page,
> select/copy the Abstract text; then paste that text into the Abstract
> screen in the Edit window.
>
> (7) In the Web window again, right click on the link to the PDF (or  
> HTML
> if PDF not linked), and choose 'Open in Default Browser'
>
> (8) If there is only an HTML link on ADS I navigate to the PDF
>
> (9) When the PDF is loaded, I save it to the Desktop
>
> (10) I open Finder and drag the PDF on to the Bibdesk editor window
> where the Web image is located (top right).

An alternate way would be to drop the link itself on the editor's file  
pane, then control-click to download the target.  BibDesk then handles  
the download for you.

>
> (11) The record is now added and I can edit the keywords as required.
>
> (12) I do a test TeX Preview to check that there are no formatting
> errors in the entry (bibtex or abstract text).  I edit these if  
> necessary.
>
>
> My question:
>
> Is this the best way to add an entry from SAO/NASA ADS? Or are there
> quicker ways?

I can't guarantee that anything I've suggested will be quicker or  
better.  The way you're doing it now is probably better, since the  
z39.50 service doesn't provide journal information in a way that maps  
directly to BibTeX.