Getting Started with Zotero
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Install Microsoft Word FirstIf you don't already have Microsoft Word installed on your laptop, follow these instructions to install Word BEFORE you install Zotero.
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Zotero
Save, categorize, and cite everything from scholarship to YouTube videos. Our guide has instructions for using Zotero with lab computers and for getting the most storage space possible.
Click the link above and follow Steps 1-3 to install and set up Zotero on your computer. Step 4 is optional.
The citation styles used by biology comps students are Cell and The American Naturalist, which you will need to download from the Zotero Style Repository. You will only use one of these citation styles for your comps paper, but if you don't yet know which one you'll be using, it doesn't hurt to download both. Once Zotero is installed and set up on your computer, search for these styles by name in the repository. Once you find the style you want to use, click on it. You will be asked if you want to add the style to Zotero. Click "OK" and the style will be added to your Zotero program.
NOTE: When searching the Zotero style repository, you may see citation styles with similar names, like "Cell Systems" or "Cell Cycle." Ignore these; the citation styles you want are named "Cell" and "The American Naturalist."
Sharing Your Zotero Library with Your Professor
To share your Zotero library with your professor, you will need to create a group library following the instructions below.
Creating a Group
- Go to Zotero.org
- Log in (top right corner of the page)
- Go to the "Groups" tab
- Click "Create Group"
Adding People to a Group
- Go to Zotero.org
- Log in (top right corner of the page)
- Go to the "Groups" tab
- Under the name of the group you want to add members to, click "Manage Members"
- At the bottom of the Manage Members page, click the "Send more invitations" link to invite your professor.
Group libraries will appear in the left column of your your desktop Zotero program under the heading "Group Libraries."
If you have items already saved to your main Zotero library when you create your group library, you can click and drag individual records (by clicking on the item) or entire collections (by clicking on the collection) to add those items/collections to your group library. New records can be saved directly to a specific collection (aka folder) within your group library just like they can be saved to a collection in your main Zotero library.
For more information on group libraries, watch this video tutorial.
