DAY FOUR OBJECTIVE: The goal for Day Four is to learn a few other tricks and tips to help you get the most out of Zotero.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Watch the brief introduction video below.
2) Complete the tasks: Navigate by using the tabs above (Task One, Two, etc.) Follow the video and written instructions within each tab to complete each task. Tasks are best completed in order -- as they build off one another.
DAY FOUR TASK OVERVIEW:
1. Create a "group" to share your references
2. Have a folder full of randomly named article PDFs? Drag and drop to get organized
3. Use Zotero magic wand tool to add citations
4. Create a manual citation
QUESTIONS? email Gwen's email
Video Length: 2min 39sec
TASK ONE: Create a "group" to share your references
To create a group to share your folder and citations, you must be registered for a Zotero account. See Day One (Task Two) if you need help.
1. Sign in to your Zotero account online (or create an account).
2. Create a group:
From the Zotero website, click on the "Groups" tab and select "Create a New Group." Name your group, select your group's privacy setting, and click "Create group." For privacy setting, I recommend "Private Membership."
3. Invite group members:
Click "Members Settings," and navigate to "Member Invitations." Click "Send More Invitations," and you will be prompted to invite new members.
In member settings, you can also adjust "group settings" (e.g. a description of your group), as well as "library settings" (e.g. who can read or edit)
NOTE: Your group folder will also show up in your Zotero Desktop Standalone. You can add citations to a group "collection" the same as regular collections.
Video Length: 2min 18sec
TASK TWO: FOLDER FULL OF RANDOM PDFs? DRAG & DROP TO GET ORGANIZED.
It's easy to end up with a folder (or two) of oddly named PDF files downloaded from various databases. Zotero can fix that. Simply drag and drop those PDFs into Zotero Desktop, and the app will search for the citation information (metadata) and rename your file. It's really quite magical!
1. Within the Zotero Desktop app, open the collection you want to move the PDFs into:
Here you simply need an open collection folder for your random files to be dragged and dropped into. You can always move the files later.
2. Select the PDF files you want to import & drag them into Zotero:
Select your files and then drop them into the center citation window. You can select and drag & drop multiple files at one time.
Zotero will search for metadata, rename the files, and attach citation information. The files will save to the collection folder you opened in Step 1.
In the image below, 6 files are being dragged into a collection folder titled "Test." In the bottom photo, Zotero is searching for citation information and successfully finding info for 5 of 6 files.
3. If Zotero doesn't automatically search for metadata...
You can manually tell the Zotero desktop to search. Right click on the PDF you want Zotero to rename and select Retrieve Metadata for PDF. Additionally, you might also have more luck using this approach if the PDF has searchable text (OCR). For instructions on making PDFs searchable, follow these instructions from Adobe.
4. If Zotero can't find any metadata to rename your files with...
You can either try TASK THREE: Magic Wand Tool or TASK FOUR: Manual Citation. The renaming technique we just used works about 90% of the time, but sometimes (especially for older content) we'll need to use try a few other approaches.
Video Length: 1min 14sec
TASK THREE: USE ZOTERO MAGIC WAND TOOL TO ADD CITATIONS
Most of the time you will use the Zotero Connector (in your browser) to import citations. But, there are more options available. With the Zotero Magic Wand you can add citations using an ISBN, DOI, or other identifying numbers.
1.Open a collection folder (within Zotero Desktop) where you want to save the citation.
2. Use the Zotero Wand tool to enter information about your item:
Click the Zotero Wand tool -- it's shaped like a wand (no surprise here) -- and located above the center pane. If you mouse over the icon, it will say, "Add Item(s) by Identifier."
Enter one of the accepted item identifiers into the search field, e.g. ISBN, DOI, etc. Zotero will search for the item's citation information and if available, will import it directly into your folder.
Video Length: 1min 24sec
TASK FOUR: CREATE A MANUAL CITATION
Before creating a manual citation, first try searching Google Scholar (or another online resource like the library catalog) for your reference. Creating a manual citation in Zotero is not hard, it's just easier not to.
1. Within Zotero Desktop, open the collection folder where you want to save the citation.
2. Manually create the citation:
Click the green plus button above the middle window. If you mouse over it, the icon will say "New item." You will be prompted to select the item type that you are adding: e.g. book, document, journal article etc.
3. Fill in the citation information in the right-side window, e.g. title, date, publisher, etc.
