As ever, thanks for the quick response- It might be nice to let the user to decide whether or not to include shared folders in the search with a toggle in preferences (or even a preference for each shared folder - “Include in citation lookup”)… I see your point, but it depends on the set-up of each user.
So, if the following events happened, I suppose that the citation, added by two different authors, would result in two reference entries in the bibliography and possible a YYYYa/b scenario:
a) User A puts a reference in the shared library
b) User B copies that reference to her own library
c) User A corrects his reference, which would update in the shared folder, but not User B’s copy
d) Both User A and B cite from their own libraries.
To me, the shared folder is the key to the brilliance of PaperPile, so authors collaborate together from a shared library, but workflows like the one above cause some of the same complications that “non-collaborative” software might and are just a hair better than e-mailing one another RIS files. I guess my question has turned into a feature request for a more complete collaborative writing experience with PaperPile, which I find myself tending toward over my previous set ups more and more.