Zotero: Introduction

First, download Zotero 7 and the Zotero connector. 

You must download and install both pieces for Zotero to work! 

Zotero is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux. The connector links Zotero to your web browser and to Microsoft Word. There are connectors for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge. We demo Chrome in our workshops and in this guide.

If you are upgrading from an older version of Zotero, make sure to back up your old Zotero library first. 

After installation, open Zotero, then open your browser. In your browser, you will see a Zotero icon in the upper-right corner.  It might look like a Web page icon, an article icon, or a book icon. There are other icons, but those are the most common.

Zotero is organized into three adjustable panels.

The left panel organizes the groups of citations. To create a new folder in the library, right-click on the "My Library" icon and select "New Collection."

The middle panel shows a list of the citations in a folder, which users may drag and drop from one folder to another.

The right panel displays the full citation information, allows editing of the citation, and has additional tools such as notes and tags. Click in any of the data fields to edit as necessary, such as with Web page citations.

The icons to the the right of the citation panel let you jump to different sections of the panel or add information, such as the Notes or Tags. Here's a quick key to the icon meanings:

The Notes can be very useful for taking notes as you read or hold a discussion in class about an item. Use the "plus" symbol to add a new note. Notes have no length limit and use a rich text format, so you can use options such as bold, center, etc. Each note is automatically saved to the citation it was created under and alphabetically sorts under that citation. The name is the first few words you type in the note.

Tags are often imported from the database from the subjects or subject headings of that database, so don't be surprised if you see tags attached to a citation. You may add your own tags using the "plus" symbol. Tags can include your own words and phrases for subjects, the name of the professor, or the class. (Tags you have added are in blue.) Tags such as these will help you find material later!

You may then search any tags or notes attached to the citations using Zotero's quick search, which appears above the middle panel:

The Related option allows you to create mutual connections between citations so that each will appear in the other's "Related" section.