Connecting and Using Zotero

What is Zotero?

Zotero is a free, open-source reference management software that helps you collect, organize, cite, and share your research sources. It is a powerful tool that can help you streamline your research process and save time when writing papers, articles, or theses. It has two components: the program itself and the Zotero connector, a browser extension that allows you to import citations and resources directly from the web into your Zotero library. If a PDF or EPUB is available for download, Zotero will automatically download it to your library (this is very useful for journal articles).

Note

First, register for a free account here..

Next, Download Zotero here.

Make sure to download both the Zotero program and the Zotero connector for your browser.

Connecting Zotero

After downloading Zotero, you need to connect it to your account. You can do this in a few simple steps:

  • On the top ribbon, click Edit and then choose Preferences or Settings on the drop down that appears.
  • In the Preferences window, click on the Sync tab.
  • Enter your Zotero username and password in the appropriate fields.
  • Click OK to save your settings.
  • Makes sure both Sync automatically and Sync full-text content are checked.
  • Also make sure that the Sync attachment files in group libraries is checked if you are working on a group project.

After these steps are completed, your Zotero account will be connected to your Zotero program, and you will be able to Sync your account across devices as well as join group libraries. Zotero gives you 300 MB of free storage space for stored articles and other PDFs. Thereafter, you will have to pay for more storage space. The fee is modest because Zotero is owned by the Corporation for Digital Scholarship, a noprofit organization dedicated to creating software to support digital scholarship.

Using Zotero

Zotero is first and foremost a citation manager, but it can do much more than that. Here are some of the key features of Zotero:

  • Collecting and organizing sources: Zotero allows you to save sources from the web directly to your library. You can also manually add sources by entering the information yourself. You can also organize these texts into collections and subcollection, tagging each with key words to make them easier to find.
  • Citing sources: Zotero integrates with word processors like Microsoft Word and Google Docs to help you cite your sources in your papers. You can choose from a variety of citation styles, including APA, MLA, Chicago, and many others.
  • Sharing sources: Zotero allows you to share your sources with others by creating group libraries. You can also share individual sources by generating a link to the source.
  • Reading sources: Zotero allows you to read and annotate PDFs and EPUBs directly in the program. You can also search for specific terms within your sources. The built-in PDF reader is top of the line in my opinion.
  • Annotating sources: Zotero allows you to add notes and annotations to your sources to help you remember key points or ideas.

More information

For more information, you can find the Zotero quick start guide here