1. Managing Your Literature Search Using Zotero
Deb Werner
Director of Library Research in Medical Education

2. Outline Overview of Zotero Install Zotero Standalone + Connector
Set up Online Sync
Save Citations
Use Zotero with Microsoft Word
In today’s workshop, we will get an overview of Zotero and cover the following things.
Please feel free to ask questions at any time.

3. What is Zotero?
A reference manager that facilitates collecting and organizing references.
Today we are going to install and use Zotero. It is a reference manager, or citation management tool, that helps you collect and organize references from databases, websites, catalogs, etc.

4. Your literature review
Have you begun your lit review?
Yes No
Are you using a reference manager to save your references?

5. Which reference manager do you use?
Zotero
EndNote
Mendeley
Papers
RefWorks
Other

6. Zotero for Firefox
To start, I want to introduce some terminology that is specific to Zotero and may be new to you.
Zotero was initially developed as what’s called a browser add-on. It was compatible with the Firefox browser only and ran in Firefox, as shown in this screenshot. If you use the Firefox browser, you can still use Zotero in this way. A pane overlays your browser window, allowing you to view your Zotero library as you browse the web.
Add-on in Firefox
Compatible only with Firefox

7. Zotero Standalone
As mentioned in the outline, we are going to install the Standalone version today. If you think you’d prefer the add-on, go ahead and install that instead, or if you’d like assistance with it, I can help you after this session.
Runs as a separate application
Compatible with Firefox, Chrome, and Safari

8. Zotero Library
Your Zotero library refers to your collection of citations and any files and research notes that you attach to them – basically, all your stuff.

9. Browser extension (Connector)
Connects your browser to Zotero Standalone
Zotero uses what are called browser extensions to connect your browser to the Standalone. It’s the extension that builds the bridge between the browser and the Standalone, enabling you to send information from the browser and save it in the Standalone.

10. Install Zotero Exit Microsoft Word Go to Zotero.org Click
Install the Standalone
Install the extension
Okay, let’s go ahead and install Zotero. If you are using a different reference manager, you may want to skip this. These systems have a way of interfering with one another.
Also, if there are problems experience by the group with the installation, I’ll stop and try to troubleshoot, but if an individual is having problems, I’ll will address these at the end of the presentation on an individual basis.
Step one: If Microsoft Word is currently open on your computer, please make sure to shut down that program.
Open your preferred web browser: Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari. Then, go to Zotero.org…

11. Set Up Online Sync Go to Zotero.org Click Register in upper right
Create your account
Verify your account
You should have the Zotero Standalone and the browser extension for your browser already installed. Are there any problems so far.
Next, there are a few settings that I’d like to walk you through. The first is setting up online sync. To sync you need to set up a free account.
The purpose of Online Sync is for Zotero to synchronizes your data across as many devices as you choose. All of your notes and bibliographic data remain seamlessly and silently up to date.

12. Set Up Online Sync (continued)
Open Zotero Standalone
Go to Actions > Preferences > Sync and enter your account information
If you want to sync files, like PDF attachments, you need to click the check box for that. Note that you have 300 MB of free Zotero File Storage for attached files, with larger storage plans available for purchase.

13. Set Up PDF Indexing Go to Actions > Preferences > Search
Click Check for Installer
There’s another setting that I want to make sure we configure now because it really enhances the functionality of Zotero.
Again in the Zotero Actions > Preferences menu, from the options at the top of the window, choose Search. In the middle of the window, you should see a large button that says “Check for Installer.” Go ahead and click that button.
What this will do is enable you to search the full text of any PDFs you save to Zotero AND extract citation information from many PDFs just by dragging and dropping PDF files into your Zotero library.

