How to Use Zotero

Collecting References: Books and Articles

Zotero provides the ability to save references from most library catalogs and databases, and even some regular web pages, with one click. (Zotero publishes a list of compatible sites, and many sites not on this list also work.) If Zotero detects that you're looking at a book or article on a catalog, database, or a site like Amazon.com or the New York Times, you'll see a book or page icon appear in the address bar of your browser. Just click the icon and Zotero will automatically save the citation.

If you're on a page of search results with many items, you'll see a folder icon instead. Click this to get a list of all the items on the page, and check off the ones you want to save.

Here's a list of results from the library's EBSCOhost databases:

 

 

Here's an individual article listed in a EBSCOhost database:

 

Add a Reference Using ISBN, DOI or PMID Number

Zotero can add a reference from an ISBN, DOI or PMID number. Click on the "wand" icon and type the number into the box. Hit enter. If Zotero can find a matching number it will download a reference.

Collecting References -- Web Sites

Zotero can't automatically capture citation info from some web pages, but you can still add them to your Zotero library.

Click the Zotero button at the bottom of your browser to access Zotero's controls. Click the blue page icon to save a record of the page, a link to the page, and a "snapshot." A snapshot is a copy of the page saved to your local computer. It includes the page's text and images, so if the page is removed later you'll still be able to refer to it. Snapshots of web pages become searchable items in your Zotero library.