RefWorks Support: Error message using Create Bibliotgraphy (WNCIII)

Transcript of Q&A with RefWorks support:

Question:
One of our customers encountered a problem while attempting to use the 'Create Bibliography' function in RefWorks, using Word2007 (document extension: .docx) and Write-n-Cite III. She received the following error report:

Errors were encountered while processing your document:
- The following error occurred attempting to read your document: 'this.oRange.Text.substr(...).match(...).0' is null or not an object

In investigating this problem, we opened the .docx in Word2003 (Word2007 not being available in the library). Attempting to use 'Create Bibliography (with Write-n-Cite III) resulted in the same error report.

Subsequently, we tried saving the document as a .doc file, saving the document as a .doc file under a different name and copying the content of the original document into a new .doc file. These attempts resulted in the following error message when attempting to use 'Create Bibliography' (Word2003, Write-n-CiteIII):

The following Errors were found while processing your document
- The following error occurred attempting to read your document: 'length' is null or not an object.

Could you advise us on the possible cause of this problem and provide a solution?

Answer:
That error indicates that part of the document was written with Write N Cite v.2 and part was written with Write N Cite III. Open your document and log in to Write N Cite. After you have logged in, click on Tools > Revert to WNC V.2 Document and revert the document. Then save the document. After saving, from within Write N Cite, click on Tools > Convert to WNC III Document > Convert. After the document is converted, save the document. Then try creating your bibliography again.

NB. An alternative explanation/solution was found by Googling the error message:

From: James F Brett

I dealt with the same issue yesterday. The problem was (or I think was) that the student had inserted citations into her doc using WnC but had nor used edit citation function to remove an in-text citation. She simply deleted the citations in Word and kept on going with the document. We backed up to her original document that had no inserted citations, then inserted a couple of citations and were able to successfully format her document.
http://refworks.blog.lib.mcmaster.ca/2009/01/21/write-n-cite-problem/

Change habits and enjoy the greatly improved import off-campus

As of today the library offers a new way a accessing licensed journals and databases off-campus. We no longer use MyUU, but instead advise students and researchers to use the library website. When using the journal listing in Omega or the list of databases you will be routed via a new proxy server. Because Refworks also operates under this system there is now a far greater number of databases from which there is a simple 2-4 click direct import when working off-campus.

This improved way of working at home with Refworks was already available for Scopus and Omega, but now you get the same seamless experience using e.g. Ebsco, PsycInfo, GeoRef, Highwire, JSTOR, Science Direct and many others. The most important ones are listed is on the RefWork support page (in Dutch, in English) made by the library.
The same list shows that there are some exceptions where accessing RefWorks using the group code is better: Google Scholar and Worldcat. Please read the notes on the support page.

But the message is: when accessing your RefWorks database do not use http://www.refworks.com but
http://131.211.208.19/login?url=http://www.refworks.com/

You will be prompted to login with your Studentnumber or SolisID if you are off campus and then sent on to RefWorks where you can login to your RefWorks account.

Alternatively, click Refworks in the list of databases on the library website.