14. Save Citations Zotero icon appears in browser location bar
Click icon to save citations to Zotero
Firefox
Chrome
Safari
Now let’s talk about getting citations into Zotero. Zotero makes it easy to pull citations from websites, provided there is Zotero translator code running in the background. The translator is what enables Zotero to detect, interpret, and import citation information from a given website.
If a Zotero translator exists, a Zotero capture icon appears in the location bar of your browser. Here is an example.
In the top example, we’re looking at the location bar of a JSTOR webpage and at the end of the location bar there is a page icon. If I were to move my mouse over the icon, a text box would appear, which reads “Save to Zotero” – this tells me that there is a Zotero translator for this page, which can interpret any citation information that appears here.

15. Save Citations Right-click anywhere on page Click Zotero
In this example, from cbo.gov, there is no capture icon and this tells us that there is no Zotero translator to interpret the information on this web page. So, we can’t save citation information from this page with one click the way.
NIH.gov
Cbo.gov | Topics | Health care

16. Save Citations from PubMed
Okay, next let’s begin saving citations to our Zotero library and let’s start by saving citations from PubMed.
I’m going to do a keyword search. Go ahead and do a keyword search of your choice. Okay, now that I have a list of search results displayed on the page, I have a question for you. This is a review of something I touched on earlier, when introducing you to Zotero terminology. Where on this page does the Zotero capture icon appear? Remember that the Zotero capture icon is what enables Zotero to interpret the information on this page and it’s what enables us to save citation information with one click.
It’s up in the location bar or URL bar of the browser. You can see there’s a file folder icon near the end of the location bar and when I move my mouse over it, it reads “Save to Zotero.”
When I click on the icon, I see a list of all the citations listed on this page of results. That’s a product of the way Zotero works – remember, it’s translating the information displayed on this web page.

17. Save Multiple Pages from PubMed
Select “Send to”
Select “File”
Under Format, select “XML”
Click “Create File” button
In Zotero, Import file
Okay, next let’s begin saving citations to our Zotero library and let’s start by saving citations from PubMed.
I’m going to do a keyword search. Go ahead and do a keyword search of your choice. Okay, now that I have a list of search results displayed on the page, I have a question for you. This is a review of something I touched on earlier, when introducing you to Zotero terminology. Where on this page does the Zotero capture icon appear? Remember that the Zotero capture icon is what enables Zotero to interpret the information on this page and it’s what enables us to save citation information with one click.
It’s up in the location bar or URL bar of the browser. You can see there’s a file folder icon near the end of the location bar and when I move my mouse over it, it reads “Save to Zotero.”
When I click on the icon, I see a list of all the citations listed on this page of results. That’s a product of the way Zotero works – remember, it’s translating the information displayed on this web page.

18. Drag & Drop PDFs
Drag PDFs into My Library; right click to retrieve Metadata.

19. Zotero with Word – Windows
Found in Add-Ins ribbon
Now, let’s move on to using Zotero with Microsoft Word.
When you installed the Zotero Standalone, bundled with that installation was the Zotero add-on for Microsoft Word. So, when you open Microsoft Word, on the Windows operating system, you’ll be able to find a new toolbar in the Add-ons ribbon.

20. Zotero with Word – Mac Floating toolbar
You can display the Zotero toolbar on the Mac by going to the View menu, choosing Toolbars, and then finding the Zotero option to display the toolbar, which is very similar to what Windows users see.

21. Zotero with Word – Mac View > Toolbars > Zotero
You can display the Zotero toolbar on the Mac by going to the View menu, choosing Toolbars, and then finding the Zotero option to display the toolbar, which is very similar to what Windows users see.

22. Use Zotero with Word Set citation style Add citations
Update citations & refresh the document
Insert bibliography
Now, let’s practice using Zotero with Word.

23. Do More with Zotero Folders – organize your library
Duplicates – find & reconcile duplicate citations
Add by Identifier – save citations by DOI, PMID, etc.
Notes – take research notes in Zotero
Groups – share citations with collaborators

24. Learn More & Get Help Zotero Guide: guides.lib.uchicago.edu/zotero
your questions or schedule a consultation
Zotero.org
Quick Start Guide
Screencast tutorials
Discussion forums

25. Questions?

26. Transfer Citations Import RIS files: Go to Actions > Import
Select the RIS file