Getting Started with Zotero

Written By: Sayyara Huseynli

This toolkit offers an introduction to Zotero, a free and open-source reference management software to manage bibliographic data and related research materials. Participants will learn uses of Zotero and how to use multiple accounts on Zotero desktop application to manage different sets of bibliographic data. Additionally, they will set up and use two browser extensions for Zotero which will allow them to save information to the preferred Zotero library, personal vs professional. Participants will learn how to work with Group Libraries. (Note: Many users do not find it necessary to work with two Zotero accounts.)

1. You will need

  • Computer
  • Personal mobile device
  • Google Chrome browser
  • Administrative access to download and install software to the computer you are using

2. Zotero Vocabulary

  • Sync – Synchronization
  • Collection – Folder
  • Subcollection – Subfolder
  • Group Library – A shared folder, space for collaboration with specific permissions
  • Metadata – Information about a piece of data such as date of creation, author, permanent URL, publisher
  • Connector – the equivalent of a browser extension

Note: Zotero is a project of the Corporation for Digital Scholarship, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the development of software and services for researchers and cultural heritage institutions, and is developed by a global community.

3. What is Zotero?

Zotero is a personal research assistant called a content management system that helps to:

  • Collect with a click
  • Organize your data (websites, books, articles, photos, for example) as you want using tag and collection/folder functions
  • Take notes on an item
  • Search your data
  • Sync data across devices and with a web version
  • Collaborate with colleagues by sharing resource libraries

Also: Zotero makes it easy to create lists of resources or a bibliography and to insert citations for sources into papers while writing with Microsoft Word or other word processors

4. Possible Uses for Zotero

  • Store:
    • Books
    • Journal Articles
    • Newspaper Articles
    • Group work
    • Items from archives
    • Other research data
  • Take Notes on Items, tag items
  • Create Bibliographies

5. Example of a Zotero Library (Desktop App)

  • Folders List (Left): Your Collections
  • Middle Table: Your library
  • Info Tab: Metadata

6. Example of a Zotero Library (Web)

  • Folders List (Left): Your Collections
  • Middle Table: Your library
  • Info Tab: Metadata

7. Example of a Group Library

Website display

Desktop application display

8. Setting Up a Personal Zotero Account

On your personal mobile device:

  • Navigate to Zotero.org
  • Create a new login directly from the web browser. Please make sure to note your username and your password. Do not share your password, including with all of your collaborators.

This will allow existing users to invite you to group libraries. Invitations will go to the email associated with your individual Zotero.

Note: You can also download Zotero onto your laptop, for example, and use the same personal  login on your laptop. Try it out! Zotero is great for collecting and organizing information.

A snapshot view of the Zotero Home page focusing on the Log In option on the Google Chrome browser. (Photo: Sayyara Huseynli)
A snapshot view of the Zotero Registration page on the Google Chrome browser. (Photo: Sayyara Huseynli)

9. How to Install the Zotero App (Personal Profile)

Visit the Download page on the Zotero website:

Choose the software that fits your operating system and click “Download”

  • Follow the guidelines on the page: https://www.zotero.org/support/installation. Feel free to address any questions that come up in the process.
  • If you have an account, go ahead and log in both on the website and the application.
  • If you don’t have an account, navigate to Zotero: https://www.zotero.org/user/login/ and register for a free account.
  • Once your registration is complete, use those credentials to log into the application and into your account on the Zotero website.

 

10. What is Zotero Connector? (Extension)

Zotero Connector is a browser extensions that makes it quick and easy to save research findings/individual items directly from the web browser. It is a key feature of Zotero!

Download it on the same page as the application:

11. Account Synchronization

Let’s work on syncing between devices and group libraries.

For Mac computers:

  • Launch the Zotero desktop application
  • Navigate to the top left and click on “Zotero”
  • In the dropdown menu select Settings:
    • Click on “Sync” in the Pop up menu

12. Save a Record to the Library

Use Digital Commonwealth to search and save a record to your library:

Once you find a record that you’d like to save, navigate to the top right of your browser and click on the “Zotero” browser extension icon.

In the dropdown menu, choose the Collection to which you want to save your record.

The record should automatically appear in your desktop application as well as the web library.

13. Creating a Group Library

  • Go to Zotero Application: https://www.zotero.org/groups
  • Log into your account (if you are not already logged in)
  • Choose a name for your new group library
  • Then choose viewing and editing access
    • Open viewing and membership
    • Open viewing but application-based membership
    • Only invitation-based access

14. Creating a Collection in Your Library

  • Click the yellow folder icon (on the desktop app view), or
  • Click “My Library” (make sure that is it highlighted)
  • Click the plus “+” icon on the browser version, next to “My Library”
  • Name your Collection what you wish

15. Add Findings to your Collection

On the website or the desktop app, use drag-and-drop function to move the items from the previous step into the newly created Collection. 

On the desktop app, Zotero should save automatically to the Collection that you have highlighted.

 

16. Creating a Subcollection

For the Desktop App:

  • Right click on the Collection that you want to add the Subcollection to
  • From the list of selections, choose “New Subcollection”
  • Name your Subcollection

For the browser version:

  • Click the three dots in the same line as the Collection you want to add your Subcollection
  • From the list of selections choose “New Subcollection”
  • Name your Subcollection

 

17. Separate your Personal and Professional Accounts

Note that other Zotero users cannot see your personal library; they can only see group libraries to which they have access. If you do not wish to set up and manage two accounts (personal and work/professional), skip ahead to the next section (“Considerations Prior to Using Zotero”).

To separate personal and professional accounts, you will need:

  • Google Chrome (personal and professional) and two Google (Gmail) accounts
  • Administrative access to download and install software to your computer
  • Zotero desktop application installed

Instructions:

  • Log out of your personal Gmail and Log into your professional account
  • Click on the circle with your picture or initial on the top right corner of the Chrome browser and click “switch account.”
  • Download Zotero Connector (browser extension) while logged into your professional Gmail on Google Chrome

For Windows only:

  • Create two Zotero accounts
  • Create two Google Chrome accounts
  • Install Zotero Connector on both Chrome accounts
  • Navigate to:
    • C:\Users\%username%
  • Create a new folder named whatever you want
  • Open one of your Zotero accounts
  • Click “Edit” > “Preferences” > “Advanced” >”Files and Folders”
  • Under “Data Directory Location” click the dot next to “Custom:” and then click “Choose”
  • Navigate to and select the new folder you have just created
  • Click “OK”

How to make sure you can switch between personal and professional accounts when you launch Zotero:

Mac:

  • Open Terminal via Spotlight (or /Applications/Utilities)
  • Copy the following line and paste into the Terminal window:
    • /Applications/Zotero.app/Contents/MacOS/zotero -P
  • Press Return

Windows:

  • Open the Run dialog
    • Windows 10/11: Search > Type “Run” > Run
    • (Windows 7): Start > Run
  • Copy the following line and paste into the Run window:
    • C:\Program Files (x86)\Zotero\zotero.exe -P
  • Press Enter

Name your accounts something like “Work” and “Personal” (you can change these labels later) and then log in

Also, uncheck “Use the selected profile without asking at startup” option

18. Considerations Prior to Using Zotero

The application has limitations:

  • Metadata population is not always complete
  • Embedded PDFs are not always recognized
  • There can be metadata population errors
  • There can be inaccurate recognition of information in languages other than English
  • Admin access is required to download and install any software or extensions to your computer

Consider:

  • Always review the Info section for an item
  • Focus on key areas: title, author, date and URL
  • Fill in any missing information manually using the source website

19. Further Reading