Zotero: Getting started with

How to use zotero at the most basic level

Posted on: 27 Sep 2023

This post was explicitly written for my sister

What is Zotero?

Zotero is an app that scholars around the world use to manage their references. References are useful pieces of information from books, articles, videos, or web pages. When academics write something, they need to support it with evidence.

As a scientist myself, when I make a claim or statement, I have to prove it with my own experimental data or “cite” somebody else’s work as a reference. This is called citation and reference.

Citations are important because they help readers find the original source of information and give credit to the original author. By citing sources, you show that your work is based on reliable and trustworthy information.

Citation example: Let’s say you are writing an essay and you want to include a quote from a book. You would use a citation to mention the author’s name and the page number where the quote can be found. For example, you might write:

“According to Smith (2010), ‘quote goes here’ (p. 25).” This citation gives credit to the original author and provides evidence for your argument

Reference example: At the end of your essay, you would include a reference list that provides detailed information about all the sources you cited in your work. For a book, the reference would include the author’s name, publication date, title of the book, and other relevant details. For example:

Smith, J. (2010). Book Title. Publisher.

This reference list entry gives readers all the information they need to find the book themselves

In addition to managing references, Zotero helps you organize your research sources efficiently. You can create collections, add tags, and easily search for specific items. It also works with word processors like Microsoft Word and Google Docs, making it easy to insert citations and create bibliographies.

Zotero is a powerful tool that can save you time and effort when managing your references. Whether you’re working on an assignment or writing a paper, Zotero can help you stay organized and ensure your references are accurate and properly formatted.

Remember: Zotero is for storing notes and references, not files. We will talk about this in later section.

How to start with Zotero as in install/sign up

Download the software and install it. You can find it on this link: https://www.zotero.org/

To use Zotero properly with online resources, you have to have the Zotero browser extension, for web browsers like Google Chrome/Microsoft Edge.

Open Zotero after you have installed it.

Its interface will look something like this 👇

You can use Zotero offline, but for having your notes online, it is better to have a Zotero account.

You can register with a free account here https://www.zotero.org/user/login/

How to Organize Your Zotero Library

Once you’ve set up Zotero, you can begin organizing your research materials. Follow these steps to create collections and add items:

Step 1: Create a New Collection

  1. Open the Zotero software.

  2. Click on File, then select New Collection.

  3. Choose a name for your collection that relates to your project, article, dissertation, or whatever you’re working on. For example, in this case, they chose World Literature.

Step 2: Adding Items

There are three different ways to add items to your collection:

1. Manual Entry:

2. Add by Identifier:

3. Zotero Connector:

With these steps, you can efficiently organize and manage your research materials in Zotero. Happy researching! 📚🔍

How to Add a Novel PDF to Zotero

If you want to keep track of the novels you’re reading in PDF format using Zotero, you’re in luck! It’s quite straightforward. Let’s walk through it step by step with an example using the novel “Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad.

Drag and Drop the PDF

  1. First, locate the PDF file of the novel you want to add. In our case, it’s “Heart of Darkness.”

  2. Open Zotero and have it ready on your screen.

  3. Simply drag and drop the PDF file into the Zotero window.

Review Auto-Detected Information

Zotero will try to automatically detect the author and title of the book. It will create an item for you. You can see this information displayed.

If Zotero gets it right, great! If not, don’t worry, we can fix it.

The Best Way – Find the Book on Google Books

  1. Open your web browser and go to https://books.google.com/.

  2. Use the search bar to find the book. In our example, we’re searching for “Joseph Conrad Heart of Darkness.”

  3. When you find the correct book, click on it.

Import Book Information

  1. Once you’re on the book’s page, look for a book icon. Click on it.
  1. Now, Zotero will import all the correct details about the book.

Clean Up Duplicate Entries

Sometimes, you might have multiple items for the same book. To keep things organized:

  1. Right-click on the incorrect item(s) and select “Move item to bin” to delete them.

  2. Finally, drag your PDF file onto the correct item in Zotero to link it to the book.

That’s it! You’ve successfully added a novel PDF to Zotero while keeping your library tidy and well-organized. Happy reading and note-taking! 📚📝

Pending

I will write about the following topics later: How to cite with Zotero

How to keep Zotero syncing online with Zotfile

References

Zotero’s quick guide https://www.zotero.org/support/quick_start_guide

McGill University tutorial https://youtu.be/M2wsGCqavPI?si=e8qgXUVykwbgB5tu

Mustaq Bilal’s great Zotero Meta thread https://x.com/MushtaqBilalPhD/status/1572880223150153730?s=20