Citation Management using Zotero: Organizing your Library & Attaching Files

To open your library, click the Zotero button at the bottom righthand side of your browser.

At the top left is a folder button with a green plus sign. Click this to create a new "collection."

Create collections to organize your references just like iTunes.

Collections are similar to file folders on your computer; however, in Zotero a reference can be in more than one collection at a time. For example, an article about Virginia Woolf could be filed in your "Women and Writing" collection, your "British Authors" collection, and your "Woolf" collection without having to make multiple copies.

The far right hand side of your Zotero library is where you can see the bibliographic information Zotero has collected.

If you click on <Info> you will see all the bibliographic information Zotero has automatically downloaded.

By clicking on any field you can change the information or add to it.

Notes allows you to attach notes to your records, how the reference seemed important to your research.

Tags allow you to tag records throughout your Zotero Library with key words that allow you to find what you need in your Zotero Library.

Related allows you to link items in your collection. (FOR EXSAMPLE: a screen shot with an added record)

Screen Shots are a great way to anotate your bibliography.

When you have slected the Info of your record you have an option to <View Snapshot> or <Locate>:

<Locate> will locate the original web page that your citation was dowloaded from.

* This does not alwasy work if you have dowloaded the citation from a library database and you are not logged into the library proxy.

<View Snapshot> will open up a screen shot of the web page.

The address bar will read "Zotero attatchment" explaining that the doument you are viewing is a Zotero generated document. You can then highlight and make notes on this document with the tools that will appear in the right hand corner of the Zotero document.

To attach items in your zotero library you must change your Zotero settings.

The gear button will open up your settings:

Make sure the "Automatically attach PDF's" button is checked.