Zotero is a software program designed to help you store and manage citation information for resources you find relating to your research. Use Zotero to store online books, journal articles, PDFs, and other materials in organized folders. Zotero will also generate citations and bibliographies directly into Microsoft Word documents, using the citation style of your choice (MLA, APA, Chicago, and many others).
Create a free account with Zotero here. Then install the program.
When registering, use a personal email account, not your Saint Anselm email. Your Anselm email will not allow you to download the browser extension, necessary to use Zotero.
1. Getting Started with the Basics
Use your personal email account to register. Do not use your Saint Anselm email. Using your Anselm email will not allow you to install and use the Chrome extension.
2. Downloading Zotero
Once you have registered an account, download Zotero and install the Zotero Chrome Connector for your browser.
You will see the Zotero extension appear in the top right-hand corner of your Chrome webpage. This extension is crucial to saving sources within Zotero.
3. Saving Sources
Save sources by selecting the Chrome extension for Zotero. The extension will say the sources is saved to your Library.
If you have already set up folders within the Zotero Library, you can select the drop down arrow and save the source to a specific folder. Otherwise, the source is saved alongside your other sources in the Library.
4. Managing Sources
Manage your sources by opening the Zotero app on your desktop.
Create folders to organize sources (This is especially helpful for separating different classes or assignments). The folders appear on the left-hand side.
The source appears in the center of the page. Selecting the source will bring you back to the website or database where you found the source. Some formats, like PDFs may allow you to read the source directly with the Zotero app.
The right-hand side shows the source's information, like date of publication, author, and URL.
Learn how to collect and save your sources in Zotero. Never lose track of articles again!
Organize your articles into different folders. Work on multiple projects for different classes with ease by creating various "libraries" for each assignment.
Creating and Sharing a Shared Zotero Library