Zotero

Once you have added an item to your Zotero library, you can begin organizing your research using collections and tags. 

Collections allow you to organize your items into groups and subgroups. Importantly, the same item can belong to multiple collections and subcollections at once. Collections make it easy to organize your sources by project, class, topic, or even section of your paper. 

Tags (think: keywords) provide a quick, searchable way to describe and categorize items. You can tag items based on their subject, methodology, status, ratings, or your personal workflow (e.g., “needs review”). Items can have as multiple tags, and you can filter your library (or a specific collection) to only show items with selected tags.

Creating a New Collection: 

1. Click the folder icon (), above the leftmost pane. 
2. Enter a name for your new collection. 
3. Start adding items to your new collection using one of the following methods. :
   1. Adding items already in your Zotero library: 
      1. Go back to your library.
      2. Search for items you want to add.
      3. Select the items in the center pane and drag them into the new collection.
   2. Adding new citations directly into a collection:
      1. Find the citation online.
      2. Click the Zotero connector in your browser. 
      3. In the pop-up window, change the "Saving to "field to your desired collection. 

Creating a Subcollection: 

1. Right-click on an existing collection.
2. Select "New Subcollection" from the menu. 
3. Enter a name for the subcollection. 
4. Add citations to the subcollection using the same methods described above. 

Note: Items in Zotero can belong to multiple collections. Any change made to an item in one collection will be reflected across all the collections it appears in. 

Deleting Items from Collections 

To remove an item from a single collection:

• Right-click (or control-click on a Mac) on the item and select "Remove Item from Collection."
• This removes the item from the collection but keeps it in your Zotero library.

To delete an item from your entire Zotero Library:

• Right click the item and select "Move Item to Trash"
• This deletes the item from all collections in your Zotero library. 

Managing Duplicate Items

If you notice duplicate entries in your Zotero library, do not delete one manually, as this may remove it from collections where it's needed. Instead, use Zotero’s Merge function:

• Select the duplicate items.
• Right-click and choose “Merge Items.”
• Zotero will combine the entries while preserving their presence in all collections.

Deleting Entire Collections from Zotero

If you decide you no longer need a collection or subcollection, Zotero offers two deletion options. Be sure to choose the one that fits your needs:

• Delete a collection but keep the items in Zotero.
  • Right-click the collection and select "Delete Collection."
  • This removes the folder but keeps all items in your Zotero library. 
• Delete a collection and all its items
  • Right-click on the collection and select "Delete Collection and Items."
  • This removes the collection and deletes all the items from your entire Zotero library, including other collections they may belong to. 

Tags

Tags are like keywords that you can assign to items in your library. They are typically used to describe the subject or topic of a citation, but you can customize them to fit your workflow. For example, you might tag items based on the project they belong to (Hist210_Paper1), their status (read or unread), your personal impressions (useful or useless) or use a custom research code (Review_For_Introduction).

Tags are searchable through the Zotero search bar and can be viewed in the tag pane, located in the bottom-left corner of the Zotero Window.

Tags can be imported automatically from databases when saving citations or they can be added manually. Be aware, if you allow automatic importing, your tag cloud may become cluttered with inconsistent tags, obscuring your personal tagging system. 

Adding Tags

To tag an item manually:

1. Select the item in your Zotero library.
2. Click the "Tags" tab in the right-hand info pane
3. Click the plus sign (+) to open the tag entry field. 
4. Type your tag and press Enter. 

Tips:

• Zotero will suggest existing tags as you type. You can select one from the list to maintain consistency across your library. 
• You can add as many tags as needed.
• All tags will appear in alphabetical order in the tag pane. 

Tagging Multiple Items at Once

1. Make sure the tag already exists in your library:
   • If it appears in the tag pane, you're ready to go.
   • If not, add the tag to one item first using the steps above.
2. In the center pane, select all the items you want to tag.
3. Drag the selected items onto the tag in the tag pane.

To confirm the tag was applied:

• Click the tag in the tag pane.
• If all tagged items appear in the center pane, you're all set.
• If not, repeat the steps above.

Zotero automatically saves PDFs along with citations when possible. You can adjust this behavior in the Preferences menu if you prefer to manage attachments manually. Keep in mind that attachments take up space in your Zotero account—Zotero provides 300 MB of free storage, and additional space can be purchased if needed.

Manually Attaching Files

You can manually attach files (such as PDFs, images, or audio recordings) to items in your Zotero library in two ways:

Drag and Drop Method:

• Drag a file from your desktop or folder into the Zotero window.
  • Dropping the file onto an existing item will attach it to that item.
  • Dropping the file into a collection or between items will add it as a standalone item.

This is the easiest way to attach a copy of an article, screenshot, or other resource to its corresponding citation.

Using the Attachments Tab:

1. Select the item in your Zotero library.
2. Click the “Attachments” tab in the right-hand info pane.
3. Click the “Add” button to browse and attach a file manually.