Shared folder use in Google docs

Support
1

Dear all,
I’m new to Paperpile so my apologies in advance if my question has already been answered. I’m currently using the 30 day trial version of Paperpile for a group project and have developed a Shared folder with my collaborators. I’ll illustrate my question with two scenarios:

Scenario #1: Person A saves a paper in the Shared folder of the project in Paperpile. If Person B wants to cite that paper in Google docs, they have to first add it to their personal library. Otherwise, the Paperpile add-on on Google docs will not be able to “see” a citation that is in the Shared folder but not in B’s personal library.

Scenario #2: Person A inserts a citation in Google docs through the Paperpile add-on. Assume that the citation is saved only in A’s personal library and not in the Shared folder of the project. Assume then that Person B clicks “format citations” (i.e. compiles a reference list) for the Google docs document. Even though the citation that A inserted does not exist in B’s personal library, the reference list that B compiles on Google docs will include the bibliographic information of that citation.

I cannot understand how scenarios 1 and 2 can both be true. If I cannot insert a citation unless the paper I wish to cite exists in my personal library (even though it exists in the shared folder), then how is it that when I compile a bibliography that includes papers that are not in my personal library (but are the personal library of my collaborator), those papers get listed correctly?

Thanks in advance for the feedback.
Best,
Nikos

2

Hi Nikos,

You are raising some good points here.

Currently we have a technical limitation that the Paperpile search dialog in Google Docs only searches in the user’s library and not also in the folders shared with the user. We will address this at some point. Currently, there is a workaround - the one you describe din Scenario #1.

When a user adds a reference to a Google Docs document, Paperpile makes a copy of the item from the user’s library and puts it into some kind of Google Docs shared Paperpile folder. This way anyone working on the document can format the bibliography.

I hope that I was able to shed some light on this.

Best,
Andreas

3

Thank you very much for your prompt response Andreas. Your explanation is very clear.
Nikos