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Reference management software: Zotero 7

There are many ways to keep your library clean and tidy, for example by creating folders and tags. 

Using folders

1. Create and organise folders

Create a New collection and organise your items using folders (which Zotero calls "collections"). Drag and drop to re-organise.

2. Duplicate items

This is where you find your duplicates. Choose the item you wish to be the master item and tick Merge 2 items. From the popup window, you can also choose which metadata you want to retain in the item which is kept, by selecting the relevant field.

3. Unfiled items

In this file the items not yet sorted into folders are placed. Go through the list and see if you can place them in a pre-existing folder.

 

Note taking

Notes are a good way to add personal thoughts and information to the items stored in your library. All notes will also be searchable in your library. There are two types of notes:

  1. A child note is connected to an item. Mark your item and then click on the Notes sidebar option, next to the Info sidebar, to the right.
  2. A standalone note, not connected to an item. Click on the New note icon or choose File → New note.

Tagging your items

You can add tags to all the items in your library; some items already have some tags when you import them. Tags are a great way to make your items easy to find when your library grows large.

  1. To add a new tag, mark an item in your library. Then click Add in the Tags tab and give your tag a name.
  2. The Tag selector is located at the bottom of the left Zotero pane; click to make it visible. You will then see a list of all tags in use in your library. By right clicking a tag, you can assign a colour to it.
  3. All tags are searchable.

 

PDF files and storage

Zotero can function as a PDF manager. It can download PDF files together with item metadata, and you can find the files and search their contents in Zotero. However, if you use Zotero as a PDF library your free 300 MB storage will shrink quite rapidly.

In order to enable or prevent Zotero from automatically attaching PDF files when importing an item, go to Zotero Preferences → General → File handling > tick/untick Automatically attach associated PDFs […].

If saving files in Zotero, it might be a good idea to check your storage.

  • Log on to your account at zotero.org → go to Upgrade storage.
  • Or go via your account → Home → Settings → Storage.