Introduction to Zotero#
One important task in scientific research is literature reading, and the workflow is roughly as follows:
a. Find literature -> b. Download and capture literature -> c. Read and annotate literature -> d. Organize literature notes -> e. Cite literature
The core function of literature management software is to capture literature information and cite it correctly in the text.
The main Chinese literature management software on the market includes NoteExpress and CNKI Research, while the English literature management software includes Endnote, Zotero, and Mendeley. The focus of this article is Zotero, which has the following advantages:
- Free: As open-source software, Zotero does not charge users unless you need to use its collaboration features.
- Rich plugin resources: Zotero has a very active user community, with a large number of plugins and powerful functions, which allows users to improve Zotero's ecosystem spontaneously.
- Cross-platform synchronization: By configuring synchronization correctly, you can synchronize your literature library for free on platforms such as Windows, Mac, and iPad. This is very friendly for colleagues who need to work on both their Mac and desktop computers.
- More integrated workflow: Zotero also has excellent literature reading and note-taking functions. You can even use it to manage web bookmarks and local e-book libraries.
Installation#
Currently, it is the transition phase from Zotero 6 to Zotero 7. Zotero officially released Zotero 7 Beta on May 21, 2023, optimizing the UI and performance of the old version. However, as of the submission of this article (May 2024), the official version has not been released yet.
It is worth noting that Zotero 6 and Zotero 7 plugins are not compatible with each other! Therefore, once you choose one version, if you want to switch to another version, you need to reconfigure all the plugins (if you directly overwrite the installation upgrade, the literature library will still be retained, so don't worry).
It has been a year since the submission of this article and Zotero 7 Beta. Many useful core plugins have been updated and improved by developers. If you are starting to use Zotero to manage your literature now, I recommend installing Zotero 7 Beta. In addition, the subsequent plugin tutorials in this article are also based on Zotero 7.
Zotero Installation#
Download the version for your platform from the official download page (please prioritize the 64-bit version if your system is compatible) and follow the prompts to install.
Microsoft Word Add-in Installation#
To be able to cite literature in Word, click "Edit" -> "Preferences" in Zotero, and click "Install Microsoft Word Add-in" under the "Citation" menu.
(The part below on the left is the plugin, which will be introduced one by one later)
Browser Plugin Installation#
This step is recommended to be performed in Chrome or Firefox browsers. I was unable to install it successfully in Safari.
Install the Zotero Connector in your browser. Please refer to the search engine for the method of installing the plugin corresponding to your browser.
After successful installation, no additional configuration is required. The plugin will automatically connect to the open Zotero program.
Usage#
At this point, the core functions of Zotero have been installed, and the capture, management, and citation of literature are already sufficient to demonstrate the power and ease of use of Zotero. The basic usage methods are introduced below:
Capture Literature#
Taking this paper as an example, when you open it in your browser, the Zotero plugin in the upper right corner will display a paper icon, indicating that it has detected a journal article on this webpage. Click it and configure the save location. Wait for the attachment "Open Access PDF" to change from gray to black, indicating that the literature has been successfully captured.
At this point, when you open Zotero, it should appear in the folder you set (you can create folders to manage literature under "My Library").
However, sometimes the attachment may fail to be automatically captured from the webpage. For example, for Chinese literature, you may need to install the Jasmine plugin later, and for English literature, the capture may fail due to network (anti-crawling) or permission issues.
If the latter case occurs, you can also manually download the PDF file and drag it into the Zotero window, and it will automatically capture the literature information and generate an entry.
Manage Literature#
As you can see, you can create file categories through right-clicking in the left menu to manage literature in a file explorer-like manner. The parent folder view usually displays the literature in all subfolders.
In Zotero, the same entry can belong to different categories, so you can view the same entry in different folders. If you want to remove it from a certain category, you should choose "Remove Item from Collection" instead of deleting the entry directly.
Zotero has a trash bin function, so even if you accidentally delete a file, you can easily retrieve the entry. In addition, the functions of generating collection reports, searching, and using tags are also practical and worth exploring in detail.
From my screenshots, you can see that entries in different categories have different icons, making it easy to manage journals, conference papers, preprints, and theses. You can also put snapshots of web pages, GitHub code pages, video pages, books, etc. into Zotero for management.
Cite Literature#
Before citing literature, please select the citation style in the settings page in advance.
Select "More Styles," search, and select the Chinese national standard citation style as an example:
After setting it up, open Word and select the first button in the Zotero tab to insert a citation.
At this point, Zotero must be open. A red dialog box will appear, and it will cite the currently selected item in Zotero by default.
Press Enter to see the corresponding citation result in the document.
Conclusion#
This article only demonstrates the installation process and core functions of Zotero, and has not fully utilized its capabilities. Subsequent updates will include literature synchronization settings, plugins, and integration with Obsidian.
Related Articles#
Research Tool Series (2): Configuring Zotero Sync with Nutstore